<B>TechTalk</B>
<B>Worldspan Partners For E-mail Itineraries</B>
Worldspan and QPAX.com Inc. in mid-July announced a partnership to deploy by the fourth quarter "patent-pending technology" that will enable Worldspan subscribers to e-mail travelers an Internet link to itinerary, flight status and customized destination information before and during their trip. Worldspan also said it is taking an equity position in QPAX.com, a self-described "leader in Web-based information delivery systems for travel vendors." Two days later, Worldspan launched My Trip and More, which gives travelers access to Worldspan itineraries on the Internet via a browser or wireless device. The product incorporates extensible markup language (XML) technology and allows agencies to download a link to the My Trip site. Both developments rival Sabre's VirtuallyThere service (BTN, July 10).
<B>Amadeus Certifies Amex for Booking Support</B>
Amadeus earlier this month named American Express as the first travel management company certified to support the Travel Planning application of SAP's Travel Management solution. Under the five-day certification program, which Amadeus called a first of its kind, Amex agents are trained on how travelers use the product, the "internal workings of the application" and how to build and maintain travel policy, said Amadeus manager of corporate markets Owen Wild. Along with Amadeus and SAP, agents also would be responsible for some end-user support.
Claiming that the certification would become an "industry standard," Amadeus said other booking vendors may adopt it. "We would consider replicating this with other partnerships, and we have had discussions with other proprietary products," said Wild. SAP's Travel Planning application, co-developed with Amadeus, accompanies its Travel Accounting application. The former now has "some installations in Europe and some signed customers in place with that, as well as internal implementation with SAP Americas and Amadeus Worldwide," Wild said. "We hope to announce more customer signings soon."
As part of the Amex deal, Amadeus already has trained and certified agents in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Scandinavia, with other countries to follow in the near future.
Amadeus said it selects agents based on their skills in customer support, quality control, travel information management, travel policy maintenance and ongoing process redesign.
<B>Amadeus Enables XML Programming</B>
Amadeus earlier this month rolled out of Version 2.0 of its API (Application Programming Interface), allowing software developers using XML or the C language to link with Amadeus' reservation and booking engine. The GDS also said Austrian Airlines, German travel group TUI and South American airline LanChile joined launch client Gradient Solutions as a customer. Gradient is now interfacing its CyberCRS+booking engine with the Amadeus GDS. Gradient, which develops customized Web solutions for travel companies and airlines, used Amadeus API v2.0 to transfer Austrian Airlines' booking and scheduling sites to the Amadeus GDS. "The API is the basic building block to connect a travel Web site to the Amadeus GDS," said Philippe Chérèque, Amadeus senior vice president of corporate strategy. "Now that XML has become the main development language for travel Web sites, it follows that we give these programmers a direct way to access and integrate Amadeus into their businesses."
<B>Amex, Edocs Partner for Small Biz Expense Reporting</B>
Edocs.com, an Internet billing and customer management software developer, and American Express last month announced that Amex's Small Business Services cardmembers can analyze and manage their quarterly expense summary reports via the Internet. The companies are offering customized graphical report summaries organized by employee and up to nine different expense categories, including: airline, lodging, restaurant, retail, car rental, other auto, telecommunications, insurance services and other. Users then can download the data into Quicken or Excel.
"Our customers use the consolidated expense statements to track spending, reduce their headaches at tax time and manage their businesses better," said Jim Blann, senior vice president and general manager of American Express Small Business Services. The companies signed a licensing agreement in September, when Amex also made a minority investment in Edocs.
<B>Galileo UK Gets BSP Certification</B>
Galileo UK earlier this month announced it is the first GDS to be given full bank settlement plan approval for automatic refunds on all types of tickets. Previously, partially used tickets were nonrefundable, so Galileo UK had been issuing electronic refunds on other types of tickets for three years.