ITQ Reflection Jan 2014.indd 1 05/02/14 4:10 PM

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FROM THE CEO’S DESK

From the CEO’s Desk

Dear Travel Partners,

Wishing you and your families a very warm and Happy New Year 2014. I am very excited to be the part of InterGlobe Technology Quotient and would be keen to take the organization forward. I also take this opportunity to wish good luck to my dear friend JB, who has taken over as President and CEO at InterGlobe Hotels. I am also very proud to share that we have been voted as the Best GDS for third successive year at TAAI Annual Awards 2013. This recognition comes on the heels of Travelport being named as the Best GDS for the fifth consecutive year at the Annual TTG Travel Awards. These awards not only reinforces a commitment to deliver world class solutions and services to our customers, it also inspires us to reach for a new heights. Globally, Travelport continues to bring in new technology and products to revolutionize the travel industry. It has recently launched its mobile app UAPI and search console for customers in the Asia-Pacific region. Very soon we are hoping to introduce some new offerings in the sub-continent as well.

At ITQ we are committed to giving back to the society. Under I-serve, we now have several voluntary programmes that are running and our teams across the country have been engaged in various activities ranging from providing services in old age homes, supporting rural women to become self-independent, organizing blood donation and may other activities. Over 50 percent of our team is engaged in social activities and it gives us immense pride and satisfaction to be able to spend time to bring cheer to the underprivileged. On several occasions many of our travel partners have joined hands with us in our endeavours. This is an ongoing activity and we are committed to grow our efforts in this area and seek your support.

We look forward to the future with optimism and ensure that we seek to minimise negative economic, environment and social impacts. We must support and build responsible tourism which generates economic benefits to local people.

It also makes positive contributions towards the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage

and maintenance of the world diversity.

Once again good wishes to you and your loved ones.

ANIL PARASHARPresident and CEO,

InterGlobe Technology Quotient Pvt. Ltd.


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WANDERLUST

Argentina, undeniably, is one of the most exciting holiday destinations in the world. Talk about a destination that has something to offer for everyone, and Argentina will definitely find a top slot in the list. A luxurious wine holiday, a trip for the only-for-adventure kinds, a romantic honeymoon for newlyweds or a small group holiday that packs in all – Argentina offers the promise of relaxation and rejuvenation to the hilt. Better still, if you are looking for a certain mix of adventure and relaxation, you can even book a tailor-made holiday only for your family and you.

The world’s eighth largest country, Argentina is one of the most

Top 5 destinations

popular countries in South America. From the café culture of Buenos Aires to the natural beauty of Iguazu Waterfalls and the Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina has something to offer for every tourist. Some of the world’s most dramatic scenery can be found here in the Patagonian Stepp, the Andes, and the Lush Lake District. Walking, whale watching and wildlife spotting are other interesting tours that one can enjoy in Argentina. Often viewed as the most cosmopolitan and European countries in the region, Argentina deserves a fair bit of time and attention. Don’t rush through this country – its vast landscape takes time getting too and is worth all the distractions you’ll find along the way. Throw in some amazing steak and world famous wine and you have the recipe for one great destination.

Buenos AiresNicknamed ‘Paris of South

America’, Buenos Aires is an amazing mix of a café and the grandeur of a once moneyed city. It is a haven for visitors

looking for a fantastic nightlife, great food, and a fantastic

shopping experience.

The Waterfalls of Iguazu

The falls are higher than Niagara and twice as wide with 450,000 cubic feet of water thundering down the

275 cascades every second. A sheer delight and a

natural wonder!

Perito Moreno Glacie

Located within the expansive Los Glaciares National Park is the impressive Perito Moreno glacier. The glacier is almost

15,000 feet wide and 200 feet tall and is a destination that

you wouldn’t like to miss.

Train to the Clouds

El Tren a Las Nubes (the Train to the Clouds) is a

400-kilometre, 16-hour round trip into the Andes from the town

of Salta. As the train climbs above 4000 metres, you’ll be

rewarded with spectacular mountain scenery.

