Dubai, United Arab Emirates: 11 July, 2011 - Travelport, the business services provider to the global travel industry, announces that as part of its extensive global partnership with FCm Travel Solutions and parent company Flight Centre, it has successfully migrated the travel group's operations in Dubai to the Galileo global distribution system (GDS).
FCm Travel Solutions is the corporate travel subsidiary of Flight Centre, Australasia's best known travel agency with more than 2,000 outlets around the world. FCm extended its reach into Dubai in 2007, when it established an office to serve the growing travel needs of local and international businesses based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Taking place over a 15-day period, the seamless conversion was a team effort that involved transferring the group's reservation and ticketing systems from a previous GDS to the Galileo platform. Each of FCm Dubai's reservation agents received hands-on training in preparation for the new system, enabling a smooth transition post-migration.
As a result of Flight Centre's world-wide marketing agreement with Travelport, FCm Dubai will gain access to a broader range of products and support services offered globally by the company, with the aim of implementing strategic solutions that can significantly improve agent productivity and streamline mid and back office processes.
"We are confident that Travelport can deliver the next generation of travel technology, matched by unparalleled customer service at both a local and global level," said Andrew Boxall, general manager, FCm Dubai. "Our mutual aim is to introduce cutting-edge products into our operations that can meet FCm Dubai's future needs and bring our success to the next level."
"FCM Dubai's migration to Travelport marks the start of a close working relationship and builds on a great partnership of innovation with Flight Centre globally," said Ghulam Al Balooshi, country manager, Lower GCC, Travelport. "We look forward to supporting the group's rapidly-expanding business in the UAE with best-of-breed technology and services."
The migration reaffirms the long standing partnership between Travelport and Flight Centre, which has been in place since Flight Centre began operations in Australia in the early 1980s. Travelport is now the preferred GDS provider of Flight Centre in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, South Africa and the UAE.
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About Travelport (www.travelport.com)
Travelport is a broad-based business services company and a leading provider of critical transaction processing solutions to companies operating in the global travel industry.
With a presence in 160 countries, approximately 3,500 employees and reported 2010 revenues of $2.3 billion, Travelport is comprised of the global distribution system (GDS) business that includes the Galileo and Worldspan brands; and Airline IT Solutions, which hosts mission critical applications and provides business and data analysis solutions for major airlines.
Travelport also owns approximately 48% of Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW), a leading global online travel company. Travelport is a private company owned by The Blackstone Group, One Equity Partners, Technology Crossover Ventures, and Travelport management.
Follow Travelport on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Travelport
About Flight Centre
Flight Centre Limited is Australasia's best known travel agency group and now boasts more than 2000 shops and businesses in 11 countries. The company, through its retail and corporate brands, provides a complete travel service for leisure and business travellers in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Hong Kong, India, China, Singapore and Dubai. In addition, the company's corporate travel management network, FCm Travel Solutions, extends to more than 40 other countries through strategic licensing agreements with independent local operators.
Flight Centre Limited's best known and most successful business is the Flight Centre retail travel brand. The company's other leisure, corporate and wholesale brands include Liberty Travel in the United States, Escape Travel, Travel Associates, Student Flights, quickbeds.com, FCm Travel Solutions, Corporate Traveller, Stage & Screen, Campus Travel, CiEvents, Infinity Holidays and GoGo Worldwide Vacations. Internationally, the company employs about 13000 consultants and support staff.
For any media enquiries, please contact:
Lara Edwards
Public Relations Executive
Travelport
t +44 (0) 1753 288457
f +44 (0) 1753 288229
m +44 (0) 77936 97391
e lara.edwards@travelport.com
w www.travelport.com
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© Press Release 2011
