helloworld has appointed Travelport to be its premium preferred GDS service partner for its retail networks.
The agreement will apply to helloworld Branded, Associate and Affiliate agents in Australia and New Zealand as well as for the Concorde Agency Network and helloworld.com.au.
The agency group will continue to have commercial arrangements with other GDS providers for other channels of the business.
helloworld CEO, Elizabeth Gaines said Travelport’s commitment to technology will deliver benefits to agents.
However, CEO Elizabeth Gaines said the decision comes after seeing Travelport’s commitment and investment in technology innovation.
She said the GDS will provide efficiencies across the online and retail networks while delivering enhanced benefits to agents.
“A key driver in our decision was the additional benefits for our agents that flow from choosing Travelport as their GDS services partner including financial returns, competitive product pricing, greater transparency and market-leading technology and support.”
Elizabeth Gaines, helloworld CEO
She said helloworld Agents will benefit from Travelport’s innovative Travel Commerce Platform, as well as Travelport Smartpoint, a leading desktop point-of-sale solution that redefines the selling experience for travel agencies.
The latest version of Smartpoint enhances upselling and cross-selling opportunities through the integration of Travelport’s Rich Content and Branding solution for airlines.
Travelport has now signed up over 100 airlines enabling agents to better compare products.
More than 100 airlines have now signed up, enabling travel agents to better understand and compare airlines’ offering through rich visual graphics and detailed descriptions.
“This renewal demonstrates Helloworld’s recognition of Travelport’s continued investments and expertise in terms of the content and technology we bring to the agency desktop. We look forward to continuing our long-term partnership and supporting Helloworld’s growth strategy across the region.”
Kaylene Shuttlewood, Travelport General Manager Pacific