Valle de la Luna Also known as the ‘Valley of the Moon’, this dramatic

landscape dates back to the Triassic period. Winds and rain have carved the rocks

in to strange formations, which give the place the look of a

lunar landscape. A definite treat for

the eyes!

12

3

4 5

An adventure worth experiencing


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WHAT’S HOT

American Express Travel Partner Network (TPN) held its annual Greater India Conference in Chennai. The three-day event gathered owners and other key decision-makers from the American Express franchise travel offices in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Collectively, this group represents an exclusive and elite industry network of agencies servicing everything from premium leisure travelers to MICE to large corporate clients in the Indian sub-continent. Through the TPN business, American Express is committed to supporting such clients as key industry leaders in their markets to drive growth and success.

The focus of the conference was to discuss network strategy, engage with preferred suppliers and also provide best practices training to the American Express partner agencies. During the sessions, participants acquired a broad range of knowledge regarding best practices, reviewed the latest travel programmes and tools from American Express and its preferred suppliers, and established stronger network ties within its distinguished peer group in the region. A special engagement and networking session was scheduled with InterGlobe Technology Quotient (ITQ) and Travelport for the partners. Sandeep Dwivedi, Chief Commercial Officer, ITQ, provided an industry update and travel trends for the region. Following that, Louise Bennett from Travelport and Stuti Sharma from ITQ provided an insight into the exciting new product – Travelport Rooms & More – that has just been launched in the Indian market. Recent network initiatives from ITQ such as the process audit and tech talk sessions have received great feedback and have received continued support from partner agencies. The event also included a classroom training and interactive workshop

Delivering its Commitment to Drive Growth

American Express

American Express Travel Partner Network

The American Express Travel Partner Network (TPN) consists of more than 1600 locations spread across 140 countries worldwide. The TPN combines the global strength of American Express with the local knowledge of each partner to deliver premium value and provide a globally consistent high quality of service and advice to our clients. Through their relationship with American Express, partners are able to leverage a strong brand of service and expertise to enhance their profitability and market presence. American Express brings a host of benefits to the partnership, including association with an established brand, industry expertise, and global experience and scale.

As authorised American Express Travel Service Representatives, our partners are independent travel agencies who specialise in providing comprehensive travel management services, combining American Express expertise and a vast network of worldwide contacts to create tailor-made business travel, leisure travel and MICE solutions.

on e-commerce and digital marketing with an SME focus. Most attending agencies were ones that were facing relentless competition from online travel agencies and evolving customers mindset. The training included hands-on sessions focused on website design and content management, search engine optimisation, web analytics, digital and social media marketing, and online reputation management.


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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Pioneered by the vision of Fr. Xavier Devadas, Director, Don Bosco Yuva Sanstha (DBYS), Karjat, DBYS is today a ray of hope for many. The organization has successfuly placed more than 600 poor and deprived students in industries across Mumbai. It trains students who cannot afford to pay for their education and are forced to drop out of school. DBYS’s first choice of students are those who do not have the opportunity and cannot afford to pay for their education, but have a keen desire to work and succeed in life. DBYS provides opportunities to get trained in welding, and it also trains electrical and air-conditioning mechanics at no monetary charge. It has also become a hub of innovation as it has various projects on sustainable energy, environment and recycling. DBYS conducted a training on communication skills and basic etiquettes to prepare them for interviews. Representatives of DBYS also spent time interacting with the students and distributed clothes and sweets. We also raised funds that will be used for their education. It was an excellent exposure that helped the students and enabled the representatives to take back learnings that will help them enhance their day-to-day lives.

Giving Hope and Confidence to Many“We must generate at least one idea in a day, considering we eat three times a day.”


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Even though booking tickets and hotel reservations is one of the most common practices in the business of travel, very often it is not done right. Blame it on lack of information or lack of sheer negligence, the result is always inconvenience for customers.

