Pegasus Solutions and its Utell service signed agreements to become a preferred supplier of hotel rooms with nine of the top 50 travel agencies in the United States2.  The nine agencies combined sold $2.6 billion in travel services in 2002, including corporate, group and leisure bookings.  “The diversity in the Utell member portfolio is most attractive to our client base,” said Steve Cline, vice president and general manager for Adelman Travel Group.  “In particular, they have a wide range of properties in key cities such as New York and Miami that serve the needs of both business and leisure clients.  Utell also represents a number of premier hotels in most major European business centers, which will only increase the value of this relationship as international travel begins to rebound.”

The Utell service includes the Selections program, which makes it easier for agents to direct clients to appropriate hotels.  Selections segments hotels into well-defined categories that both novice and veteran agents can quickly use to find the perfect Utell member property.  Hotels are identified by one of three core categories (luxury, style and value), or by one of four niche categories (style, resort, apartment or airport).

 

Pegasus’ electronic distribution system allows Utell member properties to be accessible via the four major GDSs (Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre and Worldspan).  According to PhoCusWright, GDS bookings via traditional offline travel agents are the second-largest channel for hotel reservations, accounting for 21 percent of bookings in 20013 (hotel call centers handled 63 percent of bookings in 2001).  Agents can use the chain code UI to access Utell member hotels.  All rates are fully commissionable.

 

“The implementation of preferred supplier agreements with these prominent agencies demonstrates the proactive nature of the promotional services we provide to member hotels,” said Graham Richards, vice president of Utell global sales for Pegasus Solutions.  He added: “We pursue all distribution options on behalf of our hotels, complementing connectivity services with a consistent presence in front of travel agencies, online travel providers and corporate travel managers.  Finally, we’re confident the agencies we work with will see increased value and revenues from this relationship as their clients get familiar with the quality Utell member hotels now available to them.”

Related stories on ITN:

(23/04/2003)
Utell Offers Travel Agents More Choice

(11/09/2002) Utell Increases Presence in Asia-Pacific Region

(16/07/2002) Utell Implements Lanyon Tools
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