-- This takes the total number of carriers offering e-ticketing through Galileo to well over one hundred --
Langley, 12th April 2006 - Galileo International, the leading global distribution system (GDS) and subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE:CD), today announced that it has added over 15 e-ticketing carriers to the Galileo GDS since the end of January 2006. The recently launched carriers include;
- Korean Air
- Pakistan International Airways
- HMY Airways
- Oman Aviation services
- MALEV Hungarian Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
- Royal Brunei Airlines
This takes the total number of carriers offering e-ticketing through Galileo to well over one hundred and means that Galileo is now e-ticket enabled for over 70% of tickets processed through the GDS. These airlines and their customers become the latest to benefit from the significant cost savings and efficiency improvements that e-ticketing delivers, as well as having the necessary functionality to become fully compliant with IATA’s goal of having all airlines offering paper-less tickets by January 2007.
Galileo is committed to this initiative that benefits airlines, travel agencies and ultimately consumers. While airlines save an estimated $9 per ticket, travel agents can save considerable costs in terms of personnel time, ticket delivery, and shipping and handling costs. Consumers also reap the benefit of having one less piece of paper to lose or forget on the way to the airport.
“For the entire travel industry to benefit we need all parties to be engaged in delivering e-ticketing, whether they are airlines, ground handlers or travel agents, and Galileo is clearly driving this effectively from a GDS (Global Distribution System) perspective,” said Bryan Wilson, Project Director – Electronic Ticketing, IATA.
“These recent agreements further enhance our reputation as a leading e-ticketing provider in the market place.” said Matthew Hall, VP Airline Business Development EMEA, for Cendant. “We are focused on working with our airline partners to address their distribution goals and through working with them to adopt e-ticketing, we continue to deliver the airlines real value as well as helping to drive IATA’s industry initiative.”
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About Galileo International
Galileo International (http://www.galileo.com) 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 (NYSE: CD) and part of Cendant's Travel Distribution Services Group, Galileo is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, and has offices worldwide.
About Cendant Travel Distribution Services
Cendant Corporation’s (NYSE: CD) Travel Distribution Services Division, is one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse collections of travel brands and distribution businesses. The division, employing over 8,000 people in approximately 40 countries, operating in 130 countries, includes: a leading (GDS) global distribution system (Galileo), serving more than 50,000 travel agencies and over 60,000 hotels; hotel distribution and services businesses (Neat Group®, TRUST and WizCom®); leading online travel agencies (Asia-hotel.com, CheapTickets®, ebookers.com®, HotelClub.com, Lodging.com, NeedaHotel.com, Orbitz®, RatesToGo.com, and The Away Network); an airline market intelligence company (Shepherd Systems); an international travel technology and software company (Travelwire); a leading international provider of long-haul air travel and travel product consolidator (Travel 2®/Travel 4®); online global corporate travel management solutions (Orbitz for Business® and Travelport®); and a leading wholesaler and global online provider of hotels, destination services, travel packages and group tours (Gullivers Travel Associates, OctopusTravel.com® and Travel Bound, Inc.).
For further information, please contact:
Media Contact: Diederik Doorenbos, Sales & Marketing Manager Galileo BeLux, tel 02/506.14.60