<B>Empire Puts Limos Online</B>
By Lynn Woods
Empire International, the Norwood, N.J.-based limousine services network, next week plans to launch an upgrade of its Web site, www.empire-int.com, that will enable its customers to make reservations online.
Like Carey International's site, www.careyinternational.com, Empire's current site lets users fill out a reservation request form and send it by e-mail. But the booking isn't confirmed until an Empire representative calls back, which can take as long as 48 hours.
With the new site, customers register once by filling out their names, addresses, phone numbers, company names and phone numbers, credit card information and passwords on an online application form. After receiving confirmation of membership from Empire by e-mail (delivered within 24 hours), they can book cars directly online, modify or cancel existing reservations, receive special corporate rates and obtain receipts for trips.
To book a car, members simply put in their password, select the time and place of pick-up and type of car. A confirmation number is provided instantly on screen, along with the option to have it faxed or e-mailed to the customer. With the new "quick rate lookup" feature, users instantly can check a rate. There's also an online customer survey form and a section for travel agents, along with information about Empire's fleet and VIP services, such as hiring a bodyguard.
Empire plans to customize the online booking service for corporate accounts, including inputting negotiated rates, according to Empire president David Seelinger.
Seelinger said the Web site upgrade also would allow customers to check news and weather at destination cities. Empire also is "investing $500,000 in creating a wireless gateway that would enable people to book cars or change a reservation through their Palms or other wireless devices."
Empire will be the second ground transportation network company offering automated reservations online. Everett, Mass.-based BostonCoach, which is owned by Fidelity Investments, has been offering real-time booking through the Web since early 1999. BostonCoach also provides direct booking links to corporate accounts through its AutoRez service, which utilizes the global distribution systems.
Customers register on www.bostoncoach.com by setting up an online profile (including credit card information) and selecting a password. After logging on, they can make reservations, review or cancel an existing Internet reservation and get receipts. Online reservations must be made more than six hours before pick-up (for last-minute booking, customers need to call the 800 number). Travelers fill in the date, time and location of pick-up. If the reservation is for an airport pick-up or drop-off, they fill in airline flight numbers and other information. For other types of pick-ups, they type in the address and note the nearest city and landmark, such as a hotel.
They also can input their corporate account numbers and note any special requests, such as a cell phone, before pressing "submit" on a screen that sums up the details of the reservation, including the price. A request number is assigned to the reservation, and bookers receive an e-mailed confirmation within an hour.
BostonCoach and Empire have an edge over the competition when it comes to real-time online reservations, which in other categories of travel is growing in leaps and bounds. Management at both industry leader Carey and number-two player Dav El Chaufferred Transportation Network, based in Chelsea, Mass., more than a year ago said that the rollout of real-time Internet reservations was imminent, but to date it hasn't happened at either company.
Dav El's site, www.davel.com, lists "online reservations" as one of the options, but when customers click on it a message pops up noting the function is "coming soon." There isn't even an option to e-mail a reservation request.
On Carey's site, either an individual or a travel agent can fill out the reservation form and e-mail it to the company; a confirmation number is e-mailed back within 48 hours.
The service is easy to use: After selecting type of vehicle, customers note the pick-up location, including airport code name and flight number if applicable, fill in the date and time and (again, if it applies) estimated length of service.
There are other appealing features about Carey's site, which is the most comprehensive of all the major ground transporation company sites. It includes a list of cities in which Carey operates, some of which are highlighted, allowing customers to e-mail the location directly or be linked to the licensee's or affiliate's site.
Carey's site also lists reservation numbers worldwide, and it also offers links to various travel sites, including the U.S. State Department Travel Advisories, an Embassy Page, the National Business Travel Association and Meeting Planners International.