New air platform vindicates Travelport stance, says GDS boss

Travelport chief executive Gordon Wilson hailed the company's new platform unveiled yesterday as a first for global distribution systems (GDSs).

Speaking at the World Travel and Tourism Council summit in Abu Dhabi, Wilson said: "Everything will be on one screen."

Wilson told Travel Weekly: "We are working with easyJet, British Airways, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, KLM. There will be so much content."

Travelport, parent of GDSs Worldspan and Galileo, argues the platform will let airlines distribute however they choose and differentiate services while aggregating everything on a single screen for agents.

Wilson said: "We don't want customers worrying about the plumbing."

Travelport is working to incorporate American Airlines' direct connect technology into the platform after the companies signed a new distribution agreement and dropped their competing legal claims in the US last month.

Wilson said: "We reached a long-term agreement acceptable to both parties, with a guarantee of access to all existing and future content.

"American Airlines will plug their technology into our Universal Desktop. We are working on the plans with American at the moment.

"The capability is in place and should be available within months."

Wilson said the deal "vindicated" Travelport's stance through the dispute with American, transatlantic partner of British Airways.

"We always said it was never a question of technology," he said. "We were not the logjam."

He declined to discuss the duration of the deal with American, but the agreement is believed to be for a minimum five years. Wilson said 70% of Travelport customers moved to one of the company's new desktops in the past year.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2013/04/12/43721/new+air+platform+vindicates+travelport+stance+says+gds+boss.html

Travelport have announced a new platform for their global distribution systems. This is seen as a step forward for the organisations. As you may already know, Travelport own and run Worldspan and Galileo. According to the chief executive Gordon Wilson, everything will be on one screen meaning it is more accessible for those who are using, especially in the travel agents. Travelport have agreed a long term contract with American Airlines and already have negotiations with British Airways. This is a great opportunity. I believe that with this new system, technology has progressed forward and will continue to develop.  

TripAdvisor thrashes competitors on Google

TripAdvisor was the most visible website on Google for foreign hotel searches last month, according to a report by Greenlight.

It found that the travel review site ranked top for 144 keywords, including 'Dubai hotels', in long-haul searches. In the short-haul market, it ranked top for six keywords, including 'Rome hotels'.

TripAdvisor achieved a 68% share of voice in long-haul searches, thrashing its competitors. Expedia ranked second, with only a 26% share, followed by Marriott and Laterooms.com, which each achieved a 17% share.

In short-haul searches, TripAdvisor achieved a 52% share, followed by Laterooms.com with 33% and Expedia with 31%.

Earlier this week we reported that TripAdvisor was the most influential hotel-related website on social media.

For the full report, go to http://www.greenlightdigital.com/gossip/sector-reports-hotels/hotels-sector-report-issue-15-february-2013-1/

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2005776&c=setreg&region=2

Many people already know or have heard of TripAdvisor. It is seen as the leading online website for travellers to view hotels, destinations, attractions, all of which is accessible through the click of a button. There have been many competition who have tried to rival TripAdvisor but have failed to compete. The reputation of TripAdvisor is impressive and I believe there is room for improvement. With the fast growing technology, can the most influential advisor for travellers improve? 

North Korea joins the social media revolution

Social media might be old news to the Western world but in North Korea the revolution is only just beginning. This week a bureau chief for the Associated Press in Pyongyang posted the country's first ever photos via Instagram. The images showed everyday scenes including commuters on their way to work, propaganda posters and the city skyline. This is a giant leap for the secretive country that has only one 3G mobile operator, jointly run by a State-owned businesses.

Thanks to the smart phone and tablet generation, record numbers are choosing to visit newspapers online over print. In January alone the Mail Online reported an 11% increase in monthly unique users, reaching the dizzy heights of 126,753,431 browsers. Similarly, The Guardian attracted a digital audience of over 77 million, an increase of 14% year-on-year.

There's nothing more frustrating than spending your hard earned cash on what you think is a great deal, only to find the price drops the next day. Travel is an expensive experience - so finding the best deal on a hotel is key. Tingo aims to prevent this infuriating predicament by checking hotel prices and automatically sending you a refund if the price drops. Instead of making that angry complaint, you'll get free room upgrades and extra cash to reallocate on your trip without even so much as a phone call. This situation seems to arise on a number of occasions, a quick Tingo search shows that in just 30 days, 237 hotels in NYC saw prices drop! In such cases, the clever bods at Tingo automatically rebooks your reservation time and refunds the difference on your credit card. There have been questions raised as to the sustainability & viability of the business model - will it last? We at Siren Communications certainly hope so, we're always on the lookout for the best holiday deal!

