New SMS solution for travel agencies

Amadeus, the leading global technology and distribution partner of the travel industry, has tied up with GTS Interactive to launch the new Amadeus SMS Solution in the country, an industry-first Web-based tool that allows travel agents to send travel information to their customers via SMS.

Travel agents can alert travelers to essential trip details conveniently via their mobile phones, including travel itineraries, e-tickets, flight information, Passenger Name Record (PNR) data, and any changes to the Ticketing Time Limit (the date by which a booked ticket must be issued). The tool can be easily accessed through the Amadeus Selling Platform.

Albert Villadolid, general manager of Amadeus Philippines, said, “As the SMS capital of the world, the Philippine travel community will surely find this latest tool as a welcome facility for our agency clients to improve customer servicing, communication and coordination. We know that today’s travelers demand more information and convenience, and mobile devices offer an ideal platform for communication with travel agents.”

Mark Ludtke, chief operating officer of GTS Interactive, said, “In the fast moving and competitive travel services industry, mobile devices are playing an increasingly important role in immediate information delivery. The Amadeus SMS Solution is specifically designed with Amadeus’ travel provider and travel agent partner needs in mind. It is a great example of how technology solutions can help reduce operating costs, increase convenience and take customer serviceability to the next level.”

Amadeus SMS is fully integrated into the Amadeus Selling Platform, allowing travel agents to quickly generate traveler information directly from the Amadeus PNR database. It can be used to send text messages to customers anywhere in the Asia-Pacific region.

Travelers’ cellphone numbers remain confidential, and there is no additional advertising attached to the text message, although travel agents are capable of branding the text messages through customizable templates.

The solution’s easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI) also makes it simple to incorporate into an agency’s booking process.

Peter Smith, vice president for business solutions of Amadeus Asia-Pacific, said, “This solution is extremely relevant for travel agencies operating here in Asia, where communications technology adoption is among the highest in the world.”

According to Euromonitor, Smith said the Asia-Pacific region currently has 1.1 billion mobile users, compared with about 476 million users in Western Europe.

China, India and Japan, followed by Korea and Australia, have the highest levels of mobile phone possession worldwide, he said.

Additional features are currently being developed to allow travel agencies to offer travel customers enhanced information, including location-based navigating services, personalized and rich text SMS capabilities, and mobile GDS booking capabilities.