Travelport Galileo is focused on creating awareness and correct booking practices to ensure error-free bookings. These practices help save time and efforts for agencies, hotel and airlines, and also help avoid unnecessary costs.

Throw your worries to the wind If you stay away from these, you will not have to worry or toil over most of the things that can go wrong while making reservations.

• Avoid creating a booking in a cancelled booking file.

• Do not add/cancel the same segment in one transaction.

• Avoid making direct changes in a booking file with the airline.

• Avoid deleting/addition of segments in cases where PNR is taking time to revert with vendor locator.

• Do not make duplicate bookings.• Do not break marriage logic

segments.• Do not force to create a waitlist

segment on a closed flight.• Avoid issuing an e-ticket that does

not have an e-indicator next to the segment.

Make reservations the easy and accurate way If you follow these simple pointers for bookings, you will be able to sail through the process with minimum errors, every time.

• Ensure passenger’s name in the booking file matches the name in the passport.

• Keep in mind the maximum name length restriction for individual carriers when issuing e-tickets.

• Ensure the agency details and the passengers contact is fed in the first phone field.

• In case of bookings made directly with the airline, use CLAIM facility for carriers subscribing to it, for ticketing purposes.

• Sell segments using neutral display for accurate availability information.

• Make changes to your PNR yourself. • Ensure there is an (*) and a Vendor Locator returned against the

segments before making any changes.• When taking a modified fare for PNR (e.g. FQCEK@LRT),

always check with the airline the rules and validity of the fare to eliminate ADMs from airlines.

• Use the entry @ALL to correctly update the status code of all the segments [EWGR entry on Worldspan].

• Use XI or X1 entry to cancel the active PNR.• Use XK to remove HX, UC, UN, NO and passive segment like

AK (Do @1XK) [EWGR entry on Worldspan].

High fivefor correct booking practices!

DO IT RIGHT


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Even in an economy that has not been in the pink of its health lately, the travel and hospitality industry continues to show tremendous promise. What is interesting is that the two most populous nations will drive the tourist numbers. In 2011, tourism in India generated revenue worth $13.3 billion. This number is expected to go up to $91.2 billion by 2030.

China is expected to become the world’s most visited country in the coming years. In 2011, tourism helped generate revenues worth $59.8 billion, and this has been forecasted to increase to $199 billion by 2030. Further strengthening these forecasts is the opinion put forth by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Based on current UNWTO forecasts, China will possibly become the world’s most visited country by 2020. So we are going to be witnessing many, many tourists flocking to these countries in the coming decades.

Apart from the very significant and positive data and indications, the increasing number of smart and tech-savvy traveller is further enhancing the growth in tourism. Young travellers are using their smartphones to make bookings. Tech-savvy Koreans are obviously the ones leading the pack.

Truly, the use of technology is changing the way we live, work and entertain ourselves. In the time to come, mobile technology will increasingly be at the heart of consumer-brand interaction and will offer a numerous opportunities for customization, communication, promotion and loyalty. This, and the fact that the number of women joining the workforce will continue to increase, will likely make the number of business travellers surge by 2030, albeit on a small base.

SHOWCASE

Trends say that travel is still a shining star

39.3

39.4

6.4

23.7

20

21.3

2011 2030

59.8

199

13.3

91.2

India China Korea Indonesia Japan

Indian and Chinies will dominate spends

India China Indonesia Korea Japan

2542

22 25 3210

24

288

percentage of womentravellers in 2011

growth rateby 2030

(in%)

232

891

Women travellers on the rise

India 28% China 33%

Indonesia 47%

Singapore 30%

Korea 22%

Japan 75%

Users of smartphone increasing


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IDEA EXPRESS

The helpdesk has evolved manifold since its inception and is today the cynosure for all customers of ITQ (both Travelport Galileo and Travelport Worldspan). With handling capability of over 50,000 calls a month in a 24X7 environment, supported by state-of-art infrastructure and technology, the helpdesk is integral to the operational edge that ITQ enjoys in the market.