Twitter users will be prosecuted after images supposedly showing James Bulger killer, Jon Venables, who was released from jail on license with a new identity, appeared on the social networking site. Although the images were deleted swiftly after the posts appeared, charges will be bought for contempt of court against users who were involved, marking a new era for social media usage and the legal system.

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2005371&c=setreg&region=2

Social media is expanding day by day. Many websites such as Facebook and Twitter have managed to gain many users across the globe. I believe there are over 1 billion users on Facebook alone! However, some social networking sites have not been available for many countries such as North Korea. This is the beginning for the country that has been stipulated in current news. Instagram has been accepted in the country meaning more people are able to use 3G mobile for the first time. 

Moreover, Tingo has been introduced for the first time which helps find the best deal on a hotel!. You can automatically get refunds if the cost of the hotel drops. How great is that? I wish the same could be said for most things. 

ArrivalGuides secures two tourism partnerships

Travel industry online destination information network ArrivalGuides has secured partnerships with Fáilte Ireland and Destination NSW in Australia.

Fáilte Ireland will take over the responsibility for the existing four Irish destinations in the ArrivalGuides network and add a further seven. A Dublin guide is currently published in partnership with Visit Dublin.

Destination NSW will take over the responsibility for the destination guide for Sydney, and add a further nine local destinations in New South Wales.

The system allows destinations to update content directly and then see it live with more than 170 travel companies, including Qatar Airways, Ryanair, Air Berlin, Flybe, Hotels.com, Booking.com, Odigeo Nordic, Tiger Airways, Jetstar, Webjet and Harvey World Travel. Recent additions include one of the leading Chinese OTA’s eLong, HomeAway UK and Zuji.

Chief executive Magnus Aideborn said: “We are already today the leading global provider of constantly updated high-quality destination information generated by the leading local experts, the official tourist bureaus.

“Partnership with national and regional tourist offices will allow us to add new destinations at a greater speed than working directly with each destination.”

http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2013/04/16/6641/arrivalguides-secures-two-tourism-partnerships.html

The revolution of information being online has generated speculations and with the introduction to ArrivalGuides, this can help with information networking. The company has secured partnerships with companies in Australia which allows you to be updated with a destination guide for many places in the country. They are already the leading provider for information and with the partnerships, this will allow them to add better speed in terms of working with the destinations. 

In-flight mobile operator AeroMobile unveils revamped site

Mobile phone operator for the aviation industryAeroMobile has developed a new-look website to raise its profile with consumers.

The AeroMobile.net site provides information on in-flight connectivity in one place, including details of which airlines offer the service.

An increased presence for social media is featured following the launch of AeroMobile’s Twitter feed earlier this year and to encourage consumers to tweet @AeroMobile at 30,000ft.

The site, created by UK-based design agency Tobasgo Creative, also features updated news and blog posts, an FAQ section covering issues such as safety and cost, and a step-by-step guide to using mobile devices in flight.

Chief executive Kevin Rogers said: “This represents an important step-change for AeroMobile; with an established service and increasing airline and mobile phone partners, now is the time to start engaging with the public.

“Our aim is to raise awareness; we want people to know that they can use their mobile phones and tablets in flight, that it’s perfectly safe and it doesn’t cost the earth.

“The look and feel of the website will be carried through all of our consumer-facing communication - online and offline - to help raise awareness and increase engagement.”

http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2013/04/16/6640/in-flight-mobile-operator-aeromobile-unveils-revamped-site.html

Now this is exactly what many consumers are looking for. AeroMobile have been developing their new website for its customers. The company provides information on in-flight connectivity. The information includes which airlines can offer the service. Accoring to AeroMobile, Twitter feeds were encourage from 30,000 ft. This is a step forward for the company who look to engage with the public. Providing mobiles as well as tablets will be perfect for many passengers, such as business travellers. 

Ryanair threatens legal action ovr eDreams PPC campaign

Spanish online travel agent eDreams could find itself in hot water with Europe’s biggest airline Ryanair thanks to a PPC Google campaign that has incurred its wrath.

The low-cost giant has confirmed it considers the advert (pictured) to be a breach of its intellectual property rights and registered trademark.

A Ryanair spokesman told Travolution that it has been aware of this for some time and is “taking the relevant legal steps to combat this misleading practice”.

The eDreams ads are not only targeting Ryanair but similar results come up in paid search SERPS for easyJet and Thomas Cook.

Google rules do not prevent this sort of advertising activity, but major brands are legally able to protect themselves from other firms passing themselves off as the brand owner.

The eDreams strategy appears to take the fairly widespread practice of hijacking brand traffic to an extreme with the use of wording and a url that are clearly designed to look authentic.

