Amadeus Adds Car Rental Features, Enables Rental Co. Cards

Online booking tool Amadeus E-Travel Management this week introduced several enhancements aimed at improving the efficiency of car rental reservations. Top of the list is the ability for the first time to guarantee and pay for rentals through charge cards offered by the leading car hire providers. These are used more widely in Western Europe than the rest of the world, especially in Germany.

Amadeus head of car Jerome Vanazzi said the ability to book with rental companies' own charge cards significantly will streamline payment and billing processes for corporate clients. "Information from the charge cards is retained within the customer profile," he said. "It means travelers do not need to show any card at the rental counter and the rental company does not need to enter any new data, which cuts out mistakes. The steps toward booking a car have been considerably reduced. We are very close to one-click booking for the corporate market."

Other new features include a free text box to communicate specific requirements to the car rental office, and a facility for booking special equipment, including satellite navigation systems and snow tires.

Although he would not provide any figures, Vanazzi claimed that transactions through E-Travel Management are rising despite the recession. He said that car rental reservations are increasing by a double-digit figure in line with air bookings, but hotel reservations are rising at an even faster rate. Vanazzi attributed the claimed growth to a combination of new sales wins and improved adoption among existing customers.