ARTAC Worldchoice agents have started to use the electronic version of their accounting scheme ACAS following its launch at their consortium conference in Jersey. The electronicversion, designed by network provider XTANT, will allow agents to make direct debiting arrangements with theirsuppliers on viewdata. Pictured are, from left, Albert Lawrence, financial and training director, ARTAC; John Garbutt of Thorpe Travel; Stephanie Young, account manager, XTANT; and Adrian Swift, AFS Travel.
weather updates, hotel, car rental and airline information.
It also has details on ticket shipment tracking tolls, international protocol and cultural information. This information can be passed on to customers to provide added value.
Sabre’s vice-president for marketing in Europe, Bob Teerink said: “It puts a library of information at travel agents’ fingertips making the research phase of the travel-selling process fast, easy and efficient.
“We are offering tools to the agent to help them capture the benefits of the Internet and to rethink the way they do business – especially in an age when it is perceived the Internet is squeezing the agent out.”
Sabre has reported revenues of £397.73m worldwide for the first quarter ending March 31 1999, an increase of 15% on last year. The CRS says its net earnings, including the sale of 490,000 shares of telecommmunications company Equant NV, grew 29% to £57.97m compared to net earnings of £44.88m in the same period last year.
n Sabre has just signed co-operation deals with Scandinavian airline SAS and German carrier Lufthansa to ensure the airlines’ inventory will be available in an enhanced capacity over the GDS.
The deal follow an investigation by the European Commission and the US Justice Department after Sabre said that Lufthansa, SAS and other owners of Amadeus were not giving as much information to Sabre as they were to Amadeus.
GLOBAL distribution system Amadeus says its new contract with consolidator Travel 2/4 has prompted discussions with many other potential clients.
The operator has signed up with Amadeus in a £10m deal that will see it using the GDS’s front-office reservation system Protempo. The account was held before by Sabre.
Amadeus UK managing director Graham Nichols said at least five new potential customers were in discussions with the company.
“They use consolidators too and they are thinking if Travel2/4 are using the system, we should be too because its easier to transfer information that way. Travel 2/4 did a rigorous analysis of the product and that has encouraged other potential customers too.” Protempo is sold as being easy for agents to use because there is no necessity to learn difficult cryptic codes as there is with direct GDS access.
Logged on at 4.45pm. Log on successful. The home page is light on graphics so the full page came up within 15secs. I am offered a choice ofdestination information, on-line booking, brochure request and company information. I opt to search for holidays by destination rather than goingdirectly into the on-line booking function.
The Antigua page provides general information on the destination as well as practicalities such as health requirements and exchange rates There is a choice of three hotels, each with its own page. I choose the three-star Royal Antiguan. To find out availability, I click on the offers icon which provides details of late departure dates. A seven-night stay leaving on 25 June £499 per person room only. The total cost of the holiday is £1,108.
Within minutes of selecting a date I am filling in the booking form. The whole process has taken about 10mins. The site is very clean and easy to negotiate although the choice is limited to late bookings. It’s amazing how easy it is to spend so much money in such a short space of time.
A consultant answers after four rings. I ask for late availability at the end of June. The consultant asks me my maximum price range. She says she will have to go through all the operators and will call back within 30mins with the details.
Exactly half an hour later the consultant calls me with the cheapest deal. Ironically it is a Kuoniholiday for room-only at the three-star Halycon Rex from June 23. The cost is £499 each. The consultant says she will call first thing thefollowing morning with details of any other offers she has found. But I hear nothing else from her.
The consultant was friendly and helpful. But after a promising start I do not have all the offersavailable and I cannot go ahead and book theholiday even if I want to as she does not get back in touch. To my surprise the Internet proves to beeasier. Although I would still phone Kuoni to check the holiday has been booked properly.