Travelocity Business Joins Radius Agency Network

Travelocity Business today announced an agreement to join travel management company network Radius. Travelocity Business is the first of the so-called Internet travel management companies to join such a network in an effort to expand its global presence.

According to TBiz president Lesley Harris, some current clients will migrate to the joint TBiz-Radius fulfillment partnership in the first quarter of 2009. TBiz has two call centers in Texas and one in Stockport, United Kingdom. Harris said there are no plans to reduce call center operations in favor of Radius' partners. However, TBiz's fulfillment partnership in Asia with Travelocity-owned Zuji and WNS Global Services, who currently handle some fulfillment in the region, "will be sunsetting and phasing that out as we add the agency solution with Radius," Harris said.

Radius has 90 travel agencies in more than 80 countries in its network. Radius has about a dozen U.S. TMC members, some of which are TBiz competitors. "We understand entering into this relationship that there may be some conflicts," said Radius vice president of global sales and service Kieran Hartwell. "Each opportunity that Travelocity Business brings to our attention is strategically reviewed as to how we move forward with it."

TBiz's direct competitors, Egencia and Orbitz for Business, also have extended their global footprints this year, albeit through acquisition and in-house fulfillment services.