Clicking on the ad takes the user through to a landing page dedicated to Ryanair with the carrier’s logo above a search box, offers and information about the airline.

Barcelona-based eDreams is part of the ODIGEO group having merged with Go Voyages in 2011 and founded Opodo and Travelink.

Travolution has contacted eDreams for a comment and is awaiting a response. We are also awaiting a response from easyJet.

http://www.travolution.co.uk/articles/2013/04/12/6639/ryanair-threatens-legal-action-over-edreams-ppc-campaign.html

The online travel agent eDreams are work with Ryanair as the Google campaign helped with the advertising of the company. With eDreams working with Ryanair, this allows customers to click through to the dedicated page to Ryanair and click through any offers and information. This is a great deal for both companies and helps advance in terms of working online, however, this has caused more issues than expected. There are legal actions that Ryanair are taking due to this campaign breaches legislations. 

Territory to lure fossicking tourists online

The Northern Territory Government has launched an online portal to promote the region as a 'fossicking tourism' destination.

Information on gemstone and mineral field locations, land access and permits are included in the new website which hopes to help both landholders and visitors.

NT Minister for Mines and Energy, Willem Westra van Holthe, says the portal will be particularly useful in attracting international tourists.

"You can go and fossick in some areas of the Territory and see nobody else, and that's an experience people from overseas are just clambering over themselves to get to," he said.

"I think this new portal joins the new technology with the age old practice of fossicking, and brings the two together."

The minister says providing better information to tourists may also improve issues surrounding land access.

"Fossickers have been asking for better access to land across the Territory, and we are working on ways we can provide that," he said.

"I guess what we need to make sure is for those people who want to go onto the land to do the right thing.

"Often pastoralists complain about gates being left open, rubbish left lying around.

"It's really important that the relationship is strengthened between the pastoralists and those who go there, so we really need people to do the right thing."

The portal can be accessed on the Department of Mines and Energy webpage at www.nt.gov.au/d/fossicking

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201304/s3736880.htm

Nowadays, many companies are looking to go online and promote themselves. This is easy and a fast way of gaining tourists. The Northern Territory Government has launched an online portal to promote the “fossicking tourism”. This allows information on the Information on gemstone and mineral field locations, land access and permits are included in the new website which hopes to help both landholders and visitors. This is a great way for people to experience the people with new technology advancing. 

UK agent fined for misuse of marketing information

A UK travel agent has been fined &#pound;2,600 and ordered to pay &#pound;1,000 costs for breaching the Data Protection Act after using information taken from his previous employer’s marketing database when he set up his own business.Nottingham Crown Court last week found Mr Zbigniew Andrew Soltysik guilty for 13 offences of obtaining, and 13 offences of disclosing, personal information contrary to section 55 of the act. The agent also asked for a further 548 offences of unlawful obtaining and or disclosing of personal information to be taken into consideration. Mr Soltysik, from Mapperley, Nottinghamshire removed a database of customer details from his previous employer Quality Travel in Grantham. He then used the database to send marketing material to Quality Travel’s customers when he and his wife set up their own travel agents, New Style Travel. Quality Travel reported the case to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Commenting on the case today the Information Commissioner, Richard Thomas, said: --I am pleased to see that this case was viewed so seriously that it was committed to the crown court for sentencing. Obtaining and disclosing personal information can have serious consequences and data protection laws protect an individual’s right to personal privacy.”He added: --The result of this prosecution by my office sends out the clear message to those engaged in similar activity that such sharp practice in handling personal information, involving invasion of people’s privacy, will not be tolerated by me, or by the Courts.”

http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=99001&c=setreg&region=2

Travel agents are always looking to market the companies with new information in order to sell the organisation to customers. A UK travel agent was fined £2600 and was ordered to pay £1000 for the breach of the Data Protection Act. They used information from an employers marketing database. This was personal information and he was sending marketing information to Quality Travel's customers to set up a travel agent. This is not the right approach to marketing a company and with peoples privacy handled, this is a breach of all customer rights. 

