Saturday, 25 April 2015

Hotel Booking Engines Have Revolutionized Hotel Reservations

Whether you are travelling for vacation or for business, one of the most important part of your travel arrangements are your Hotel accommodations. Selecting the wrong airline seat can be a bad start or end to any journey, but the choosing the wrong hotel room can ruin an entire trip. A hotel serves as your "home base” while travelling and it should provide the atmosphere, amenities and services you'll look for to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Do you need a downtown location close to restaurants with a business center? Do you prefer to have a room close to the beach with a place to get an exotic tropical drink? Or do you prefer a family hotel near a particular theme park or attraction? Finding the right hotel for a specific trip at the right price can be overwhelming.

The wide variety of different hotel options available combined with the various methods to research and book hotels today provide endless options for travelers. Travel Agents have always been a great resource to sort through the different options and select the right hotel for their customers. Quite often, a travel agent will have access to special deals with hotel properties and they can often ensure you are treated like a V.I.P. when you arrive. Their help and expertise can certainly make your trip more enjoyable and easier to plan.

However with the increasing popularity of the Internet and improvement in technology, many consumers now prefer to research and book their hotel rooms themselves online. This helps them to avoid the hassle of visiting a travel agent's office and allows them to research and book a hotel room when they want from the comfort of their own home. Many hotel booking engines include links to media files & rich content to assist with selecting the right hotel property during the shopping process. Most provide the details, pictures and information about a hotel property to help a consumer research which is the best hotel for their needs. Consumers can go online and view pictures of a hotel lobby, sample guest rooms and even hotel restaurants and gyms. They can quickly view where the hotel is located on a local map and determine whether it is in the right location.

There are so many websites that aggregate hotel content and a variety of hotel reservation software to choose from today that many consumers are not sure where to go. While technology has made it easier for consumers to book directly with travel suppliers, many consumers are missing out on the benefits and perks that using a travel agent can bring. Savvy travel agents recognized the value of combining their expertise with the ease of internet bookings and jumped into the world of online booking engines years ago.

The hotel reservation software available today makes it easy for any size agency to compete with the largest online players. Many hotel booking engines are easily customizable to match an agency's brand identity and provide the features and tools to manage your online business.

Tuesday, 14 April 2015

Cruise Booking Software has become an important aspect of any travel agency's business

As the various methods that a consumer researches and books travel continues to evolve, today's successful travel business must keep pace with the continuous developments in technology. The right online booking engine can help any size travel agency simplify their business processes and tap into new revenue opportunities such as booking cruises. The Cruise industry has been an area in travel which has undergone explosive growth over the past few decades as more and more consumers discover the benefits of a cruise vacation. Cruise lines have been quick to respond building larger ships and opening up new itineraries.

Some consumers look for “Family” cruises where there are activities for both children and adults. Many successful professionals look for upscale vacations combined with adventure or activity. Experienced travelers want to explore new destinations and do something different. There are even “Singles” theme cruises for those looking to meet other singles. No matter what a consumer is looking for, chances are there is a cruise for them. With so many options to choose from, finding the right cruise can be overwhelming for some. Using a professional travel agent can help save time as well as money when researching and booking a cruise vacation.

As a result of the growing popularity of cruising worldwide, cruise booking software has become an important aspect of any leisure oriented travel agency's business plan. An innovative cruise booking engine can provide users with live connectivity with cruise lines for the latest availability and pricing as well as detailed ship and cabin information connected to media rich content to assist customers shopping for a cruise. Many cruise booking solutions are B2B, B2C and B2B2C web based applications that are designed to automate processes, increase revenues and reduce time and effort required to complete a cruise booking. A good cruise booking solution should include a cruise line information to assist in the shopping process and Live access to Cruise Line content to ensure the most up to date availability and pricing is used.

There are several options available in the market today, including the innovative cruise booking software ready for you to use “out of the box”. Or if you are looking to build your own solution, some companies can provide the critical components used with the booking engine such as a cruise data cache which is ideal for those looking for the latest updates on cruise line pricing and sailing availability in a standardized file format. For those looking just for detailed descriptions and images to assist during the research and shopping process, cruise line static content is also available. This content typically includes detailed descriptions of cruise lines, cruise ships, cabin categories as well as itinerary information. The cruise line static content can be fully integrated with a cruise booking engine or it can sometimes be purchased separately.

Today's technology can provide solutions to allow any size agency to compete with even the largest online players. It's just a matter of finding the solution that fits your business and getting started!

Tuesday, 7 April 2015

Flight Booking Software - An Effective Airline Booking Engines

One of the most important parts of your travel arrangements are your flight reservations. With so many airlines serving so many different routes it is difficult for the average consumer to know which airline to call. Sometimes it’s an airline’s particular flight schedule that determines which airline a consumer ultimately chooses. Sometimes price is the determining factor. Airline loyalty programs, airline alliance partners and geographic locations can also often play a role.

