CruisePak Travel Agency Software

Texas Pacific Group, Silver Lake, Microsoft Bid For Yahoo…Are They Gearing Up To Compete Against Google?

According to a New York Times Post, Silverlake, Microsoft, and Texas Pacific Group are making a bid for Yahoo….and as of this posting, they have. For those of us in the travel industry, we also know that Google has purchased ITA software and is working with HP to integrate detailed travel search pricing in google search results.

Now enter Silverlake, TPG (and Microsoft) into the mix. Silverlake owns the Galileo GDS. Texas Pacific Group (TPG) owns the Sabre GDS. By purchasing Yahoo, either of these companies instantly becomes competitive with Google with regards to the potential travel search market.

Google has stated in the past that it would not compete with travel agencies….only produce results (with pricing) that point to travel agency sites. The entrance of Yahoo (owned either by TPG or Silverlake when it all shakes out) could dramatically change the Google stated non compete statement.

What does this mean for online travel agencies…..alot.

If we thought Travelocity, Orbitz, and Expedia dramatically decreased our online business revenue, we haven’t seen anything yet. Google and Yahoo count for 86% of ALL search. Throw in Bing and the number goes to nearly 100%. If Travel search now becomes a retail travel pricing search…where one can book direct by clicking on a link, then even the Travel Vendors have something to worry about.

Things may be prodding along in travel right now…but behind the scenes, things are moving like lightening and could alter the way travel is sold sooner than later.

Posted in Airlines, Cruises, Home Based Agents, II. Travel Related, Politics, Tours, Travel, Travel Agencies, Travel Computer Systems, Travel Industry Issues, Travel Suppliers | Comments Off

Power Back Up!

The power is back up in Rhode Island. I hope you all had success during the hurricane.

Posted in CruisePak | Comments Off

CruisePak Bulletin: Hurricane Irene

To All Users,

If you DO NOT have an offline license, and either you lose power, your internet goes down or the facility where our authentication servers reside loses power, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS CRUISEPAK.

However, due to Hurricane Irene, we have enabled the ability for all LICENSED users of CruisePak to use the software offline, without need of internet access. To enable your copy of CruisePak to be used offline, please do the following:

1. Start CruisePak.

2. Select Help -> Offline License Manager from the main screen (client
screen) menu.

3. On the Offline License Manager screen, click the Load button.

4. Exit out of CruisePak and restart.

Special Notes
—————-

a. You must do this before you lose power or your internet goes down.

b. This procedure only applies to licensed users, not evaluation users.

c. The ability to use the software offline, without being connected to the internet will expire on 9/30/2011

d. If you are a multi-user of CruisePak, you MUST do the above process on all computers in which CruisePak is installed.

e. IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AN OFFLINE LICENSE, disregard this message.

Good luck and Best Regards,
Paul F. Sirpenski

Posted in CruisePak | Comments Off

CruisePak v3.6.1280 Released

CruisePak version 3.6.1280 is now available for download. This is a highly recommended update as it fixes the issue with form letter integration with Microsoft Word 2010.

Posted in CruisePak, Cruises, Home Based Agents, Inventory Manager, Sequential Mail, Tours, Travel | Comments Off

American Sues Travelport, Orbitz as Ticket Dispute Expands

From Bloomberg News: American Airlines sued Travelport Ltd. to stop what it called anticompetitive behavior and retaliation against the carrier for a push to use its own technology to distribute fares and schedules to travel agents.

The legal action expands a dispute between AMR Corp. (AMR)’s American and global distribution systems that historically have compiled fare and schedule data from various airlines and distributed them to travel agents. American wants to bypass those companies, including units of Travelport and Sabre Holdings Corp., and substitute its proprietary technology.

“Travelport, Orbitz and other industry participants have undertaken … Read the Rest Of The Artice.

Background: For those of you who aren’t so familiar with “parent company” names, Travelport is really Galileo / Worldspan; a widely used Global Distribution System (GDS). Also note that a global distribution system makes money by charging a supplier a transaction fee each and every time you book something in that global distribution system for that supplier. Travelport also runs Orbitz.

Opinion: The really interesting part of this entire fiasco is that here is an airline, who doesn’t pay commissions to agents, suing a company for not listing their product. This is analagous to you not listing Carnival…but listing all the other cruiselines on your website as available for retail sale. Does Carnival have the right to sue you?

