SOUTHLAKE, Texas & DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Feb. 1, 2005–Planning this summer’s faraway family reunion? Or maybe you’re a coach needing a bunch of rooms for that upcoming youth tournament? If so, you’ll want to check out new functionality on Travelocity that makes planning and booking group travel a snap. Today, Travelocity(R) announced an agreement with Groople Inc., a leading provider of online group travel bookings, that gives Travelocity customers a specialized groups section with discounted hotel rates, group content and new planning features that are unavailable on other major online travel sites.
“Combining Groople’s expertise into Travelocity’s hotel offerings is another commitment we are making to our customers’ varying needs as they research and plan their trips on Travelocity, regardless of the size,” said Josh Feuerstein, Travelocity’s vice president hotels. “We know that coordinating an event, family trip, reunion, wedding or other group is more complex than a single hotel booking and we are very pleased to now offer such a compelling product to our customers.”
“Groople is proud to work with the online travel industry leader Travelocity in helping to meet the varying needs of group travelers,” said Groople Chief Executive Officer David Loy. “Groople estimates that unmanaged leisure groups, known as the SMERF market (Social, Military, Education, Religious, Fraternal) book $18 billion a year in travel and we are excited that Travelocity’s distribution and reach is now bringing automated group bookings to the masses.”
Travelocity’s new group booking functionality can be accessed from the main hotel page’s shopping engine. After choosing the city and dates, simply select the “5+ rooms” button and let the planning begin. Travelers needing assistance with their plans can also call 877-634-9434. Other leading features of Travelocity’s new group booking tools include:
-- Automated rooming lists that consumers complete themselves
rather than the hotels
-- Ability for each room to be paid on a separate credit card
rather than the group coordinator having to pay the entire
bill and then having to be reimbursed later
-- Flexible payment options
About Travelocity
Travelocity’s industry-leading technology and straight-talking, honest information help travelers take more rewarding and affordable trips. With millions of registered users and booking $4 billion of travel in 2003, Travelocity negotiates thousands of low-priced deals with the world’s most reputable travel providers — top airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines, and other destination attractions and services. Additionally, Travelocity offers deeply-discounted rates for weekend getaways and dynamic packages through its Last Minute Deals and TotalTrip(SM) shopping engines, and provides customer service support over the phone 24 hours a day. Based in Southlake, Texas, Travelocity also operates Travelocity Business(SM) for corporate customers, powers international travel Web sites in eight languages, and has been recognized for its consumer advocacy and global leadership in online travel. More information about Travelocity is available at www.travelocity.com. Travelocity is owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG), a world leader in travel commerce. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at www.sabre-holdings.com.
About Groople
Groople, based in Denver, was created by more than 20 experienced leaders from every area of the travel industry with the goal of becoming the place for leisure group travelers to book the best, hassle-free deals. Groople serves military groups, family reunions, religious organizations and other leisure customers at www.Groople.com and through its offline agents while helping suppliers by giving consumers access to hotel inventory. Groople’s automated group booking system gives travel planners the ability to plan, book and manage all aspects of their group trips online, including travel, hotel bookings and event planning, payment, tracking, registering for events, and more. Special requests and more complex needs such as booking banquet facilities, food and beverage and planning unique group activities are handled by phone with Groople’s team of experienced group planners.
CONTACT: Vollmer Public Relations for Travelocity
Judy Haveson, 212-808-6541
judy@vollmerpr.com
or
Chintan Talati, 972-488-4790
chintan@vollmerpr.com
or
PJ Inc. for Groople
Pamela Johnston, 212-629-8445
Pamela@pjinc.net
SOURCE: Travelocity
