LANGLEY, ENGLAND — Galileo, a leading global distribution system (GDS) and subsidiary of Travelport, today announced the launch of Galileo Traversa™. Initially offered by Galileo Americas for customers with English-speaking employees worldwide, this next generation corporate booking tool integrates the ease-of-use and familiarity of one of the world’s most famous leisure online booking platforms with the control and content corporate travel requires, offering the best of both worlds to corporate travelers and corporations. Galileo Traversa is planned to be rolled out by IBM, which played a key role in the development of this leading edge corporate travel booking tool. By the end of Q4, it will be available in six languages. Currently it is offered in U.S. English, U.K. English, French Canadian and European French – German and European Spanish coming later this year – and available in the 234 currencies supported by the Galileo GDS.
“Galileo Traversa delivers the best of all worlds to travel managers, corporations and ultimately their travelers: a booking tool already known to millions, enabling instant adoption, high productivity, increased traveler satisfaction, and fewer low-value calls to the agency, all of which can amount to measurable cost savings,” said Dave Falter, president, Galileo by Travelport, The Americas. “We are particularly proud to premiere Galileo Traversa because it sets a new standard in the corporate booking tool arena, and we are delighted to be in this enviable market position. Whether the issue is savings, high adoption, policy control or productivity, Galileo Traversa helps companies take advantage of leading edge travel technology to reap benefits every day.”
“At Galileo, we worked closely with customers and incorporated their feedback to create a platform for Galileo Traversa that offers dramatic product innovations unavailable in any other applications,” said Michael Ihle, vice president, Product Development, Galileo by Travelport, The Americas. “This includes new e-ticket tracking systems tied directly to the GDS, an entirely new, easy-to-use point and click administration system, a new “compare airports” feature that enables a quick search across multiple airports, as well as a company policy-enabled expanded matrix for air and car searches. “
The new Galileo Traversa offers: Leisure Look and Feel: Modeled after one of the most recognized leisure booking sites in the world, its graphic interface is already known to millions. For corporate travelers, this means training time can be zero and for corporations, adoption can be immediate. Instant adoption, high productivity, increased traveler satisfaction, and fewer calls to the agency all amount to cost savings.
Corporate-Built Control: Galileo Traversa is built expressly for the needs of corporate travel, letting a company rein in travelers and costs with streamlined policy controls by:
- Applying policy based on individual situations right at the time of booking
- Helping companies affect supplier contract performance by controlling how rates are displayed and shopped for via sophisticated policy settings
- Clearly displaying choices that are in- and out-of-policy, and noting preferred (and non-preferred) vendors using custom graphics
- Applying policy settings for non-GDS content
Corporate-Built Content:
Galileo Traversa has the rich, deep content travelers expect all in one source. Global content via Galileo includes schedules and fares for nearly 500 airlines, 70,000 hotel properties and 21 car rental companies.
Mutual Cost and Time Savings:
For The Agency:
- Super-configurable and easy to administer at the agency level
- High online adoption frees up agency time to pursue strategic goals and deliver an even higher degree of service
- Truly touchless transactions
- No training time— travelers already trained by leisure web sites
For corporations:
- High online adoption—the more travelers use, the more you save
- Lower transactions fees thanks to online efficiency
- Lower average ticket prices, thanks to policy controls that steer travelers to better decisions
- Corporations gets the best of both worlds: stellar agency service and online cost efficiencies
Notable New Tools that Save Time and Money:
- All-in-one booking: book, air, car and hotel in same booking path, with pre-populated fields based on prior travel selections, saving time
- Unused ticket tracking displays unused ticket value on home page and allows traveler to request that their agency apply value to current reservations
- Dynamic AJAX look-up: type in a letter and city/nearby airports pop up
- Compare airport feature – conduct up to 9 simultaneous searches to compare schedules and fares form various airport—with ability to click on final best selection to book
Policy markings right in Air Matrix so travelers can instantly see what’s in policy and not
- Lowest logical airfare feature – ability to minimize illogical flights (such as more connections or long layovers when only a small dollar difference) making it easier to see most preferable, logical flight options
- Upfront seat maps— see what seats are available before selecting flight
- Name trips and add them to calendar/Blackberry
- Hotels: search by company office locations, view search results plotted on map by policy; show standard and company negotiated rates, see sold out hotels, view rate changes during stay vs. other corporate tools that only show an average rate
Galileo Traversa makes its official debut at NBTA 2007. Visit Booth # 1049 for further information and a full product demonstration.
About Galileo
Galileo 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. Galileo, www.galileo.com, headquartered in Langley, UK, is a Travelport brand. Travelport is one of the largest and most geographically diverse travel companies, dedicated to creating the exceptional travel experiences the world demands.
About Travelport
Travelport is one of the world's largest travel conglomerates. It operates 20 leading brands including Galileo, a global distribution system (GDS); Orbitz Worldwide, an on-line travel agency; and GTA, a wholesaler of travel content. With 2006 revenues of $2.6 billion, the Company has 8,000 employees and operates in 130 countries.
For media inquiries:
Jill Brenner
Galileo Americas
Jill.brenner@travelport.com
973.939.1325