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Travelport GDS Introduces eVouchers on Avis Car Hire Bookings
Langley, UK,
11.11.2008
New Paperless System Now Available for Bookings Made on Galileo
One of the world’s leading car rental brands Avis has teamed up with leading global distribution system (GDS) provider, Travelport GDS, to introduce a new paperless eVoucher for Galileo-connected travel agents. The agreement with Avis follows the launch of eVouchers last year with Hertz and Sixt.
The eVoucher – effectively an electronic, ticketless confirmation of their booking – works in much the same as an airline e-ticket; doing away with the need for customers to produce proof of deposit or payment when picking up their rental vehicle.
As well as offering significant benefits to customers, the new system makes booking and managing car rental transactions easier for travel agents. Through Galileo’s industry leading CarMaster system, agents receive real-time confirmation of the booking and are saved the time-consuming tasks of hand-writing rental vouchers and/or faxing voucher payment details to the relevant rental location.
Travelport GDS senior director hospitality and car rental, EMEA, Asia and Pacific, Jane Lewis commented: “Since the airlines introduced paperless ticketing customers have become very comfortable with using e-tickets. The eVoucher extends the principle to car hire and makes the whole process of renting a vehicle much easier and more secure.
“Customers needn’t worry about losing their documentation. Details of the booking are transmitted directly to the car rental location, so all of the customer’s details are waiting when they arrive. Just like a flight ticket, they can print out confirmation and present this when they pick up the vehicle.”
“And because the system integrates with the agent’s back office function, management of the whole payment and settlement process is seamless.”
Elaine Cottrell, distribution systems manager, Avis commented: “Avis Europe is delighted to have just implemented Galileo’s new car e-voucher functionality for Galileo connected agents globally. This functionality is of great benefit for travel agents as it provides them with the ability to pay for their Avis reservation without having to present a voucher when collecting the car. With this new functionality we are making car rental easier and hassle free for all customers.”
The systems allows agents to take three types of payment for car rental – Full Credit (the entire cost of rental including special equipment, upgrades and extra days); Group/Day (the cost of rental for certain number of days); and Specific Value (fixed amount towards cost of rental).
About Travelport GDS
Travelport GDS is one of the world’s largest global distribution system (GDS) providers operating both the Galileo and the Worldspan brands, providing real-time travel information and booking capabilities to online and offline travel agencies in over 145 countries. It also operates Business Intelligence which provides marketing and other critical data to the industry, and includes its Shepherd Systems subsidiary; and IT Services & Software, which offers mission critical reservations, related software and services management to the world’s leading airlines. Travelport GDS is a convergence of traditional and online travel distribution services that empower airlines, travel suppliers, travel agencies, Web sites and corporations to provide informed choice to travelers on a global platform. Travelport GDS is a division of Travelport, one of the world’s largest service providers to the travel industry.
More information about Travelport GDS is available at www.travelport.com
About Avis
The Avis brand operates across four continents via a network of over 2,900 locations in 109 countries, through wholly owned subsidiaries in 13 corporate countries complemented by licence arrangements in a further 96 countries.
Media Contact:
Tarica Kambo
Corporate Communications, Travelport GDS
tel: +44 (0)1753 288720