The helpdesk that never sleeps

Service Centre


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What we primarily do• Provide 24X7 quality support to customers by answering customer

calls and email queries, by gathering and analysing information, resolving customer problems or escalating issues to technical support and higher support levels

• Log calls in the Subscriber Life Cycle Management System (SLCM) to ensure client issues are captured and can be analysed for trends in management reports

• Execute daily tasks such as tracking of requests and complaints from travel agencies or providers to create a structured workflow in departments

• Teach and inform customers on how to use the system/products efficiently, prepare and update documentation to enable travel consultants to fully understand functionality and make bookings

• Stay updated on products, functionalities and internal procedures to provide better service to clients

• Assist other departments in testing products, functionalities or in any other customer support activity such as on-site training and migration

• Facilitate testing and provide a test environment for new products and solutions to ensure first-hand experience and exposure to products for future support roles and training clients.

The helpdesk has been strategically organised in sub groups of specialised functional capabilities such as provisioning, fares and ADMs to address various queries, effectively. We insist on being transparent regarding customer deliverables. Equipped with an environment that has the ability to capture data during customer calls by recording calls and screens, we have been able to service our customers very well and to gain tremendous confidence.

As we go forward, our key objective is to transform the helpdesk into a centre of excellence - internal & external. The centre of excellence will be aligned with the strategic objective of the organisation. We have already made considerable progress in this direction. Kudos to us!

IDEA EXPRESS


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FACE TO FACE

Looking beyond the grey clouds

Zakir Ahmed President, Travel Agents Federation of India, is convinced about the promise and potential of the Indian travel and tourism industry, despite the economic slowdown and the depreciating rupee.

How have the booking trends been for the first six months, as compared to the corresponding period last year? What is the indication for the remaining months of the year?

This year the bookings have been down, definitely. And the current statistics indicate that the coming

“Unsatisfactory infrastructure growth has been a tremendous handicap. The potential to grow

the country’s tourism is very promising, but the inadequate infrastructure hampers this growth.”

months are also going to witness sluggish growth. India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing outbound market. With Indians emerging as the second biggest spenders, how do you think you can tap this segment for better inbound or local travel? What would be the economic impact on this sector?

The graph of the outbound volumes will react to the impact of the instability in the economic markets. The rupee has already depreciated by 11 per cent. Global recession has also taken its toll. Leisure travel will take a hit and only essential travel will be undertaken, and I doubt if outbound will cross last year’s levels of 12 million. Analysts have predicted a dip of 20 per cent. This may also translate itself into customers opting for domestic travel, as an alternative.


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FACE TO FACE

“Whether you like it or not, technology is here to stay. In every aspect, in every transaction, technology is dictating how we run our business. And those who are reluctant to embrace technology will be stranded and left behind.”

With travel growing at a steady pace, limited infrastructure poses a constraint to the free flow of tourists. Do you agree that the government needs to upgrade existing airports and build new ones to accommodate traffic? Please share your views.

Unsatisfactory infrastructure growth has been a tremendous handicap. The potential to grow the country’s tourism is very promising, but the inadequate infrastructure hampers this growth. Woefully insufficient backups act as a constraint. What are your thoughts on technology emerging as a game-changer in the travel and hospitality sector? How would m-commerce contribute to the growth in this sector?

Whether you like it or not, technology is here to stay. The entire business model of the industry has changed, as compared to earlier eras. In every aspect, in every transaction, technology is dictating how we run our business. And those who are reluctant to embrace technology will be stranded and left behind. It is as simple as that. The future is technology. Can you point out certain global ethics for the travel and tourism industry?

Ethics are an integral part of everything, leave alone our industry. Ethics dictate how we conduct and behave ourselves in our interactions with other. Maintaining trust, faith and comfort levels is vital. What according to you is the global outlook in terms of the travel agents’ business profile and its future?

