Recognized TMCs Drive 97 Percent Increase in Online Corporate
Bookings by Premium Partners
SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 5, 2007–GetThere(R), the
world’s leading online corporate travel reservation technology, today
announced the 11 travel management company (TMC) winners of its new
Luminary Awards. The agencies were honored for their achievements in
driving increased travel savings for their corporate clients via use
of the GetThere booking system in 2006.
GetThere has more than 100 travel agency resellers
(http://www.getthere.com/products/distributor_list.cfm) in North
America, including 21 TMCs that signed new agreements in 2006. A
smaller, exclusive group of GetThere agency distributors participated
in GetThere’s new Premium Partner Program in 2006. These TMCs actively
promote GetThere in the programs they develop for clients, and the
year-end totals prove that the corporations they serve are rapidly
adopting use of the system. Total bookings among Premium Partner
agencies increased 97 percent in 2006. Nine of the 11 agencies
selected for Luminary Awards are Premium Partner TMCs.
GetThere developed several categories for the Luminary Awards to
appropriately address the excellence of TMCs earning recognition for
their performance in 2006. The winners include:
2007 GetThere Luminary Award Winners
BEST OVERALL PROGRAM
– Ultramar Travel Management, New York, NY – Tower Travel
Management, Chicago, IL
BEST SABRE SMALL BUSINESS DIVISION PARTNER
– En Route Travel Service, Columbus, OH
BEST USE OF NEW FEATURES
– Ovation Corporate Travel, New York, NY – Vision 2000 Travel
Group, Toronto, Canada
MOST SUCCESSFUL CUSTOMER IMPLEMENTATIONS
– BTI The Travel Consultants, Syracuse, NY – Corporate Travel
Planners, San Antonio, TX
– Gateway Travel Management, Pittsburgh, PA
MOST YEAR-OVER-YEAR GROWTH
– Best Travel, Chicago, IL – MacNair Travel Management,
Alexandria, VA
– Corporate Travel Management Group, Chicago, IL
“GetThere’s travel technology is a critical element of our
offering to corporations,” said Jane Batio, president of Corporate
Travel Management Group. “The latest enhancements, combining easier
booking processes with concise, informative displays for travelers,
make the rollout and adoption process seamless.” CTMG’s online
bookings via GetThere nearly tripled in 2006.
GetThere’s Premium Partner Program for TMCs
GetThere introduced the Premium Partner Program for regional
agency resellers last year. Designed for TMCs with a minimum of 6,000
online bookings per year, the program is part of a collaborative
effort to help TMCs drive greater awareness of the savings
corporations can garner via use of the GetThere booking system.
Corporations polled in GetThere’s 2006 Benchmark Survey
(http://www.getthere.com/direction/benchmark.cfm) reported average
savings of 14 percent on airfare and 49 percent on agency fees.
GetThere provides Premium Partner TMCs with a number of exclusive
services, including site reviews, quarterly Web casts to agency
personnel and travel managers, and RFP support.
The most unique aspect of GetThere’s Premium Partner Program is
the ability of participating TMCs to earn Co-op Rewards funds.
GetThere sets aside a portion of the booking fees generated by the TMC
and returns those funds to the agency to use for promotional
activities targeted at increasing adoption among corporate clients.
Co-op Rewards funded a number of TMC-driven initiatives in 2006,
including co-branded sales collateral, promotional items, event
sponsorships, marketing materials, and private Webinars.
“GetThere has been a great partner to Ultramar for almost a decade
and frankly our success in the online world has driven our overall
success,” said Peter Klebanow, president of Ultramar Travel
Management. “Nobody understands better than GetThere that online
adoption doesn’t just happen on its own – online programs need to be
cultivated and nurtured. Their steady support and willingness to
innovate makes a huge difference for us. Co-op Rewards is just another
example of how GetThere listens to its customers and then delivers
great solutions. An industry leader like GetThere taking revenue out
of its pocket to help the customer grow its business is a rare
occurrence.” Ultramar grew its GetThere online bookings by more than
50 percent last year.
“GetThere’s regional distributor relationships flourished like
never before in 2006,” said Bev Heinritz
(http://www.getthere.com/about_us/executive_team.cfm), general manager
of GetThere. “These agencies set a new standard for defining how
online booking can work for businesses big and small, and then putting
those plans into action for the clients they serve. The Luminary
Awards represent our appreciation for the effort these TMCs put in to
advance the deployment of GetThere’s online booking system and make
the promised savings of travel technology a reality for corporations.”
About GetThere
GetThere is the leading global online corporate travel reservation
technology, surpassing $6.3 billion in gross travel bookings in 2005.
An established innovator in the global travel arena, GetThere enables
global corporations and government agencies to provide a convenient
way for employees to book travel and plan meetings online while
significantly reducing costs. GetThere’s advanced technology works
with all major global distribution systems (GDS) and all travel
management companies. More than 3,000 corporations, including a
majority of Fortune 200 companies that have online booking sites, use
GetThere. More information is available at www.getthere.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 http://www.sabre-holdings.com.
CONTACT: VOLLMER
Mary Kate Smither, 972-488-4790
marykate@vollmerpr.com
or
GetThere
Michael Brophy, 214-356-4326
michael.brophy@getthere.com
SOURCE: GetThere