The wide variety of different airline options available combined with the various methods to research and book airlines today provide endless options for travelers. Travel Agents have always been a great resource to sort through the different options and select the right flight on the right airline to make a trip more enjoyable. Quite often, travel agents can help travelers receive V.I.P. treatment and access to special deals and services. A Travel Agent’s help and expertise can certainly make any trip more enjoyable and easier to plan.

However with the increasing popularity of the Internet and improvements in flight booking software, consumers have embraced technology and increasingly prefer to research and book their airline reservations online. This allows them to research different flight schedules and pricing options available whenever and wherever they wish. Flight reservation systems often include links to detailed flight information as well as access to airline seat maps so seat requests can be made at the time of booking. Today’s applications provide all the information a traveler needs to choose the best flight option.

However, it can sometimes be overwhelming to determine which website to use to find the best deal. Many advertise the lowest price, but the volatility of airfares often makes this a moving target. Some websites provide a “best price guarantee” and some even search multiple websites and show you the different prices for each.

There are so many websites that aggregate airline content and a variety of flight reservation systems to choose from today that many consumers are not sure where to go. While technology has made it easier for consumers to book directly with travel suppliers, too many available options cause confusion and uncertainty where to go. Many consumers are also missing out on the benefits and perks that using a travel agent can bring. Savvy travel agents recognized the value of combining their expertise with the ease of internet bookings and many jumped into the world of online booking engines years ago. Many travel agencies now have travel websites of their own which provide their customers with the ability to research and book travel online, while still receiving the benefits of using a travel agent.

The flight booking software available today makes it easy for any size agency to compete with the largest online players. Many flight reservation systems are easily customizable to match an agency’s brand identity and provide the features and tools to manage your online business. Many include robust reporting capabilities to track your business as well as tools to easily adjust a products selling price and include value add offers. So find the online booking engine that is right for your business and start taking advantage of the multiple benefits it can bring your business.

Wednesday, 1 April 2015

Online Travel Booking Software benefits for Travel Industry

Online travel booking solutions are one of the biggest benefits that the internet has provided the travel industry. These online booking solutions have revolutionized the way the entire travel industry interacts and conducts business with customers. The travel booking solutions available today have automated and customized the entire booking process while providing comprehensive and innovative travel solutions to different segments of travel industry including online booking engines for Airlines, Hotels and even Cruise Lines.

Many airlines started years ago by automating the process for travel agents to sell flights by launching their own travel booking engine. By using an air booking engine, travel agents were able to greatly improve their productivity when selling airline tickets and provide better service to their customers. Travel agent software has been evolving ever since, constantly adding new features & functionality as well as adding new product lines such as Hotels and even Cruise vacations.

With so many different hotel booking software solutions in the market today, it’s difficult to know where to find the right solution for your business. Most applications are designed to automate processes and reduce the time and effort required to complete a booking. Many include detailed descriptions and pictures of hotel properties to assist with choosing the right hotel.

The online cruise booking engine is one of the latest innovations that allows a travel agent to quickly research and book cruise vacations without waiting on the phone to speak with a cruise line sales representative. These booking engines for travel agents provide up to schedules, availability and pricing to make sure the most up to date information is used during the process. Many booking engines provide “Live” booking capability with a majority of the world’s most popular cruise lines, eliminating any concerns over last minute availability or lost reservations.

Adding a cruise booking engine is a great way for any size agency to quickly expand the type of travel products they can offer to their clients. Built to automate processes, increase revenues and reduce the amount of time it takes to book a cruise, many cruise booking engines are so easy to use that they can have agents selling cruises in no time with minimal training.

The best Travel Booking Solutions software has been developed using state of the art technology, allowing them to deliver fully scalable travel booking solutions that provide the business controls that a client needs to manage their business while maintaining their own unique brand identity.Travel agents are provided powerful business tools to adjust a products selling price or offer a special promotion to their customers. Robust reporting tools tell agents not only what is being booked, but many reporting tools include the ability to check search criteria to see what customers are searching for on your travel booking engine.

So whether you want to add a Travel Booking Solutions to your website or you are looking to expand into the world of selling cruises, there is an online solution that is right for your business. Check out the Odysseus Solutions options and get started today!

Thursday, 26 March 2015

Are Your Sales Ready To Cruise?

Cruise is one of the fastest growing sectors in the travel industry today and presents a tremendous opportunity for anyone selling travel. To meet this growing demand from consumers, most cruise lines and even many travel agencies now offer an online cruise booking engine so customers can research and even book their cruise vacations at their leisure.

However with so many different cruise lines and cruise options available today, there's an increasing need for new, more advanced online cruise booking tools. To meet this demand, Odysseus Solutions put together a working group of travel agents, cruise line personnel and software developers to collaborate on building the ultimate solution. The result was the Odysseus cruise booking engine, the most complete and advanced online cruise booking software available today. This online booking engine is hosted by Odysseus, but the headers, footers and style sheets are customized to match your company's individual branding and provide a seamless online experience for customers visiting your website. Designed to automate processes and reduce the time and effort required to complete a cruise booking, this "state of the art" cruise booking tool will help you increase revenues and have your sales "cruising" ahead in no time! .