In reality though, this is about Travelport being forced to use a particular technology…..just because American Airlines says to do so. Sabre is really in the same boat but as well but you haven’t heard much about it. Note as well Google is hidden in the mix here as well. Google IS USING American Airlines new technology…..that Hewlett Packard created…and that gives American Airlines the moxy to try and mandate the new technology on the traditional GDS companies.

The problem here is really for American Airlines. They implemented a new technology in partnership with the behemoth Google, and they (AA) expect the other GDS companies to drop everything, invest capital, and migrate to the new system as well, thus making AA’s investment in the new technology pay off (Return on investment or ROI). But if the GDS companies don’t adopt the new technology (because they don’t have to due to market share), AA is in a real jam. AA will then have to support two huge technology platforms and Wall Street isn’t going to like that.

Thus the lawsuits.

Posted in Airlines, CruisePak, Politics, Travel, Travel Agencies, Travel Computer Systems, Travel Industry Issues, Travel Related Legal Issues, Travel Suppliers | Comments Off

Google Gets OK To Buy ITA Software

WASHINGTON, April 8 (UPI) — From UPI.com. The U.S. Justice Department said Google Inc. could go ahead with a purchase of ITA Software, with conditions. Google offered to buy ITA in July for $700 million. ITA makes software that helps travel agencies and airlines compare ticket prices. It is licensed by Orbitz, Kayak, American Airlines, United Airlines and Microsoft’s Bing Travel, The New York Times reported Friday. Read more: UPI Article

Opinion: This could be the birth of a new Global Distribution System….or more likely, another area where google wants to dominate search. As you may have noticed, google only controls search for agencies….not specific travel products. For consumers to get to the real products, a consumer must go to one of the “links” google displays in it’s search results (only if they don’t type in the Agency URL directly). That gave google quite a bit of control. However, the business was still transacted on the individual sites.

This new development however, opens up the possibility of total agency bypass. Instead of consumers having to go to an individual site first….and then search for pricing, they could simply have to click on a link (like images) in google to get access to pricing. Google may not actually do the booking…however, they will probably implement paid hierarchy when displaying agencies who can service the booking.

Sure, Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz have the most to lose. But we all know who is going to really lose…the little guy who contracts inventory and booking capability from Revelex, Passport Online, or Travelport. Unless the mid to smaller agencies have developed strong brand in the mind of their consumers, the devastation this will wreak on agencies online business will make vendor direct marketing initiatives pale in comparison.

Now of course google has made “promises” in order to get through government antitrust review…but those promises are always time sensitive. And in any case, google has to now develop the software….which ironically, will take just as long as the promises take to expire. Then they’ll release and all heck will break loose.

Posted in CruisePak | Comments Off

Florida Seller Of Travel Law Licensing Requirements Could Be Repealed!

On March 15th, Two proposed committee bills (PCBs) that aim to deregulate business in the State of Florida today passed the House Business & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee. The first PCB (PCB BCAS 11-01) deregulates certain professions and occupations, while the second bill (PCB BCAS 11-02) reduces and streamlines current regulations.

Of Particular Relevance To Travel Sellers…..

PCB BCAS 11-01 proposes to repeal licensing and examination requirements and penalties for specified professions, occupations, and businesses currently regulated by the state. The PCB applies to the following professions and businesses: Athlete Agents; Auctioneers; Auctioneer Apprentices; Body Wrappers; Business Opportunities; Charitable Organizations; Community Association Managers/Firms; Condominiums and Cooperatives; Dance Studios; Employee Leasing Companies; Hair Braiders; Hair Wrappers; Health Studios; Home Inspectors; Interior Designers; Intrastate Movers; Landscape Architects; Mobile Home Lots; Mold-related Services; Motor Vehicle Repair Shops; Professional Geology; Professional Surveyors and Mappers; Rooming Houses; Sellers of Travel; Talent Agents; Telemarketing; Timeshares; Yacht and Ship Brokers; Water Vending Machines; Television Tube Labeling; Sales Representative Contracts.

Click Here For The Press Release

Click Here For The Full Text Of The Bill

Keep an eye on this as it is great news.

Tags: Florida, Sellers Of Travel

Posted in Airlines, CruisePak, Cruises, Employment, Home Based Agents, Miscellaneous, Politics, Tours, Travel, Travel Agencies, Travel Industry Issues, Travel Related Legal Issues | Comments Off

Creating A Tour (Land) Reservation In CruisePak

If you didn’t know that CruisePak tracks land bookings well….it does. In fact, CruisePak tracks all types of bookings. It’s just that the name of the software might be a bit misleading. In any case, here is how you create a tour booking in CruisePak.

