Nexion Lowballs The GDSs

<B>Nexion Lowballs The GDSs</B>

By Cheryl Rosen

<I>San Jose, Calif.</I> - With a new name, new president and new business model, the former ITA Network Inc. is reintroducing itself as a new player on the travel distribution scene. Now known as Nexion, the company is offering agencies and corporate travel departments a cost-effective way to buy and fulfill travel orders via the Web.

Nexion allows agents to link to any of the GDSs, or to hotel distribution system Pegasus Solutions Inc., using just a PC and a local Internet connection. It also offers 24 x 7 ticketing and fulfillment, custom invoicing and ARC reporting. Prices range from $99 (at which level Nexion also keeps 20 percent of all commissions) to $395 a month, with no minimum contract or additional transaction fees.

"An agency would use our solution as a replacement for a GDS automation contract," said executive vice president of sales and marketing Ken Kearney. "But our model is also designed to do all the ticketing in one central location, allowing them to offload cost." But like the GDSs, Nexion allows agencies to offset the cost through productivity discounts based on the number of tickets booked.