SOUTHLAKE, Texas, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ — Travelocity Business(SM) today announced that Tom Wilkinson, director of global agency services, was named this week to the Business Travel News (BTN) list of Top 25 most influential people in the corporate travel industry. Wilkinson began working with companies more than two years ago to create a full-service travel agency model that uses online and other travel technology to significantly drive down corporate travel costs. The result of Wilkinson’s work has been millions of dollars in savings for corporations and a blueprint for the new generation of full-service corporate travel agencies.
“While many people believe corporate travel is just now going though a transformation, Tom’s work started having a profound impact on the industry more than two years ago. He began working with some of America’s largest companies, and has proven a new model that helps companies significantly reduce costs without sacrificing service. This approach is the cornerstone of the Travelocity Business offering today,” said Ellen Keszler, president of Travelocity Business.
“I’m very grateful for this recognition from Business Travel News, but more pleased that this topic is gaining greater awareness,” said Tom Wilkinson. “I have always been a believer in technology and how it can be used to streamline corporate travel and reduce costs. It also gives companies greater insight into how their travel processes can be more efficient, and almost forces them into re-engineering mode. I’ve been gratified that the travel managers in our program cite not only the savings they have achieved on booking costs, but also that the time they save managing agency operations allows them to improve their use of vendor discounts. It’s a positive chain reaction.”
The Business Travel News profile on Tom Wilkinson can be viewed at: http://www.btnmag.com/businesstravelnews/images/pdf/BTN-2003Top25.pdf
About Travelocity Business
For small businesses to large multinational corporations, Travelocity Business(SM) is a full-service corporate travel solution that helps companies easily manage travel and reduce costs, while providing more choices to travelers. Travelocity Business combines the savings and convenience of online with the full service of dedicated agents available 24/7 who typically answer the phone in 20 seconds, and within 60 seconds guaranteed. Companies can cut travel costs through flight deals, Web fares, hotel discounts and service fee savings — representing an average savings of more than $142 per trip, including airfare savings averaging 26 percent per ticket and service fee savings of up to 84 percent.
Travelocity Business merges the expertise, service and travel choices of Travelocity(R) with the most proven online corporate travel technology, already used by more than half of the Fortune 200. For more information, companies can visit www.travelocitybusiness.com .
About Travelocity
Travelocity, a Sabre Holdings(TM) company, pioneered the online travel space and continues to be the most popular travel service on the Web, giving consumers access to hundreds of airlines, thousands of hotels and cruise, last-minute and vacations packages, and best-in-class car rental companies, all backed by 1,000 customer service representatives staffed to provide 24-hour assistance. With 41 million members, Travelocity is the sixth largest travel agency in the United States. It has been recognized worldwide for its leadership in the online travel space, and it operates or powers Web sites in five languages across four continents. Additional information about Travelocity can be found on the Web at www.travelocity.com .
Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE: TSG) is a world leader in travel commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at www.sabre-holdings.com .
Contact:
Judy Haveson (judy@vollmerpr.com)
212/554-7425
Mary Kate Smither (marykate@vollmerpr.com)
972/488-4790
VOLLMER
SOURCE Travelocity Business
-0- 01/28/2004
/CONTACT: Judy Haveson, +1-212-554-7425, or judy@vollmerpr.com , or Mary
Kate Smither, +1-972-488-4790, or marykate@vollmerpr.com , both of VOLLMER,
for Travelocity Business/
/Web site: http://www.travelocitybusiness.com
http://www.travelocity.com
http://www.btnmag.com/businesstravelnews/images/pdf/BTN-2003Top25.pdf
http://www.sabre-holdings.com /
(TSG)
CO: Travelocity Business; Travelocity; Sabre Holdings Corporation
ST: Texas
IN: TRA LEI CPR MLM
SU: AWD
GN-CD
-- DAW021 --
4451 01/28/2004 07:03 EST http://www.prnewswire.com
