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
