VIRGIN BLUE SELECTS CENDANT TRAVEL DISTRIBUTION SERVICES' aiRES™ PASSENGER SERVICES SYSTEM
Innovative Technology Will Provide Greater Business Flexibility to Airline
PARSIPPANY, NJ 04-25-2006 -- Cendant Travel Distribution Services (TDS), a division of Cendant Corp. (NYSE: CD), today announced a multi-year agreement that provides Virgin Blue Airlines with Cendant TDS' next-generation Passenger Services System (PSS), aiRES. Virgin Blue is the third high-profile customer to sign-up for aiRES, which provides airlines the most innovative and flexible technical foundation to fully support their business and the efficiency needed to compete in today's ever changing airline industry.
aiRES is built from the ground up on open systems technology and is designed to replace less flexible, more expensive legacy systems now common in the industry. The new, more efficient system supports future growth by providing comprehensive passenger reservations, inventory control, fares, ticketing, and departure control functions. It also offers a myriad of different airline business models for today's ever-changing competitive environment. Designed to be fully configurable, aiRES allows airlines to respond quickly to an evolving market, without the need for complex and costly development. With its customer-focused design and CMM level 5 development processes*, aiRES can reduce passenger service costs, improve customer service, and enable customer self-service, while maintaining the flexibility to effectively compete in the marketplace.
"aiRES is filling the industry need for an integrated, multi-hosting system built around a customer-focused-design that will provide the right foundation for an airline's future success," said Flo Lugli, senior vice president, Airline Solutions, Cendant Travel Distribution Services.
"Virgin Blue is a highly successful airline, known for its savvy and innovative business approach," adds Lugli. "We are extremely proud that one of the most reputed new generation airlines in the world has chosen aiRES. Our vision for aiRES is to make it the leading passenger services system for the air transportation industry, and this agreement with Virgin Blue indicates that we are capable of achieving this significant milestone."
Through its open architecture, aiRES enables airlines to broaden their customer service offerings by integrating their distribution channels with other travel services. For example, when returning a rental car, a customer could also receive an airline boarding pass. When checking in at the airport kiosk, a traveler could book a hotel or make dinner reservations at their destination. The new technology also enables other important customer service functions, including a three-step booking process and a seven-second check-in at the airport, resulting in improved customer service and increased airline efficiency.
"Virgin Blue was impressed with the functionality and flexibility that aiRES provides, and recognized that aiRES could position the airline for continued success in an ever increasing competitive market," said Kevin Haskins, Director of Hosting Systems for Cendant TDS. "The entire team is especially excited to be able to provide this state-of-the-art technology to Virgin Blue as it launches new business initiatives and further strengthens its position as a new generation airline."
Cendant has brought aiRES to market through a business alliance with IBS Software Services, a SEI CMM Level 5* assessed company and a leader in software solutions and services to the global travel, transportation and logistics industry. This partnership between two industry leaders attributes the primary responsibility for product development and support to IBS and the primary responsibility for product management, sales, marketing, and customer relationships to Cendant TDS.
In September 2005, Cendant TDS announced WestJet Airlines as its aiRES launch customer and in late March, TDS announced the signing of Virgin America as its second customer.
More information on aiRES can be obtained at www.go-aiRES.com.
* Note to Editors: To achieve CMM Level 5 certification, software development processes must consistently come within exacting margin-of-error limits for schedule, work effort and defect density.
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.).
Media Contact:
Cendant Travel Distribution Services
(973) 496-5870
TDS.CorpCom@cendant.com