Mtgs. Pro To Enhance Continental Alliances, Web Presence

<B> Mtgs. Pro To Enhance Continental Alliances, Web Presence</B>

By Chris Davis

Candie Gerakos, new head of Continental Airlines' meetings division, is charged with developing group travel with the airline's alliance partners, including Northwest, and increasing the value of the Continental Web site for meeting and event planners.

That should include the much-talked-about ability to book negotiated corporate group and meeting fares online--a site upgrade Continental officials said should happen "in the near future."

Gerakos, now Continental's manager of meeting, group and incentive sales, will work with Northwest to take advantage of the fact that the two carriers overlap on few routes. "It's in both airlines' interest to align the meeting and group products," she said.

Gerakos previously implemented Continental's Reward-One loyalty program (BTN, Jan. 25) as the airline's sales development manager for small business and tactical programs. She has replaced Brenda Davis, who is now manager of sales and marketing training. Gerakos reports to director of specialty sales Tracy Sweeney.

Despite the fact that Continental does not have immunity from federal antitrust laws with Northwest or any other airline, Sweeney said it will be Gerakos' role to develop meetings products with all Continental partners, including America West and Alaska Airlines. "We want to make sure there's reciprocity beyond our core alliance," Sweeney said. "We want products with all of them."

The markets Continental and Northwest serve automatically create new city pairs accessible only through the airlines' alliance, Sweeney said.

The timing is right for more comprehensive group and meetings offerings, Sweeney said, because the number of companies not only consolidating their meeting spending but bringing that function into the travel department is increasing.

While Continental has expressed a willingness to negotiate combined transient and meeting contracts with corporations (<I>Meetings Today,</I> Sept. 7, 1998), Sweeney said only a small number of corporations actually have done so. Continental also negotiates zone fares net of commissions when requested by corporate clients (Meetings Today, May 17). Sweeney said the idea of net zone fares is growing in the corporate market. "For competitive reasons, it's something we need to be responsive to," Sweeney said.

Gerakos also is responsible for developing meeting products for Continental's Web site (www.continental.com) and tracking where that online business originates. In addition, the airline is close to offering direct booking at negotiated group rates and, possibly, direct links from corporate meeting registration sites.

However, Continental has not fully resolved confidentiality issues and remains cautious about antagonizing the travel agency community.

"It's not something we see as a huge revenue source," Sweeney said, "but more as a convenience for the customer.