There is no doubt that travel will grow. Over a billion people are criss-crossing their paths at any given point in time. The only bottom line is that leisure travel will take a dip, but people cannot postpone or cancel essential travel. Something has to

be done and you have to swallow the bitter pill. Escalating costs and sluggish recessionary economics will dictate travel patterns.

Do you think the economic slowdown and depreciating rupee will act as a deterrent when it comes to booking tickets and accommodation? Do you see a rise in the tourist numbers in the coming months?

Most certainly, as said earlier. Going forward, customers will be very discerning about where they travel to, duration of journeys and the class of travel. Value-for-money destinations will be the preferred choice of frugal customers. A recently released report by PhocusWright states that the online travel market is all set to increase by 27 per cent. While this highlights growth in the travel market, should this be a worrying cause for traditional travel agents? What are your thoughts?

Travel agents need to shift their focus. The traditional way of doing business is not going to be the way forward. The online booking channel opens up several options and we have to come to terms with this reality. Travel agents need to broad base their services to survive and continue

offering allied services. And the Indian customer requires these more than their international counterparts. In our country a customer needs a host of other services and this is going to be the key to survival. What according to you is the way forward for travel agents to remain in the business?

Adapt to change, incorporate the technology mantra, and diversify your product portfolio. The sooner, the better. Reacting to the transformations that are unfolding is the way forward.

What are the main challenges that could affect the travel industry in the near future? What are the key initiatives taken by TAFI to address these issues?

This is a very dynamic industry. There are changes at many levels every day. You have to be awake and alert. TAFI has already introduced initiatives for agents, particularly the small and medium-sized ones to constantly educate and create awareness. Expert analysts have already been roped in to show our initiative and participation in the road map to future so that they are sufficiently geared up to meet current and potential challenges.

Ethics are an integral part of everything, leave alone our industry. Ethics dictate how we conduct and behave ourselves in our interactions with other. Maintaining trust, faith and comfort levels is vital.


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SHOWCASELEISURE TIME

• The North American “OK” sign made by curling the thumb and forefinger together is an obscene gesture in Turkey, Brazil and Germany, and can be seen as a threatening gesture in parts of the Middle East.

• In European countries, when counting on one’s hand, the thumb is 1, index finger 2, etc. In the United States, the index finger is 1, middle finger is 2, etc. and the thumb usually means 5.

• It’s perfectly normal (and expected) for passengers to ride in the front seat of taxis in Australia

• Adding salt and pepper to your food is considered highly offensive to chefs in Switzerland

• In parts of Tibet, sticking one’s tongue out at someone is a greeting.

• In Albania, nodding one’s head stands for ‘no’, while shaking one’s head means ‘yes’. Confusing to say the least!

Here are few fun facts about cultural etiquettes:

There is hardly a soul that does not get enthralled by the idea of visiting a new destination. And why not. A new place and many new people to meet. A job, a hobby, or a habit, travelling is so much fun! And of course, so much to learn.

New cultures are one of the most exciting things to experience. And it is interesting to know that what may be culturally acceptable in one country may be offensive in another. Gestures, in particular, have multiple meanings throughout the world. It’s important to know how to behave or you risk offending your host!

Every country also has different cultural feelings around travelling. Of course, having more free time to do it is always good.

• Thenumberonecountryforpaid time off is Italy. Italians receive an average of 42 paid vacation days from their employers each year.

• MostworkersintheUSreceiveless than 2 weeks’ worth of vacation time per year.

