World’s Largest Airlines Team with GetThere to Transform B2B Travel
MENLO PARK, CA,- GetThere Inc. ? (NASDAQ: GTHR) today announced that American Airlines (NYSE:AMR) has joined the GetThere Supplier Network in the GetThere Marketplace, the largest B2B travel marketplace. American joins other top airlines, lodging and car rental companies that have embraced the GetThere Marketplace to directly connect with many of the nation’s top corporate travel buyers. The addition of American Airlines continues the momentum behind the GetThere Marketplace as the premier marketplace for directly connecting buyers and sellers in B2B travel.
“A very significant and growing base of top global corporations are actively purchasing travel online,” said Mike Gunn, executive vice president of marketing and planning at American Airlines. “American Airlines is highly focused on continuously providing benefits to corporate customers and their travelers. By joining the GetThere Supplier Network, we have the opportunity to provide new services and benefits to our mutual corporate customers, while their employees have the convenience of online booking.”
“The addition of American Airlines to the GetThere Marketplace provides great benefits to our corporate customers, increasing the base of industry leading suppliers,” said Gadi Maier, president and CEO of GetThere. “American’s participation also reinforces that the B2B travel market is going through a significant change and the GetThere Marketplace is at the center.”
The GetThere Marketplace provides online travel procurement to major corporations that together spend nearly $10 billion in travel each year. With the recently announced GetThere Supplier Network, these corporations will be able to procure travel from leading air, hotel and car rental suppliers directly, rather than going through global distribution systems. The GetThere Supplier Network already includes Accor Hotels, American Airlines, Avis Rent a Car, British Airways, Budget Rent a Car, Candlewood Hotels, Hertz Corporation, Marriott International, Micros Fidelio & Hotel Bank, Northwest Airlines, Radisson Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, TWA and United Airlines.
GetThere (Nasdaq: GTHR) operates the world’s largest Internet marketplace focused on business-to-business travel services. GetThere’s systems are used to provide online travel procurement to employees at leading corporations such as Boeing, Chevron, Cisco, Cox Enterprises, Lucent, MetLife, Nike and Xerox. GetThere also powers online travel sites for leading airlines, including Alitalia, All Nippon Airways, America West, British Airways, Northwest Airlines, TWA and United Airlines. GetThere can be found on the Web at www.getthere.com.
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