Over 40 percent of the record 11,827 voters in the recent Travel Weekly U.K. Globe Awards 2004 chose travel technology services provider Worldspan as the United Kingdom’s Best Global Distribution System (GDS) - a decision described by Worldspan chairman, president and CEO Rakesh Gangwal as ‘a terrific start to the year’ and ‘recognition for delivering what customers want’. In the Awards, 41 percent of voters chose Worldspan. This latest award caps an outstanding year for Worldspan as it won Best CRS in Travel Bulletin’s 2003 awards and was also the leading GDS in the TTG Awards for 2003.

Gangwal commented: “Worldspan is delighted to have received this award in recognition of our strong commitment to our travel agency and supplier customers.  We will continue to focus on the development of innovative technology solutions, fuelling the future success and profitability of our customers.”

Graham Nichols, vice president of EMEAA for Worldspan commented:
“Worldspan’s ability to deliver what our agency and supplier customers want is demonstrated by our success, as we have won over many new agency customers. This is a vote of confidence in Worldspan and our people. On behalf of the entire EMEAA team, I’d like to thank the voters whose decision will spur us to work even harder on their behalf in the coming year.”

Nichols attributes Worldspan’s win to three factors: an uncompromising focus on technology and solution development, unmatched leadership in using the Internet as a key travel technology, and the fact that Worldspan does not compete with its agency customers for the end consumer.

Nichols explained:
“Worldspan has no direct ownership in entities that compete with our travel agency customers. That freedom means we approach our task with an absolute focus on providing the technology services and the travel inventory that make a real business difference.”

Worldspan customer The Travel Centre Norwich understands clearly why Worldspan received the award. Managing director of the leisure and business travel agency Rachel Crampton said:

It was a huge leap of faith for us to switch to Worldspan as our GDS provider. I’m rather cynical about solution and product claims made by the GDSs, but Worldspan’s approach, the value to our business of the overall GDS package, and the systematic training and support provided were clear differentiators.  We have very strong faith in Worldspan.”

During 2003, Worldspan launched solutions such as Go! Express, the productivity-enhancing upgrade for its Go! desktop travel management solution; AutoRefunds, for automating air ticket refunds; SecuRate Air Plus, the negotiated fare management tool; Total Rates, for accessing low cost airline fares; and Worldspan Ferry, for booking European ferries.
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