Strange but interesting


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BREAKING NEWS


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BREAKING NEWS

Press Release

AXESS and Travelport delivers new Japanese GDS Ground-breaking partnership sees Travelport power Japan’s leading local GDS, introducing enhanced technology to connected travel agents

Tokyo, Japan - 13 September, 2013: AXESS International Network (AXESS), the leading Japanese global distribution system (GDS) owned by Japan Airlines (JAL), and Travelport, a leading distribution services and e-commerce provider for the global travel industry, today jointly announce they are on schedule to roll out a new, superior Japanese GDS in early October. Now in its final stages of user testing, the new upgraded travel booking platform powered by Travelport, will be made available exclusively to AXESS-connected travel agents from October 2013.

The partnership between AXESS and Travelport was first announced in April 2012 when Travelport was selected as a technology partner on account of its alignment in strategic thinking with AXESS. Since then, the two organizations have been working in close collaboration to assess the needs of the region’s resurgent travel industry and design a new, enhanced GDS to meet the demands of Japanese travel agents and travelers. GDP figures in Japan, the world’s third largest economy, have been steadily increasing over recent quarters by around one per cent.

Replacing the current AXESS CRS, but retaining its existing AXESS CREA agency desktop and a number of other popular AXESS applications and solutions, the new AXESS host system will benefit from Travelport’s state-of-the-art technology infrastructure and will be hosted in its Atlanta (US) data center.

The upgraded GDS technology will provide travel agents and their customers with numerous new benefits including: up-to-date web services solutions; powerful low fare, air shopping technology through Travelport’s fares and shopping platform, enhanced hotel and car content and improved airline connectivity.

As part of the partnership, AXESS also stands to benefit from the US $300m IT investment Travelport makes on an annual basis. Travelport is a regular member of the coveted “Information Week Top 500 IT companies” list and its state-of-the-art data center, and supporting team, has also been the recipient of regular, high profile industry accolades.

Jet Airways and Travelport renew content agreement New DelhiSep 11, 2013

Travelport, a leading distribution services and e-commerce provider for the global travel industry, today announced the multi-year renewal of its content agreement with Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Jet Lite.

The renewal allows continued access to Jet Airways’ and Jet Lite’s most up-to-date route information and published fares for Travelport-connected travel agents globally. Jet Airways and Jet Lite together operate nearly 550 daily flights to 72 destinations, within India and overseas.

Damian Hickey, Travelport’s Vice President of Global Distribution Sales and Services, APAC, says, “We are delighted that the Jet Airways Group has extended its global partnership with Travelport and we’re also excited about the regional opportunities in India as the airline industry continues to recover steadily following some recent instability. We look forward to working collaboratively with both Jet Airways and Jet Lite over the coming years, and supporting their evolving distribution needs as modern airlines operating in a highly competitive environment.”

“We are pleased to extend our agreement with Travelport as they have consistently provided us with superior services and innovative technology to efficiently deliver Jet Airways Group’s offerings to travel agents globally,” said Mr. Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways.


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BREAKING NEWS

Press Release

250 industry leaders gather in Dubai for Travelport’s e-volve Middle East ‘13 summit

Global and regional travel trade comes together in the UAE to explore the future of regional travel industry

Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDec 16, 2013

More than 250 travel industry leaders from 21 countries gathered in Dubai recently to debate the future direction of the regional travel industry at the Travelport-organised e-volve Middle East ‘13 summit.

The first ever event of its kind to be hosted in the Middle East, the summit focussed on key matters affecting travel agents, airlines and other industry players, with debates ranging from the global and regional...

eNett gains traction by simplifying payments within agency booking flows

Melbourne, AustraliaDec 12, 2013

eNett International - a Travelport joint venture and a global provider of specialist payment solutions for the travel industry – today confirmed the success of its recent integration of virtual account number (VAN) payment functionality into key Travelport points of sale.

“We know through recent industry research that GDS integration was one of the top reasons travel companies said they would move to virtual payments,” says Anthony Hynes, Managing Director and CEO at eNett International. “We also know that supplier default and fraud is a major concern for the industry. eNett VANs, now fully integrated with the Travelport Smartpoint desktop...