Amadeus and IAG sign new long-term content agreement

Amadeus, a leading technology partner for the global travel industry, has today signed a new long-term content agreement with International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world’s largest airline groups.  The agreement, which covers British Airways, Iberia, and Iberia Express, allows Amadeus subscribers to continue to benefit from accessing the same level of fares, availability and functionality as previously.  “Reaching a new content agreement with IAG has been a clear commercial priority for Amadeus for some time, in order to ensure that our subscribers can continue to access British Airways, Iberia and Iberia Express flights,” said Holger Taubmann, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Amadeus.  He continues: “To this end we are delighted to have reached agreement with IAG and we look forward to continuing what has been a long and successful relationship for many more years to come”.  “We are wholly committed to supporting the travel agency channel and we are pleased to have reached a multi-year agreement with Amadeus,” said Silvia Cairo, Head of Group Commercial Planning and Policy, International Airlines Group. “We have a long standing relationship with Amadeus and look forward to working with Amadeus subscribers ever more closely together in the coming years”.  Amadeus plays a critical role in the distribution space ensuring global reach to travel agencies across the world. Today 80% of Amadeus bookings worldwide are made on airlines with which Amadeus has a content agreement.  Amadeus is a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (e.g. airlines, hotels, rail and ferry operators, etc.), travel sellers (travel agencies and websites), and travel buyers (corporations and travel management companies).  Formed in January 2011, IAG is the parent company of British Airways, Iberia and bmi. It is a Spanish registered company with shares traded on the London Stock Exchange and Spanish Stock Exchanges. The corporate head office for IAG is in London, UK. International Airlines Group is one of the world's largest airline groups with 377 aircraft flying to 200 destinations and carrying more than 54 million passengers each year. It is the third largest group in Europe and the sixth largest in the world, based on revenue.  Amadeus are known to be the leading company in terms of the global distribution systems. A long term contract has been signed with International Airlines Group, which is also known to be the largest airline group. The companies include, British Airways, Iberia and Iberia Express. Amadeus has many benefits including accessing the same level of fares, availability and functionality. This is a great negotiation with the IAG group. They will benefit and with one of the leading global distribution systems, customers are able to enjoy a fast and efficient system.

AirAsia blames IT glitch for fares blooper

The AirAsia group has responded to accusations by Australia's consumer watchdog that it misled customers with advertising of its fares for some routes out of Australia. 

The airline is blaming an IT glitch. 

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is seeking penalties and legal costs from the Kuala Lumpur-based airline. 

The ACCC alleges AirAsia X's website failed to show fares that included all taxes, duties, fees and other mandatory charges for some routes out of Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast, the watchdog said. 

In a statement, Air Asia said, "The particular issues with the relevant flights related to whether all taxes and charges were displayed for customers which appears to have arisen from an IT issue in September 2011." 

AirAsia said it was "carefully reviewing the contents of the ACCC's claims". 

The low cost carrier said it had taken corrective action but was unaware of the matter before the ACCC brought its proceedings. 

"As soon as the issue became known to us we resolved the issue on our website," the airline added.

www.travelmole.com/stories/2000080.php

AirAsia have responded to their customer’s information being misled. There have been many glitches with computer systems and airline companies. This one in particular is interesting as AirAsia failed to display their taxes and charges for customers. The company were unaware of the situation but managed to resolve the situation. With advertisements online, it is important that the fares are displayed properly. However, it is becoming more difficult to keep track of the number of people attempting to hack systems. Even though the situation was seen as a “glitch”, many believe that hackers attempted to send a virus into the system. 

British Airways to offer 'hand luggage only' fares

The airline says the fares – which will initially be offered on flights from Gatwick to Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, Jersey, Tunis and Turin – will give its passengers “more choice”, but they are likely to be viewed as an attempt to compete with low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet.

“The suprise is not so much that BA has made this move, but that it has taken so long to do so,” said Nick Trend, Telegraph Travel’s Consumer Editor. “It appears to be a reaction to commercial pressure from its no-frills rivals, which quote lower headline fares because they don't include the cost of checked bags. This can make BA's fares look expensive and so less attractive by contrast.

“BA says that the new fares are about giving it customers ‘more freedom to choose the kind of flying they want’, but they are also about giving British Airways the freedom to make its fares look cheaper.”

He added that those passengers who do check a bag into the hold could eventually end up paying more.

“Airfares are so variable that, within a few weeks, it will be impossible to know whether BA passengers without hold luggage are getting a better deal, or whether those who check in their bags are being charged extra,” he said.

But Peter Simpson, director of Gatwick for British Airways, claimed that passengers who check in a bag will not be expected to pay extra to make up for those who choose the cheaper fares.

"It is all about giving our customers more freedom to choose the kind of flying they want," he said. “Many British Airways customers at Gatwick choose not to check in a bag as they’re already taking advantage of our generous two-bag hand luggage policy. Those who still want to check in a bag will simply pay the same price they do now.”

The new “hand baggage only fares” go on sale next Tuesday (February 26), with starting prices ranging from £39 (one-way to Amsterdam) to £69 (one-way to Turin). BA said that, depending on the route, the fares are between £9 and £15 cheaper than usual.

