Vacation.com finished six weeks of beta testing Travel Solutions, its new online net rate booking system, and the system is now live for the consortium`s members.

Accessible through a button on Vacation.com`s AgentNet intranet system, Travel Solutions enables agents to compare the available published air fares and consolidated air fares on the same screen for the purpose of marking them up. The system will calculate a mark-up in either dollars or percentages and it facilitates booking on line. Management can add a default margin and the agents can increase it according to what they think their market will bear.

The system can be programmed to add the profit margin based on percentage or dollar amount. Besides air fares, the system also enables agents to book last-minute cruises and vacation packages. Rental cars and hotels are not included, but hotels will be added in the next few months, according to Vacation.com executives.

Robert Heiser, executive vice president of sales and marketing, said the system will enable agents to become real retailers.

www.vacation.com

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