Travelport appoints Head of OTA to drive online business across MEA and India Dubai, United Arab EmiratesDec 5, 2013

Travelport – a leading distribution services and e-commerce provider for the global travel industry – has appointed Michael van der Ende as Head of OTA (Online Travel Agencies) for the Middle East, Africa and India, further reinforcing the Company’s commitment to the region’s booming online travel trade.

Michael joins Travelport from dnata Travel (part of the Emirates Group) where he held the position of B2C Manager. He brings a wealth of experience from the OTA sector having held senior positions in Europe with lastminute.com and Opodo. In his new role, Michael takes on the responsibility of overseeing and driving Travelport’s online business across the region, as the local travel industry increasingly seeks to establish its online presence.solution, decreasing the time required to launch new travel applications.

Travelport Agencia™ Delivers Lowest Pricing Available, Commissions and Seat Selection Capability on Air Canada Following Realignment of Tango Fare StructureAgencia Users Have Access to Sell Lowest Tango Fares No Other GDS Can Match TORONTODec 5, 2013

Travelport, a leading distribution services and e-commerce provider for the global travel industry, today announces that following Air Canada’s realignment of its Tango fare structure, travel agents using Travelport Agencia are entitled to sell the absolute lowest fares available on Air Canada that no other GDS can match.

Tigerair partners with Travelport to become first airline to adopt its unique merchandising functionality in Asia-PacificSingapore and Langley, United KingdomNov 26, 2013

Travelport, and Tigerair, Singapore’s largest no-frills airline, have entered into a new distribution partnership that will see Tigerair make its competitive fares and ancillary content available to Travelport-connected travel agents globally, marking the first time it has ever distributed via the global distribution system (“GDS”) channel. As part of the agreement, Tigerair will also become the first carrier from the Asia Pacific region to adopt the GDS provider’s industry-leading aggregated shopping technology, a key component of the Travelport Merchandising Platform™.

Established in 2004, Tigerair is the largest no-frills carrier group operating out of Singapore and offers flights to over 50 destinations across....


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AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Travelport has been named the best GDS in the Asia Pacific region for the fifth consecutive year at the Annual TTG Travel Awards.

Travelport’s Asia-Pacific Vice-President and Regional Managing Director Patrick Andres was presented the Travel Supplier Award at the awards ceremony in Bangkok.

“Travelport is delighted to be named Best GDS for the fifth straight year. We appreciate the enormous recognition this award brings – both in terms of the confidence and support our customers have shown, and the exceptional efforts and innovations our team has made over the past year,” said Patrick Andres.

“2013 has been tremendous for Travelport as we continue our commitment to innovation by delivering ground-breaking solutions to the travel industry with the global launch of the Travelport Merchandising Platform and the Asia launch of Travelport Universal API. Our talented and enthusiastic Asia-Pacific team will strive to continue this winning streak by leading in innovation and focusing on customer service in the years ahead.”

Sandeep Dwivedi, Chief Commercial Officer, InterGlobe Technology Quotient, “We are absolutely delighted to win this award for the fifth consecutive year. It reflects our commitment to delivering world-class technology and services across the region and is a vote of confidence from our customers.” G

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Travelport Vice-President and Regional Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Patrick

Andres after receiving the Best GDS Award at the TTG Asia Travel Awards.


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AWARDS & ACCOLADES

The year 2013 ended on a great note for all of us at InterGlobe Technology Quotient (ITQ) as we were awarded the ‘Best GDS of the year’ for the third time in a row. We received the award at the 61st Annual Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) Travel Awards ceremony that was held in Bangalore on December 14, 2013 amidst accolades and celebration.