The announcement by BA - which axed free meals on some flights in 2009 in a bid to cut costs - follows KLM's decision to begin charging customers who check in luggage on short-haul flights. KLM's policy will be effective from April 22.

A spokesman for Ryanair said: “We welcome BA’s conversion to the Ryanair way".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/9880560/British-Airways-to-offer-hand-luggage-only-fares.html

Airlines are always looking to cut down on the weight of an aircraft. This could be from new planes to reducing the baggage allowance. British Airways have thought of a good strategy for the company and customers by offering hand luggage only fares. This is no surprise that British Airways have done this. No frills organisations such as Ryan Air and easyJet are putting the pressure on Scheduled airlines. The BA fares are too expensive which is causing problems.  A one-way ticket has been reduced by approximately £9-15 depending on the route.  These fares have started already with flights to Amsterdam and Turin. 

By introducing this, customers have more freedom by advertising a similar base price without checked luggage. However, I believe that the cost to check-in a baggage will increase. This is great for those who do not need to carry much but I believe this is an opportunity to take advantage.  Lowering weight ratios, increasing air fares, charging more for excess baggage are just the number of issues that may arise for customers. 

British Airways and BMI

By Phil Davies 
11 March 2013 at 09.10 GMT

Heathrow handled a record 4.85 million passengers in February, up by 1% on the same month last year.

Adjusting for the fact that 2012 was a leap year, traffic was up 4.6%.

The rise was due in part to the merger of BA and BMI, which contributed to a 1.8% increase in the average number of seats per aircraft to 198.4 seats, and a 2.4 percentage point increase in load factor to 69.6%.

European traffic performed well, up 4.4%, with Italy up by 11.6%, Portugal 9%, Germany 8.2% but with Greece down by 7.4%.

Of the Bric economies, traffic was up 29.8% for China, 4.1% to India and 3.1% to Russia. The only reduction was an 8.3% drop in traffic with Brazil, resulting in an overall increase in Bric traffic of 5.1%.

Middle Eastern traffic rose by 6.2% but was down to North America (1.9%), Latin America (4.6%) and Africa (11.7%).

Chief executive Colin Matthews, said: "This month's figures reflect larger, fuller aircraft being used at Heathrow, not the addition of new routes to emerging economies which are so vital to UK trade, jobs and economic growth."

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2013/03/11/43409/ba+ +bmi+merger+helps+boost+heathrow+numbers.html

British airways and BMI merged together to create a stronger organisation. This negotiation showed an increase in seats per aircraft and an increase in the load factor. For customers, this has benefited as new long haul slots will be put in place as a result of this take over. 42 slots will be allocated and BMI will be the first intercontinental route using a BMI slow (Service to Seoul), which will be launched in December. There are also other destinations looking to introduce this route such as Vietnam and Malaysia. These are direct services to fast growing cities. However, will this benefit Airports at maximum capacity? How busy will airports be in the future if organisations are merging and scheduling more flights? How will competitors compete with such a big organisation? These are questions to take into account but there are many other advantages to this. British Airways see this as an opportunity to benefit the economy as well creating more jobs and growth! Current vacancies are in place at the moment! 

Sabre cloud-based product automates postbooking processes

By Jerry Limone

Sabre unveiled Automated Task Library, a set of post-booking applications that automate some
processes, the company said.
Sabre said Automated Task Library automates schedule-change management, missed ticketing
alerts, and queue management and redistribution. It includes management reporting and analysis
capabilities.
“The product has already proven extremely effective during the initial limited release," said Chris
Kroeger, Sabre Travel Network’s senior vice president of marketing. "One large travel
management company reported more than $1 million in savings annually by automating the
process of monitoring for PNRs that were not yet ticketed."
There are plans to continue enhancing the Automated Task Library with additional applications
based on customer feedback, Sabre said.
Automated Task Library is a cloud-based solution monitored and supported by Sabre, eliminating
the need for agencies to maintain and support a local server-based application.

As you may have already seen, Global Distribution Systems are always improved every year. With Travelport working along side other companies to increase fast and efficient bookings, Sabre have unveiled their Automated Task Library. This will automate schedule-change management, missed ticketing alerts, and queue management and redistribution. This is perfect if the company are looking to increase efficiency! 

New Low-Cost European Carrier Volotea Chooses Travelport E-Ticket Technologies to Expand Reach and Revenue

Atlanta

Feb 28, 2013

Travelport, the business services provider to the global travel industry, today announces a new long-term IT services agreement with Volotea, the new low-cost European carrier headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. Volotea, which commenced operations in April 2012, is the newest participant in Travelport’s electronic ticket database hosting service, and has also joined the Travelport E-Ticket Interchange™. The technologies are central to Volotea’s growth and expansion plans through more distribution channels, including global distribution systems (GDS).

