HAMILTON Travel plans to phase out its Tomcat fare information tool as agents become more Internet-literate and use the company’s Web site for updates and booking.
The consolidator rolled out the Windows-based version of Tomcat, which agents mainly use to check on Hamilton’s Internet fares, last autumn at World Travel Market. But before it scraps the system it plans to upgrade it, adding extra features such as pricings for multiple destinations.
Hamilton managing director Mark Taylor said he hoped to develop the company’s Web site, which is currently just an information page, into an extranet that would offer fares, availability and special offers as well as a hot-link to other relevant sites giving destination updates and health and visa information.
Taylor said: “We will be producing one more version of Tomcat but by the time more functionality needs to be added to that we think agents will be used to the Internet and will not need Tomcat anymore.”
But he stresses that the tool, which Hamilton say is the only such product produced by a consolidator for its agents, will be around for three years or so as a back up or if agents did not want to use the Internet.
Tomcat was created three years ago by Hamilton after it was recognised that agents did not fully understand scheduled consolidated fares.