1. Add a new client as normal.

2. Click On New Reservation.

3. On the New Reservation Type screen, click on New Tour Reservation.

4. In the Travel Specifics portion of the screen, enter in the Itinerary informtion. In the Booking portion, specify the status and the booking type (FIT/GRP) and optionally a GroupID if you have one. In the Other information section, enter in the deposit, Marketing source and specify the agent of record.

5. In the Passenger/Tourist grid, enter in the travelers. Note, click the Check mark to get a full traveler data entry screen.

6. Specify any notes that are to appear on the invoice. Note, click the Preset link just above the notes box to select from a list of predefined notes.

7. Click Save.

8. Now, click the Add Details button.

9. Click On Tour Entry.

10. On the Tour screen, specify the a description, deparature times, vendor, payable vendor, etc. And…for each traveler, specify the pricing on a per person basis. Click Save.

11. Now back on the reservation screen, click the Add Details button to add any additional travel details. i.e. insurance, hotels, rental cars, additional excursions, concert tickets, etc.

That’s it.

Posted in Airlines, CruisePak, Cruises, Home Based Agents, Tours, Travel, Travel Agencies | Comments Off

When You Are Busy, And A Prospective Customer Calls or Emails, Use The Quote Request Feature In CruisePak

If you are busy when a customer contacts you, or you have a system where you have an office assistant gather customer information before passing it on to an agent, then use the quote request feature to record a potential customer’s travel wishes. Then, when you have time later on in the day, use the information contained within the quote request to create a quote.

To create a quote request in CruisePak, please do the following.

1. Add the potential customer as normal.

2. Click the New Quo button. Select either new cruise, tour, or general travel Quote Request from the popup menu. The Quote Request screen will display.

3. In the Cruise Quote Request portion of the screen, fill out the desired itinerary information. Don’t forget to specify a marketing source.

4. In the Client Departs From section, fill out the customer departure city. (i.e. where they will be starting their travel from).

5. Fill out some booking specifics which include information such as number of passengers, Number of Cabins or tours, whether the customer needs air, the budget, whether it is group travel, etc.

6. Specify the Status and particularly important, the agent to which you want this quote request assigned.

7. Fill out the passengers grid section. Specify the passenger names (Optional) if the customer gives them to you at this point.

8. In the notes field, specify any specifics. Examples might include special diet, handicap, etc.

9. In the Requested Items grid, indicate the specific travel items requested. i.e. cabins, hotels, insurance, air, etc.

10. In the custom properties grid, specify any comapny specific information as you determine necessary for each quote. Past passenger numbers, gold club numbers, etc.

11. Click Save to save the quote

Now that the quote request has been saved, it can be recalled later by simply selecting Locate -> Quote Requests By Request Date from the main cruisepak menu. This feature allows a queuing system for quotes that come in via the phone, email, etc.

Posted in Airlines, CruisePak, Cruises, Home Based Agents, Tours, Travel | Comments Off

Creating A Quote In CruisePak

The quick quote feature in CruisePak is meant to give the capability to get a price quote out to a customer without doing all the nitty gritty involved with recording a booking. This tool is great to use when you are playing the travel discount game at sites like cruisecompete, travelzoo, etc. To create a quote in cruisepak, please do the following:

1. From the main screen, add the prospective customer’s name, address, email, phone, etc.

2. Click the New Quo button on the main screen. Select the type of quote you are creating (Cruise, Tour, General Travel).

3. When the quote screen appears, enter in the travel dates, destination, ship/other, vendor, departure city, time, number of passengers, number of cabins/items, whether this quote is for a group, whether air required, and the source. Click Save.

4. In the grid, enter each individual travel item being quoted on a separate line. For example for a cabin, enter the qty of 1, describe it in the details, select cab as the type, specify the vendor name, the list rpice, commission rate, sell price and any taxes and fees.

5. And any other items you are quoting. For example, maybe insurance, a hotel, rental car, etc. Click save.

6. If you know the passenger names, click the Edit button and add the passengers to the quote. Click Save.

7. Now, click the Print button to either print the quote, email the quote, save it as a PDF attachment to an email quote, etc.

That’s it.

Note that by using the quote feature, you can bang out quotes pretty quick without spending too much time on them. This in turn will allow you to at least be in the game for the customer’s business.

Posted in Airlines, CruisePak, Cruises, Home Based Agents, Tours, Travel, Travel Agencies, Travel Computer Systems | Comments Off