With so many options to choose from when booking a cruise today, selecting the right cruise ship or cabin type can be overwhelming for many. The Odysseus booking engine helps travel agents and consumers easily navigate their way through this process with the information they need to make the right choice. Vast amounts of cruise line, cruise ship and cabin information are linked to media files & rich content such as cabin photos, ship images and deck plansto assist travel agents as well as consumers during the shopping process. It provides "Live" access to cruise line content, so you can rest assured the most accurate and up to date availability and pricing is used. Powerful management tools even provide you the ability to easily adjust a products selling price as well as advertise value add offers right in the availability display.

So get your company's Sales ready to Cruise and contact Odysseus Solutions today to learn more. Odysseus Solutions is a Miami based travel technology company serving customers in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe as well as Australia by providing some of the most comprehensive and innovative online booking solutions available in the market today. To request an online product demonstration and introductory call visit: Odysseus Solutions.

Sunday, 22 March 2015

Sell More Travel with an Online hotel Booking Engine

As more and more travel agents look for new revenue opportunities, they quickly realize that no online travel solution is complete today without a tool to book hotel accommodations. Researching and reserving a hotel room is quicker and easier than ever today thanks to the internet. With just a few clicks of the mouse, just about anyone can research numerous hotel properties across the globe, check up to the minute room availability & rate information, view pictures of the actual hotel property and even confirm a reservation. A hotel reservation is an important part of planning any trip and provides a great opportunity for travel agents to take care of their customer's complete travel needs while earning extra commissions.

With so many different hotel booking software solutions in the market today, it's difficult to know where to find the right solution for your business. Most applications are designed to automate processes and reduce the time and effort required to complete a hotel booking. Many include detailed descriptions and pictures of hotel properties to assist with choosing the right hotel.

CIO Review Magazine recently named Odysseus Solutions one of the 20 Most Promising Solution providers in the Travel and Hospitality Industry. The easy to use Odysseus hotel booking engine was designed with the capability to search rates and availability at multiple properties in a given location and even includes hotel images and descriptions to help decide which best hotel for a specific traveler.

The Odysseus hotel booking application is designed to automate processes, increase revenues and reduce time and effort required to complete a hotel booking. This online booking application is hosted by Odysseus with the headers, footers and style sheets customized to provide a seamless online experience for customers. Complete private label versions are also supported where the complete layout can be fully customized to meet a client's specific requirements.The Odysseus Solutions booking engine allows any size travel agent to compete with the largest online travel agencies while still providing the personalized service only an individual professional travel agent can provide.

So start selling more travel with the online hotel booking application developed by Odysseus Solutions. Odysseus Solutions is a Miami based travel technology company serving customers in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe as well as Australia by providing some of the most comprehensive and innovative online booking solutions available in the market today. To request an online product demonstration and introductory call visit: www.corp.odysseussolutions.com.

Thursday, 12 March 2015

Are You Using The Right Air Booking Engine?

With so many online airline booking systems available in the market today, it is difficult to know which one is right for your business. Most applications are designed to automate processes and reduce the time and effort required to complete an airline booking. Many offer live access to airline content to be sure the most up to date availability and pricing is used. However, finding an airline booking solution that protects your brand identity can be a challenge.

The airline reservation system developed by Odysseus Solutions is hosted by Odysseus, with the headers, footers and style sheets customized with your specific branding to provide a seamless online experience for your customers. Complete private label versions are also supported where Odysseus can change the complete layout to meet your specific requirements.

The Odysseus Solutions' airline booking engine provides live access to airline content to be sure the most up to date pricing and availability is used and even has the ability to simultaneously search multiple content sources for the best price. It includes revenue management tools that provide the ability to mark up or mark down a product's selling price by airline, itinerary, class of service, travel dates and so much more. Multiple languages and multiple currencies are easily supported while optional currency exchange management tools can display a single price to customer regardless of the currency the fare is sourced in.

All booking related Email communication uses your agency's email address and logo when communicating with customers and provides easy access to the booking so customers can add things like payment information. Reminders can even be set up to send automatic emails to Customers' as well as Agents based on various parameters including when payment is due. The booking application even provides the flexibility to search by dates, nearby airports, etc. allowing clients to narrow their search criteria. Robust reporting tools provide you the information you need to run your business and include the ability for you to generate graphical reports showing Search and Booking Statistics such as the Top Origin/Destination cities searched and the booking ratio for each.

If you are looking to enhance or update your website so it is more compatible with customers using a Smart Phone or Tablet, Odysseus Solutions offers innovative responsive technology that automatically adjusts the booking engine's display based on the type of device being used to access website.

Odysseus Solutions is a Miami based Travel Technology Company providing some of the most comprehensive and innovative online booking solutions available in the market today. Contact Odysseus and learn how they can help you find the right online booking engine for your business. Visit http://corp.odysseussolutions.com/ to learn more and request a product demonstration.