NEW YORK -- Vacation.com launched Power AgentNet, proprietary
technology that powers an integrated desktop for the travel agency
and a parallel consumer Web site.
The trade group immediately signed on five members as its first
adopters and expects to have two up and running on the system by
the end of this week.
Booking capabilities hinge on links to the GDSs and direct lines
to various industry suppliers. On the leisure side, initially, only
cruises are bookable. However, within two weeks, Travel Impressions
will become the first tour operator available through Power
AgentNet, spokesmen said.
Power AgentNet launched with two GDSs, Galileo and Sabre
available. On Nov. 17, it will add Vacation.com parent Amadeus.
Worldspan agencies, about 20% of members with res systems, would
not be able to use Power AgentNet for access to their GDS.
Agencies without ARC and GDSs account for about 25% of
membership. They already have access to the Vacation.com 440
hosting service, and air booking and ticketing would be processed
for them through the Amadeus link.
Major components of Power AgentNet -- i.e., most of the booking
connectivity and agent-customer communications capabilities -- are
based on technology from Boca Raton, Fla.-based vendor Revelex.
Additional features permit retailers to track booking activity
by agent and by supplier and permit Vacation.com to track booking
activity by agency and across all participants by preferred, and
nonpreferred, supplier.
Power AgentNet fees are $119 monthly for the first password
(covering Vacation.com membership and two conference registrations)
and from $65 to $91 monthly per additional password, depending on
number of passwords, plus $5 per transaction for each booking a
customer makes on the agency Web site.
For GDS users, there is a one-time setup fee to gain access to
their systems through Power AgentNet; for Galileo and Sabre
agencies, the fee is $7,500, and for Amadeus agencies, it is
$5,500.
Meanwhile, Vacation.com continues to develop its AgentNet sales
and communications portal, which is available to all members.
Through an agreement with Trisept Solutions, it previously
created Vacation.com VAX, allowing members to book VAX suppliers
via AgentNet.
Vacation.com added Midwest Airlines Vacations as a preferred
supplier and announced members can earn an additional $1 per net
booking made for the operator through VAX. The consortium also
announced its preferred supplier Universal Parks & Resorts
Vacations is now bookable in VAX, and in this case, members can
earn a bonus commission point plus $1 per net sale for VAX
bookings.
Bobby Heiser, Vacation.com executive vice president of sales and
marketing, added he was "hopeful" that Vacation.com VAX can be
added to the Power AgentNet product.
Finally, Vacation.com enhanced AgentNet with CCRAplus Hotels, an
online booking engine from CCRA, provider of preferred-rate hotel
programs and a subsidiary of Reservation Center, provider of
24-hour services to agency clients.
Vacation.com said CCRAplus Hotels provides access to Internet
discount rates at more than 13,000 hotels worldwide, promotional
and GDS rates at more than 40,000 hotels, CCRA preferred rates at
more than 15,000 hotels and net rates at more than 7,500
hotels.
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