Travelport’s e-ticket database hosting service, the Travelport ETDBase™, is in use by airlines globally to quickly implement e-ticketing, and store and manage e-ticket data for online and interline e-ticketing (IET). The solution makes interline connections a cost-effective process, yet allows airlines to maintain control over their own interline agreements. The Travelport E-Ticket Interchange™, one of the largest global e-ticketing facilities for the exchange of interline e-ticket messages between airline partners, including ground handlers, supports nearly 420 participants and over 6,000 interline/codeshare agreements, processing over 55 million messages monthly.

“Travelport technologies have solved business issues and removed barriers to growth by eliminating IT complexities, yet enabling us to compete in any channel, with any airline, by using the most advanced e-ticket and interline solutions,” said Alex de Jesús, Volotea’s CIO. 

“We are pleased to partner with Volotea in providing the best tools available for e-ticket database hosting, and easy connections to their chosen industry partners,” said Derek Sharp, Travelport, managing director, Global Distribution Sales & Services, Travelport. “Airlines need rapid deployment and proven tools, but also flexibility that adheres to unique processes. Travelport IT solutions allow Volotea to remain true to its unique business and financial model.”

Through Travelport’s IT partnership with Navitaire®, Volotea’s host system provider, Volotea is combining connectivity tools and capabilities deployed by top airlines worldwide in the distribution channels of Volotea’s choice.

Travelport designed the airline industry’s first proven suite of messaging ‘interchanges’ allowing fast, easy connections to airline partners through a rapid deployment methodology. The

Travelport Interchange Suite™ helps airlines expand partnerships, connectivity and sales by eliminating an airline’s need to build and maintain its own interline connections to airlines, passenger service systems and travel industry partners. The portfolio complies with industry standards, and existing links are already established with virtually every airline, passenger service system, GDS and ground handler in the world. 

http://travelport.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=911

Travelport have announced that they will expand their E-ticket systems which will help with building up the profits. Travelport have joined forces with Volotea (See more on http://www.volotea.com/en/) which is allowed the companies to host databases for e-tickets online. Travelport will support many airlines in partnership. “Travelport technologies have solved business issues and removed barriers to growth by eliminating IT complexities, yet enabling us to compete in any channel, with any airline, by using the most advanced e-ticket and interline solutions,” said Alex de Jesús, Volotea’s CIO. This will allow more flexibility for airlines and other partners involved. It is a great collaboration of two important companies. with 420 participants and over 6,000 interline/code-share agreements, processing over 55 million messages monthly, this will be very cost effective! 

SABRE

Below is information about SABRE and what they have to offer! Have a look at this and compare it to the other leading distributors. 

We are a global travel technology company serving the world’s largest industry — travel and tourism. We provide software to travel agencies, corporations, travelers, airlines, hotels, car, rail, cruise and tour operator companies through our four businesses:

• Sabre Travel Network®, the world’s leading provider of solutions for the travel industry,
• Sabre Airline Solutions®, the world’s leading provider of solutions for the air transportation industry,
• Sabre Hospitality Solutions®, the world’s leading provider of solutions for the hospitality industry,
• Travelocity®, a leading online travel company.

By delivering innovative travel technology, we make the world a better place. Our innovative technology is used by more than a billion people around the world to plan, book and get to their destination at a time and price that's right for them. We work behind the scenes to make the world a better place, one journey at a time.

Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, USA, we have approximately 10,000 employees in 60 countries around the world with major development and customer care centers in the United States, Argentina, India, Philippines, Poland and Uruguay. Privately owned by TPG and Silver Lake Partners, we have won numerous awards for being a top employer and corporate citizen in Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico, Peru, Poland and the United States.

Travelport- Decades of innovation in travel – and we’re just getting started

Travelport is a global, broad-based business services provider that serves companies in every segment of the travel industry. As one of the world’s largest travel content aggregators and distributors, and a leading provider of critical transaction processing solutions, Travelport powers the travel industry on a global scale by connecting buyers and sellers through agency, online and corporate travel channels.

Travelport is predominantly a global distribution system (GDS) business, which operates in approximately 170 countries and includes the internationally recognized Worldspan™ and Galileo™ GDS platforms. Travelport also owns approximately 48 percent of leading online travel company Orbitz^® Worldwide (NYSE: OWW), and is a joint venture partner in eNett™, a leading provider of innovative and integrated payment solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of the travel industry.

