Travel Agents set to benefit from express bookings with RatesToGo.com

Sydney, 17 March 2002 – Travel agents throughout Asia are set to benefit from a breakthrough online accommodation booking solution. The system is designed to allow retail agents to sell distressed hotel inventory either face-to-face or on their websites.

The world leading accommodation e-wholesaler, Flairview Travel, has launched a B2B version of its successful “last minute” consumer-booking engine – RatesToGo (www.ratestogo.com) – providing a lucrative new source of business for travel agents.

The service allows travel agents to tap into hotels’ distressed inventory, earning themselves up to around five or six per cent commission for every booking made through the system.

Fully customised to fit the brand and colours of individual travel agencies, the service comes without the usual technical development and implementation costs, as Flairview Travel takes care of the entire back end operation for the retail agent.

A complete “real time” reporting system is also built into the solution so agents can monitor their commission revenue, confirm bookings and hotel availability instantly as well as track individual client bookings.

“The volume of consumers taking to the Net to book hotels is staggering – to the point where accommodation websites have become the sweet spot of the e-travel economy,” said RatesToGo’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Chloe Lim.

“Until now travel agents have been locked out of this online distribution channel because the set up costs have been prohibitive, however the technical and commercial refinement offered by our B2B engine is a real breakthrough for retail agents.”

The express B2B booking engine provides travel agents with access to over 900 hotels worldwide including leading global hotel chains and quality independent properties (two to five star). Distressed accommodation inventory is available in 13 countries including Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore with more Asian countries expected to join in the near future.

The site is available in English, Chinese, French, German and Spanish languages.

Flairview Travel is now in negotiation with several agency groups and is actively seeking affiliate partners from retail agencies large and small. If you would like more information on the travel agent program, please contact Norman Guestrau – [email protected]

Key benefits of travel agent online B2B accommodation solution:
·Lucrative new business and revenue source
·No technology set up costs
·Customised to individual agency’s brand and colours
·Additional sales support tool

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For further information, please contact:
Chloe Lim
Head of Sales and Marketing
RatesToGo.com
Tel: +61 2 8295 0431
Fax: +61 29299 8860
Email: [email protected]