Worldspan
, the leading global
reservation system and e-commerce provider for the travel industry, today
announced significant new enhancements to its fares and pricing technology
that will allow travel sellers to offer their clients better, faster service
plus more fare and itinerary options than ever.
These advances also enable
Worldspan to extend its lead over the competition in the fares and pricing
arena.
The company has completed the integration of Worldspan ePricing(SM), its
acclaimed server-based fare search technology, with Worldspan Power
Pricing(R), effectively tripling the volume of fare requests processed through
the ePricing system and guaranteeing more customers the highest level search
capabilities available.  ePricing has also been tailored to process shopping
requests for first-class and business-class tickets along with low-fare
requests, further enhancing the versatility of this powerful search
technology.
In addition, Worldspan has deployed new, faster, more robust server
technology at its ePricing complex in Atlanta, cutting system response time by
one third.
Worldspan introduced ePricing in January 2002 , becoming the first global
distribution system to offer a non-mainframe-based fare pricing system.
ePricing`s server-based technology utilizes millions of fares and hundreds of
thousands of fare combinations to provide definitive low-fare searches and an
unprecedented selection of price options.  ePricing is being integrated into
Worldspan`s renowned Power Product suite, first with Worldspan Power
Shopper(R) shortly after launch and more recently with Power Pricing.  The
enhancements announced today further strengthen this formidable pricing
solution—a technology the travel distribution industry has enthusiastically
embraced.
 
  “Our competitors try to magnify their developments in fares and pricing,
but they realize what the rest of the industry already knows—Worldspan
ePricing truly is an industry-leading technology.  We launched it, we`re
steadily strengthening it, and our rivals just aren`t there yet,” said Mike
Parks
, senior vice president and general manager - Worldwide Travel
Distribution for Worldspan.  “We will continue our leadership role in
migrating to more flexible, more efficient technology that better serves our
customers and their clients.”
While some competitors claim they lead in fares and pricing with the
implementation of one type of automated rule, Worldspan has had a complete
Automated Rules package for over seven years, resulting in the fewest debit
memos in the industry, Parks added.  “Because we already have the fastest,
most accurate rule processing available, we`ve been able to concentrate on new
enhancements such as Category 35, another area in which Worldspan leads the
industry,” he noted.
“The ePricing enhancements announced today reflect Worldspan`s continuous
investment in technology development and our commitment to offering superior
fares and pricing solutions,” said Sue Powers
, senior vice president -
Worldwide Product Solutions for Worldspan.  “In coming weeks, Worldspan will
unveil still more enhancements to ePricing to provide even broader fare
searches, including private and negotiated fares.”
Worldspan ePricing can be customized to fit the needs of any travel
seller, including travel agencies, Web-based travel sites, airlines and
others. And its server technology makes ePricing adaptable to a user`s
changing needs.  Suppliers too benefit from ePricing`s advanced searching
capabilities, with more of their product offerings accessible to the travel
seller.
Related stories on ITN:

(20/02/2002) New Booking Tool from Worldspan

(29/01/2002) Expedia/Worldspan Joint Development Search Engine Introduced.

(15/06/2002) `Worldspan On The Web` Enhancement

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