Hong Kong - March 13th, 2003 - Galileo International, a leading global
distribution services company and subsidiary of Cendant Corp., today announced
two significant developments in airline participation. Its implementation of
Interactive Sell(TM) with Korean Air and Thai Airways means Galileo-connected
agents can now sell flights in real time on 200 carriers - or some 40% of the
more than 500 airlines it currently represents. Additionally, its latest
electronic ticketing activations with eight major airlines has significantly
extended Galileo's e-ticketing customer base in Asia Pacific. Both these
developments add value for travel agents and lower the cost of sale for
airlines.
The decision by Korean Air and Thai Airways to deploy Galileo's
Interactive Sell allows agents to make real-time bookings with the airlines.
This enables agents to offer instant confirmation to passengers. Additionally,
the airline will give its own reference/confirmation number to the agent,
providing further reassurance in this respect and avoiding overbooking.
Airlines benefit from Interactive Sell because it enhances yield
management. For instance, when demand is low, real-time booking provides the
airline with ample opportunity to sell every last seat and reduce the
likelihood of empty seats when the aircraft takes off. This is integral to an
airline's ability to maximize revenue earned on each flight. Prior to taking
Interactive Sell, both Korean Air and Thai Airways were already participating
in the Galileo(R) system through Interactive Display, a complementary
functionality.
In addition to enhancing content through Korean Air and Thai Airways,
Galileo has also significantly extended its electronic ticketing capability by
activating e-ticketing with:
* KLM as well as KLM-affiliated airlines KLM Excel and KLM UK in Hong Kong
* Virgin Atlantic in Hong Kong
* Northwest Airlines in both Hong Kong and Singapore
* Swiss in Singapore
* Air Canada in Hong Kong and Australia
* US Airways in Japan
Airlines achieve immediate cost reductions with e-ticketing. The average
cost to an airline of a paper ticket is US$8 while an e-ticket costs as little
as US$1 according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
E-ticketing also improves an airline's revenue accounting processes and
enhances customer service. Travel agents, meanwhile, value the ability to
offer greater freedom and efficiency to travellers. Galileo is a leader in
e-ticketing, offering this capability to more airlines in more markets than
any other GDS.
"Our business strategy is to add value for customers and help them cut
costs as a means of driving profitability - these new developments do exactly
that," said Janie Kaung, executive vice president and managing director of
Galileo's Asia Pacific region. "Every time we enhance links to our suppliers,
or activate electronic ticketing, we are directly helping airlines reduce
costs or boost revenue while simultaneously enriching the content of Galileo
to the benefit of our 47,000-plus agency subscribers. These latest
developments help to underline why we are the leading GDS in the Asia
Pacific."
In the Asia-Pacific region, Galileo is supporting carriers with electronic
ticketing capabilities in Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, Japan and New
Zealand. Galileo is also seeking BSP certification to provide electronic
ticketing in other Asian markets such as Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.
Galileo distributes the inventory of all leading airlines and provides
agencies with access to airline functionality that either matches or exceeds
competitors in all major Asia-Pacific markets.
About Galileo International
Galileo International is a global technology leader. Its core business is
providing electronic global distribution services for the travel industry
through its computerized reservation systems, leading-edge products and
innovative Internet-based solutions. Galileo is a value-added distributor of
travel inventory dedicated to supporting its travel supplier, agency and
corporate customers and, through them, expanding traveler choice. A
subsidiary of Cendant Corporation, Galileo is part of Cendant's Travel
Distribution Services Division and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey,
USA, with offices worldwide. Visit http://www.galileo.com.
For More Information:
Stuart Ridsdale
Galileo Asia
+ (852) 2821 2301
stuart.ridsdale@galileo.com
SOURCE Galileo International
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