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Travelport offers its "best of breed" GDS booking tool for UK Rail to Worldspan customers
LANGLEY, UK,,
10.12.2007
Travelport GDS, one of the world's largest global distribution system (GDS) providers and parent of both the Galileo and Worldspan GDS brands, today announced that it will replace the existing Worldspan UK rail solution with its “best of breed" Galileo booking tool for UK rail. Travelport UK Rail will be made available to Worldspan-connected agents before the end of the year. The decision comes just months after Travelport announced the completion of its acquisition of Worldspan, and brings Worldspan agency customers the same rich UK rail content that has been enjoyed by Galileo customers since its rail booking tool first went live earlier in 2007.
Available as both a travel agency as well as a corporate booking tool, Travelport UK Rail was developed following an agreement with TheTrainline, and has been positively received by customers across the UK as the market prepares for the Association of Train Operating Companies' (ATOC)* withdrawal from the ELGAR system at the end of the year**.
Patrick Lukan, general manager UK & Ireland for Travelport GDS, commented: “Following Travelport's acquisition of Worldspan, the Galileo and Worldspan teams have been working hard to combine their expertise to offer agents and their customers the most effective products in the marketplace. The roll out of the Travelport UK Rail booking tool to Worldspan agents is another example of how our integration efforts are focused on making these “best of breed" products readily available to every Travelport GDS customer and not about any kind of “forced migration" from one system to another."
Travelport UK Rail for Agents, an intuitive, web-based product, enables agents to search for fares and availability, book train tickets, select seats and manage refunds. The agreement with TheTrainline provides instant access to the full range of over 293 million journey and fare combinations in the UK. Other key benefits include access to the national ticket on departure (TOD) network for FastTicket machines and the ability to issue credit card sized tickets through the trainline.com.
Travelport UK Rail for Corporates, the self-booking tool developed for travel management companies (TMCs) to offer to corporate customers, enables business travelers to book their own UK rail journeys directly from their desktop. The browser-based tool can be customized with the TMC's logo and contact details or co-branded with a corporate logo and any bookings made are managed by the TMC.
Both versions of Travelport UK Rail will offer agents new revenue opportunities as no ATOC licence is required and commission can be earned on every booking.
Adrian Watts, sales and distribution director for TheTrainline, commented, “The rail booking tool we developed with Galileo is fast, efficient and requires minimal training. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work more closely with Worldspan-connected agents to help them to expand the rail service they provide their customers. This is an important step forward as we enter a new era in train travel as more and more businesses chose to include it in their corporate booking policies."
Notes to Editors:
- *ATOC represents the UK passenger railways
- **ELGAR will continue to distribute Eurostar content in the short term.
About Travelport GDS
Travelport GDS is one of the world's largest global distribution system (GDS) providers. It is also the global leader in Web-based travel e-commerce and a provider of other specialized solutions and services to the global travel industry. Travelport GDS comprises the Galileo by Travelport and Worldspan® by Travelport GDSs; Shepherd Systems, an expert in providing business and marketing intelligence to the travel industry; aiRESTM, the next generation server-based internal airline IT product suite; and THOR, a provider of distribution and marketing services to travel-related companies. Travelport GDS is a convergence of traditional and online travel distribution services that empower airlines, travel suppliers, travel agencies, Web sites and corporations to provide first class travel services to travelers on a global platform. Travelport GDS is a division of Travelport, the world's largest network of travel brands, content and services. More information is available at travelportgds.com.
About Travelport
Travelport operates one of the world's largest global distribution systems, which includes the Galileo and Worldspan brands. In addition, it is a provider of wholesale travel content through its brand GTA, and also owns a controlling interest in Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW), a leading global online travel company. With 2006 revenues of $2.6 billion, Travelport has approximately 7,500 employees and operates in 145 countries. Travelport is a private company owned by The Blackstone Group of New York, Technology Crossover Ventures of Palo Alto, California and One Equity Partners of New York.
About TheTrainline
TheTrainline is the leading UK rail ticket retailer and rail ticket information provider, offering fast and easy access to timetables, fares, reservations and tickets through its Internet site and contact centre operations in the UK train travel sector. In addition to its own website, www.thetrainline.com, it operates retail websites for 14 of the 21 Train Operating Companies.
Media Contact:
Kate Aldridge
Corporate Communications Director, EMEA and APAC
+44 (0) 1753 288720
kate.aldridge@travelport.com