UK expansion for Travelocity Business
Travelocity Business has revealed plans for a big UK push this summer after launching its first wholly-owned service centre in Europe.
It is moving its current US multinational customers that use Travelocity Business in the UK from an outsourced facility to its own full-service fulfilment centre in Amersham.
The centre will act as a base for its European operations, initially supporting new UK business.
In the second phase this autumn, the service centre will support the corporate travel requirements of Travelocity Business customers with offices in other European countries.
The move comes following the acquisition of lastminute.com by Travelocity in 2005, which included its UK-based corporate travel offerings, Travelstore and First Option.
Both have been since re-branded as Travelocity Business, with Travelstore now serving as Travelocity Business’ local fulfilment centre, and First Option continuing to serve as a hotel reservations specialist.
As part of the rollout, Travelocity Business is deploying localised versions of technology for UK clients, and also offering multinational customers a more consistent service and consolidated travel data across the US and UK.
In addition, it is providing local agents and account teams catering for UK companies.
Ellen Keszler, president of Travelocity Business, said: “Leveraging Travelstore and First Option as the base for our operations is a natural progression that will allow Travelocity Business to compete in the global marketplace with a consistent brand and service offering.”
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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