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Bookings from cell phones to benefit travel agents
Start-up company Portaga Inc. says agencies next month can offer travelers a desktop application that lets them book all trip elements from Microsoft Outlook.
Portaga is a Web-services platform that uses the Open Travel Alliance’s industry standard XML messaging to pull inventory from Sabre Holding Corp.’s global distribution system.
The company, founded in 2000 as Realtime Enterprises, spent its first years building applications on a contract basis before deciding to attack a wider business need, according to CEO Rob Kost.
It will later add connections into other distributors, as well as the reservations systems of airlines, hotels, car-rental companies, limousine providers and restaurants
Portaga’s Travel Manager will automatically integrate travel-booking information into the traveler’s calendar, as well as those of others who need to be alerted. It will also automatically create expense reports related to trips when needed.
Mr Kost said the technology will benefit travel agencies in various ways, including attracting business travelers who might otherwise use an online travel site to book travel.
He said the next step might be booking trips from cell phones and PDAs.
Report by David Wilkening
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