Galileo International wins First Customer for Online Access Booking Engine

Galileo International today announced that Brisbane-based OzWings is its first customer for Online Access, Galileo's fully functional Internet Booking Engine with a customisable website and the only booking engine of its kind to provide seamless integration with the EVENTS online registration interface. OzWings is the travel agency arm of the OzAccom Group, one of Australia's largest events and conferences organisers.

Galileo is making Online Access available to subscribers worldwide. The solution is an ideal tool for travel agents that wish to use the Internet to build their business. Online Access lets travel agents offer an online booking service without incurring expensive software development costs. Galileo's Online Access solution is available in a leisure edition and an SME edition.

A key feature of Online Access is the ability for the travel agent to customize the look and feel of the website to reflect the overall branding and image of their business. This customization capability is the key distinction between Online Access and TravelGalileo.com™ - Galileo's first travel agency portal - and a response to travel agents who have specifically requested the ability to project their own look and feel.

OzWings has incorporated Online Access into EVENTS, one of the most widely used event and convention management products in Australia and New Zealand. Developed by Amlink Technologies, the EVENTS interface is offered to all OzWings conference clients. This integration with EVENTS was developed by Galileo specifically in response to the needs of OzWings. Any conference delegate visiting the EVENTS registration screen can click through to the Online Access site to book flights and cars. The delegate's travel details are sent back to EVENTS, providing a consolidated itinerary. Online Access handles flexible forms of payment including private label credit cards, cash and cheques.

"It's very important to a conference delegate to have seamless interaction and we were looking for a solution that handles conference registration, flights and accommodation all in one go," said Liza Watts, Principal of the OzAccom Group.

"Galileo were the only GDS that demonstrated its commitment to the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) market by investing time, effort and money to ensure the needs of conference organizers were met. We welcome the fact that they took the initiative and are delighted with the overall capability of the Online Access solution."

John Guscic, Galileo's Vice President, South Pacific, added: "OzWings has been a Galileo subscriber since it was established in 1997 and we recognized that Online Access provided an opportunity to help this travel agent strengthen its leadership in the MICE industry. While we developed Online Access specifically from client feedback in Australia and New Zealand, we developed the link to EVENTS based on the needs of OzWings. We now have a new solution in the market that allows travel agents to take this Galileo website and make it their own. It's an inexpensive and easy-to-use option that's ideal for travel agents looking to build a distinctive online sales platform."

OzWings has handled conferences with as many as 15,000 delegates and in one week alone in 2003 moved 30,000 delegates attending a number of different events. The OzAccom Group specialises in providing conferences to trade and professional associations, as well as trade show organizers, covering a range of sectors including medical, IT, academic, scientific and environmental.

Galileo said it can provide additional functionality for Online Access beyond initial customisation, and also plans to make the solution available in other Asia Pacific markets.