This prestigious award is based on the votes of the members of TAAI and is a coveted recognition by the industry and customers. Delighted at winning the award Sandeep Dwivedi, Chief Commercial Officer, ITQ said, “The achievement at TAAI Travel awards is attributed to not only our technological superiority and investment in innovation but also the hard work of all the team members of ITQ. We have been rewarded for upholding high standards of service, support, relationships and expertise. This achievement reflects and further reinforces our commitment to delivering the best-in-class technology, product and service to the industry and our customers.” Mr Dwivedi further added, “The achievement of being recognized as the ‘Best GDS of the year’ for the third consecutive year by Annual TAAI Travel Awards truly showcases the confidence and support our customers in India have shown and the exceptional efforts and innovations our team has made over the past year.”

What makes this award more special is that it follows on the heels of Travelport being named the best GDS in the Asia Pacific region at the Annual TTG Travel awards for the fifth consecutive time! Kudos to the ITQ team for continuing to better the best!

Travelport awarded “Best GDS of the year” for third consecutive year at Annual TAAI Travel Awards

CII Tourism Event: Building opportunities

ITQ Participated in the recently concluded CII Tourism and Fest event held at Parade Ground Chandigarh from 5th – 7th December 2013. It provided a great opportunity to interact with the customers and agents to showcase Travelport’s new products and technologies.


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AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Kuoni Academy, the education division of Kuoni Travel India Pvt. Ltd., recently conducted its convocation ceremony in Mumbai for the undergraduate, post graduate and MBA batches of 2012-13. The ceremony felicitated 175 students and was attended by many renowned personalities from the travel industry, namely, Veena Raman, Deputy General Manager, Madhya Pradesh Development Corporation Limited; Alessandro Capocchi, Direttore Scientifico, Fondazione Campus; Nisha Abhyankar, Head-Relationship Management-West, InterGlobe Technology Quotient; and Kunal Kothari, India-Executive Director, Rail Europe India Pvt. Ltd.

Aviator is a Dimapur-based institute that focuses on nurturing talent for the Aviation and Hospitality industry. Established in 2009, Aviator is attempting to build on the potential in the north-east of the country.

The Aviator institute offers a wide range of programmes that help mould talent and prepare aspiring individuals for future opportunities. It is equipped with high quality infrastructure and experienced faculty. The institute focuses on training and grooming dynamic professionals and supplementingknowledge with rich hands-on experience.

As a result of its association with Travelport Galileo, Aviator has increased the number of offerings to its students using latest information and techniques in the modern world. With the best range of learning material and trainings available, it is now creating opportunities for all professionals aspiringto enter the Aviation and Hospitality industry.

Kuoni Academy Convocation Ceremony 2013

Aviator: Giving wings to dreams


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FARE PERCEPTION

Fare Perception

In January 2013, we were informed of a discrepancy on the Q Surcharge quoted by our system, compared to the competition system. It reflected in discrepancies in itineraries originating from India to SEL, TPE and LAX. When these discrepancies were brought to our attention it was immediately escalated to the concerned airlines. There was an exchange between our fares team and the airlines fare team to identify the discrepancy and provide for a solution.

Travelport Galileo was pricing the Q Surcharge exactly as per the filing done by the carrier. All this while the carrier kept on insisting that Travelport Galileo pricing was incorrect and other GDSs were quoting the correct Q Surcharge. Travelport then took up the issue with ATPCO to verify the airline’s intent. There were numerous instances of

information exchange and after following up for multiple times with ATPCO and the carrier, finally the carrier agreed that it was a filing error at their end and has refilled the CAT-12 Surcharges rule through ATPCO. Now the airline system and the competition GDS are pricing the Q Surcharge at the same rate as Travelport Galileo.

The wait has been for more than seven months but the follow up on this case has indeed once again proved that our system quotes the fares as per the airline filing. The fares quoted on Travelport Galileo are correct and our systems are updated on real-time basis.

When our partners – Travel agents use our system they can be assured of fares on Travelport Galileo. We stand committed to our partners in our collaborative endeavours for excellence.

Fares are an important and integral part of an agency’s business and an essential component required to complete PNR transactions. Time and again, issues and concerns have been raised by users who question the fares and taxes loaded on Travelport Galileo GDS.


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