Travelport – a privately owned company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with approximately 3,500 employees worldwide – celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2011. 

http://www.travelport.com/Corporate-Site/About-Travelport/Overview

This tells you a bit about Travelport and what they offer. Travel Port is one of the worlds largest distributors! 

ix of the best business travel apps

by Tina Nielsen

Expensify

Makes it straightforward to get around one of the most tiresome parts of business: filing expenses. Records mileage, tracks spending, adds cash expenses and even uploads images of receipts. Link a corporate or personal credit card with the app and card purchases are automatically imported and e-receipts generated.
Free, available for BlackBerry, iPhone or iPad, Android and WebOS (Palm)

This app seems to be really interesting. It is good to keep track of how much you are spending and what you can do to prevent spending a lot of money. E-receipts catches everyone's attention. It seems as if the old fashion paper receipts are no longer in use! I had an experience when buying a new iPod from the Apple store in Kingston, Greater London. I had the option of them sending me an e-receipt to my email address. Paperless receipts are the way forward. 

WorldMate

The number one travel app for BlackBerry, Worldmate helps executives keep track of their itineraries, search for flights, receive news of flight delays, book hotels, organise car rentals and check the weather. All bookings are added to an itinerary and with everything synchronised with the WorldMate online travel planner and your calendar, schedules are easy to share with colleagues.
Basic version free, available for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone or iPad

Blackberry, Apple and Android seems to be updating and creating new apps. I currently have a Blackberry and to track of itineraries and flights and other services will be important. I am thinking of purchasing this app for holiday to get updates on these services. For all I know, it is free so why not? 

Earthcomber

Helps business travellers locate just about everything they need when in an unfamiliar country or city. Finds everything from free WiFi zones, petrol stations and cashpoints to restaurants, cafés, pubs and shops, all located on an easy-to-use map. Places that have been reviewed show up in the listing and entries carry a link to a telephone number, an address and other useful information. A genuine one-stop-shop.
Free, available for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone or iPad

Earthcomber looks to be a really good app for smart phones. Instead of buying travel guides at Travel Agents, it will be handy to have an app with all the information linked to the internet. However, many people tend to use the Trip Advisor websites for advice on travel but with an easy-to-use map, it can help with a "genuine one-stop-shop. 

The TrainLine Timetable

For those travelling on business in the UK, the trainline.com app is handling more than two million train time requests every year. It proved to be one of the most successful apps last year. Finding out train times on the go couldn't be easier; the download facility means users can view timetables even when there is no internet connection. Passengers can now also buy train tickets through the app.
Free, available on Android, BlackBerry and iPhone

This will definitely be a benefit for those business travelers commuting to work. Even students can use this app. Especially if it means your able to buy train tickets through the app! Before driving, I used to get the train to college. This will be great for those early mornings where the stations packed with business travelers and young students. 

Virgin Atlantic Jet Lag Fighter

Anyone who has suffered from travelling across time zones knows how hard it is to shift jet lag. Virgin Atlantic has devised this app in partnership with creative agency Mental Workout and sleep expert Dr Chris Idzikowski. It revolves around a personalised daily activity calendar, providing advice based on the user's profile and his or her trip details. Enter your flight information and the app calculates the best way to beat jet lag.
Costs £1.19, available for iPhone

I believe that everyone has suffered from travelling across time zones. It is hard to beat jet lag but I believe it will definitely benefit those who travel all the time but personally, I believe the best way to beat time zones is to sleep and eat well and allow your body to adjust. 

Talk To Me

For those business travellers who need to put their message across but don't speak the right language. This real-time foreign-language translator will do the job for you—say something in English and the application translates and responds in one of 40 languages. You can either play back the translated message or choose to send the file via SMS or email. The app also converts text to speech.

Free, available for Android

http://www.director.co.uk/MAGAZINE/2011/2_Feb/business-travel-apps_64_06.html

This is the perfect app for me as my language is not very good. Instead of using hand gestures and signs, it could be the solution to gaining the correct information. With 40 languages and a speech converter, this could be one of the best apps from Android. 

Global Distribution Systems (GDS)

GDS linked airline ticketing systems are used by over 850,000 travel agents; both domestic Australian travel agents like Flight Centre, American Express as well as International travel agencies like Carlson Wagonlit.  Our GDS network distributes through SABRE, Apollo/WorldSpan, Amadeus, Galileo and Pegasus.

The GDS is a major sales channel for direct retail bookings through major travel websites. Accept real-time bookings from over 3,100 consumer travel websites, including Expedia, Travelocity, Travel Hero,Trip Adviser, Zuji, Orbitz and more. In the US, these sales channels have proven to be the most prolific source of bookings. Studies indicate that most travellers use the Internet to research travel options before booking. Over 40% of those buyers visit 3 websites - Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz. Perhaps more interesting, studies show that for every 1 booking made on those websites another 3 bookings were made by guests who contacted the property directly to book; either on their website or by phone. This would indicate that there are few advertising options available to match the power of this sales channel.

