Travelconnect - FAQs
Welcome to Travelconnect. A new web-based selling system that puts you back in control.
With Travelconnect you can choose either simple or advanced agency management solutions, depending on your business needs and budget.
- Who is Travelconnect aimed at?
- When will it be available?
- Why is Travelconnect different?
- How easy is Travelconnect to use?
- What types of suppliers are available via Travelconnect?
- Does Travelconnect offer true dynamic packaging?
- Besides flexible search and booking tools what else does Travelconnect offer?
- How do I develop an e-commerce proposition for travel consumers?
- How do you plan to further develop Travelconnect?
- What is the difference between Travelconnect and EasySell?
- Why do onsumers have access to better products and content than travel agents?
- Does this finally signal the end of viewdata?
1. Who is Travelconnect aimed at?
Travelconnect is designed to meet the needs of independent, miniple and national retail travel agents, who are looking for a simple way to search, cost, book and manage leisure travel. Via all of their preferred customer touch points including retail outlets, call-centre, homeworkers and online via consumer-facing websites.
2. When will it be available?
Travelconnect was unveiled at The Travel Technology Show in February 2008 and will be implemented with initial customer sites during Q2, 2008. Several releases of additional functionality are planned in phases throughout the year.
Back to top3. Why is Travelconnect different?
Travelconnect offers flexibility and scalability and a proven leisure travel platform. Enabling travel agents to easily compare “merged” availability results across both pre-packaged and dynamically packaged holidays - and book individual components as part of a tailor-made itinerary or view their "own inventory". Whilst delivering a level of back-office functionality aligned with each customer’s objectives and budget. All connected to the Comtec Travelgateway, the most comprehensive supplier gateway in the industry.
Back to top4. How easy is Travelconnect to use?
Comtec has delivered travel selling systems to leisure travel agents since 1995. Travelconnect’s interface is based on considerable feedback gained from our clients about their user-experience. It also offers both a “learner” and “expert” mode to meet the needs of different types of user. Travelconnect has built in help, either page specific or viewed via movies from its built-in training centre.
Back to top5. What types of suppliers are available via Travelconnect?
The list of suppliers connected to Travelconnect is continually growing. Currently there are over 75 tour operator brands, along with a vast range of travel component suppliers including low-cost and charter airlines, 20+ bedbanks, UK and European transfer suppliers, car-hire and car-parking suppliers.
Back to top6. Does Travelconnect offer true dynamic packaging?
Yes, Travelconnect supports “on-demand” packaging, based on components sourced in real-time from multiple linked suppliers. This module of Travelconnect is based on the same proven platform widely deployed with Comtec’s tour-operator customer base. Furthermore if a package holiday is being viewed a "dynamically packaged" offering may be built on-the-fly as a comparison a potentially cheaper option to the customer and a more profitable sale for the agent.
Back to top7. Besides flexible search and booking tools what else does Travelconnect offer?
Travelconnect has in-built customer profiling, administration, reporting and e-Commerce modules. Along with a seamless interface into Comtec’s TravelCat Agency Management System for full back-office functions.
Back to top8. How do I develop an e-commerce proposition for travel consumers?
Travelconnect Consumer Edition (CE) is available as both a flexible white-label presentation, or as an Application Programme Interface (API), providing you with the full power of the Comtec’s Travel Platform and complete design flexibility.
Back to top9. How do you plan to further develop Travelconnect?
We believe Travelconnect is powered by the most sophisticated leisure travel booking engine in the industry. Today supporting over 600 agent and tour operator customers. As a new product, the scale and scope of the Comtec Travel Platform provides considerable opportunity for further development of Travelconnect and we have an extensive road-map of planned enhancements.
Back to top10. What is the difference between Travelconnect and EasySell?
EasySell is a market-leading Comtec selling system in the UK. Travelconnect has evolved from both EasySell and Comtec’s tour operating solution, Travelink. It is designed to provide travel agents with a far more flexible selling and management solution compared to EasySell which was developed primarily to make package holidays easier to book.
Back to top11. Why do consumers have access to better products and content than travel agents?
Consumer travel sites have been quick to integrate added-value travel content available via the Internet. The best sites therefore offer a rich visitor experience. Travelconnect’s platform has been specifically designed to enable agents to benefit from interactive web-based tools that enable them to offer improved information and service. These will be delivered via Travelconnect in several phases.
Back to top12. Does this finally signal the end of viewdata?
We think it’s the beginning of the end. Comtec is actively working with suppliers to move them to XML-based interfaces. In the meantime, we’re offering our customers the option of masking the complete viewdata journey via Travelconnect, so that viewdata effectively becomes redundant as a booking mechanism for our clients.
Back to topFor further information call +44 (0)1633 627500 or email info@comtec-group.com