Continuing a wave of portal enhancements begun this summer, CCRA this month will release such upgrades as enhanced search features, commission payment methods and the ability to book multiple rooms. In August, CCRA, which works with hotels to package preferred rates, debuted a new Web address, a live chat feature and the ability to choose primary travel agency consortia affiliation.
CCRA customers said they welcomed the present and future enhancements. "We're definitely keeping our eyes open for the commission payment system, as we're still doing it through our global distribution system on a lot of the rates and hotels just pay us directly on the commissions," said Bob Kern, president of ABC Travel in Westwood, Calif., and PNR Travel in Marina Del Rey, Calif.
The introduction of a commission settlement method is possibly one of the more significant upgrades to CCRA's portal, but it is by no means the first such tool to enter the market. ECommissions Solutions this summer unveiled a tool to expedite commission reconciliation
(BTN, June 19) and several major hotel chains, such as Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts, offer similar capabilities
(BTN, Feb. 6).However, Bill Guerin, chairman and CEO of OneLink, which in June 2005 acquired CCRA, said his company is the first to introduce electronic settlements into a portal. "It has applications in the settlement access," he said. "Agents would have a very strong leverage in using this tool, and could approach suppliers to say, 'We can establish upon booking direct payment to you in your local currency.' "
OneLink's intent in acquiring CCRA was to integrate such technology into CCRA's portal. Said Guerin, "We're really interested in improving the way business is done in the retail channel between the travel agencies and the travel suppliers and lowering the distribution costs to both parties."