Australia has lagged behind the US in sales. The major websites have also neglected our market. In the coming months and years you can expect that to change. Already we see Expedia and Booking.com opening Australian Specific websites. Simple Google searches now regularly display links to Trip Adviser and others on the first page. Clearly, the GDS will soon provide significant sales to all participants.

Reasonable Cost
Those familiar with inbound tourism expect to pay high commissions. Various Australian State and Federal Government Tourism bodies promote inbound tourism programs that can be very expensive to maintain as well as cumbersome to manage. Normally, they require accommodations to give them fixed room allocations and +35% net rates with guarantees of lowest price. Most small operators would rather go bankrupt than pay those rates.

We have a better solution. Eliminates fixed allocations. Reduces commissions. Sell at whatever rate you like. You also have simple price controls that allow you to adjust the rate paid by guests on a channel by channel basis. We do not put you at disadvantage to please agents. You have total control.

Our GDS bookings cost you 15%, plus the travel agent has the option to bill an additional 10%.  In fact, few agents bill the extra 10%.  While that may seem like a lot, you have the option to charge more for these bookings and embed costs in the guest price.

Simple Management - It has to be Easy!
Managing GDS sales is simple because everything is integrated into the one system.  As you take bookings from any source availability automatically changes for the GDS and all other sales channels. If you adjust rates, block out availability, change a description or image - all sales channels including the GDS are automatically updated.

GDS is linked to many airline systems as you may already know. They help major sales from major travel websites such as Expedia and Orbitz. According to this article, over 40% of those buyers visit 3 websites- Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. Guests have directly contracted the company to book; either on their website or by phone. This indicates that there are few advertising options available to match the power of this sales channel. The major websites have also neglected the market. In the coming months and years you can expect that to change.

People tend to search regularly on websites such as Trip Advisor and others. Simple Google searches now regularly display links to Trip Adviser and others on the first page. 

Analysis: Can leisure agents afford a new GDS model?

24 May 2011 

Ian Taylor, executive editor, Travel Weekly

Leading travel management companies accept that a change in the relationship between airlines, global distribution systems (GDSs) and agents is inevitable.

At least, that was the view at the recent Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC) conference - and GTMC members handle about 80% of UK corporate travel business.

No one thinks the GDSs are about to disappear, but neither does anyone believe direct connections via the web to airline’s own systems – or ‘direct connect’ – will disappear. American Airlines’ spat with Travelport over the former’s drive to divert bookings via its own system, helpfully named Direct Connect, is only the tip of an emerging iceberg.

The question is how will the current relations be reconfigured, how soon might that happen and can it be handled in a broadly cooperative and collective manner – at least to the extent permissible by law?

The imminence of the change seems hardly to have dawned on much of the leisure sector. But a leading TMC executive insists it is just a matter of time before agents have to pay the GDSs for content rather than airlines pay to appear on the GDSs.

For him, the key to this will be full access to content: “If I’m paying, I want everything.” Indeed, GTMC chief executive Anne Godfrey told her members last week: “The legacy systems will change [and] the industry has to change.” As she pointed out, what other industry is there where companies do not pay for their IT?

The TMCs hope the GDSs and carriers can work together on the transition. They point out first that the GDS model works and second that only the GDSs have the size, structure and finance to develop the new generation of technology that is necessary.

They recognise only the GDSs can meet the demands of their clients. But they also say the GDSs need to change - and more rapidly than up to now – to take account of the realities of unbundled airfares and the carriers’ ability to bypass the current systems if they do not.

The focus up to now has been on the US, where American Airlines and Travelport are poised for a court clash over the former’s antitrust lawsuit and where US Airways has sued Sabre.

The collateral damage in the UK has so far been light. But British Airways head of UK sales Richard Tams did not mask the airline’s intentions when he used the GTMC conference as a platform to declare: “The GDS model is broken . . . [and] we’re open to new ideas on a new model.”

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/2011/05/24/37190/analysis+can+leisure+agents+afford+a+new+gds+model.html

As you have seen from my last blog, I have shown how Amadeus is important to the Travel and Tourism Industry organisations. However, in this article, we could see this system disappear. There could be direct connection with the web which could see Galileo, Amadeus, Sabre and other companies disappear. The change of systems and the change of the Travel and Tourism Industry shows that there will be many more other solutions to GDS's. There are many more improvements to be made on the web and this will be proven in the next generation. New models will be made for the future.