Travel agents are switching between an average of 12 applications and websites at any one time according to Travelport. The company discovered that agents were using hotel, destination, weather and a host of other travel related sites and applications during focus groups and feedback from the seven partners piloting its Universal Desktop technology. Travelport plans…
Agents use 12 sites at any one time, finds Travelport study
Travel agents are switching between an average of 12 applications and websites at any one time according to Travelport.
The company discovered that agents were using hotel, destination, weather and a host of other travel related sites and applications during focus groups and feedback from the seven partners piloting its Universal Desktop technology.
Travelport plans to move its Universal Desktop technology, which aims to aggregate the services agents need on one screen, into beta next April.
The Universal Desktop prototype, unveiled last February, combines search, booking and tracking capability with productivity tools on one screen.
Other features include e-mail, instant messenger, links to favourite websites and travel widgets.
Travelport portfolio director Jason Nash said the pilot phase was to ensure the company was ticking all the boxes in terms of helping agents become more productive.
“We’ve got to make sure it meets their needs in terms of the different roles they play in the agency.”
The first release of the service aims to offer flight booking capability as well as hotel, rail and car-hire in half the time it would traditionally take to book just the flight.
Nash also said that elements such as instant messenger would be integrated in future releases of the technology, although the first version would include internet links and the ability to e-mail itineraries to travellers.
In April, Travelport will extend the service to between 25 and 30 agencies across all locations.
