HostelBookers, a budget accommodation website, has launched a summer sale campaign, offering a vast range of properties across 28 top destinations worldwide at discounted prices many with over 20 percent off their normal rates. Bookings must be made by July 31. Rates are for budget accommodations such as Days Inn, just 10 to 15 minutes from mid-town Manhattan, in New York. In Europe, customers can benefit from 60 percent off beds at Lisbon Calling, a newly established hostel situated in the heart of Lisbon"s historic city center. The Brianza hotel in Italy, centrally located and only 10 minutes from the Duomo, Milan"s cathedral, is on sale for 50 percent off. For more information, visit www.hostelbookers.com/summer-accommodation-deals.

Open AXIS Group said that the following organizations have joined ATPCO as Allied Members -- AOI Marketing, ARC, Datalex, eNett International, Farelogix, LUTE Technologies AG, Mobiata, PASS Consulting Group and Radixx International. As Allied Members, these organizations can provide feedback on and participate in the development of the Group’s XML standard. They can also voice their recommendations on future enhancements.

Open AXIS Group’s primary goal is advocacy and promotion of XML as the optimal electronic messaging structure for airline system connectivity used in content distribution. The organization has already established a proven XML schema as the baseline for its standard and will work closely with its members to adopt, promote, enhance and maintain this schema to create a robust industry standard that addresses the needs of both the supply and demand sides of the travel supply chain.

The current Open AXIS Group XML schema supports the full range of airline transactions, from straightforward booking and PNR management transactions, to more complex transactions involved with multiple passenger management, ticketing, exchange, refunds, voids and the various merchandising related transactions including optional services, bundling, EMD management and payment and settlement solutions. “With support from Open AXIS Group members, we will provide a robust, standardized XML schema that addresses both current and future needs of the travel industry,” said Jim Young, executive director of the Open AXIS Group.

Open AXIS Group is open to any entity that operates in the travel industry, including the airlines (Full Members) and other third party developers, GDS, travel agencies, associations, and consultants (Allied Members). There is however no requirement to join Open AXIS Group to use its messaging standard, which can be downloaded at www.openaxisgroup.org.
 

VAX VacationAccess has introduced Secure Agent Access, which allows agency owners and managers to control the reservation information their agents can view on VAX. It also reduces search time and protects data for agents.VAX Secure Agent Access provides agency managers with more control over the reservation information their agents see when booking on VAX.

Secure Agent Access provides agency owners and managers the flexibility to set access on an individual agent basis. Agency owners have the flexibility to limit access to only each agent’s individual reservations while giving managers access to all reservations. In addition to protecting the privacy of individual agent reservations, agents will save time by searching only their reservations when retrieving them on VAX. Secure Agent Access is the latest of new enhancements and tools VAX is rolling out. For more information, visit www.vaxvacationaccess.com . 
 

Travelport said that it has signed a new long-term marketing and distribution agreement with Avis Budget Group, Inc. The multi-year agreement secures access to Avis Budget Group’s rates and services for all Travelport-connected customers worldwide, including corporate customers and online agencies booking through Galileo and Worldspan. Avis Budget Group, Inc., has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.

Hotels.com $99 or Less Sale is back this summer with more than 1,000 three- and four-star properties all around the world. Travelers need to book by Aug. 2 for travel by Aug. 23. Those who book by July 25 will earn free nights faster with an extra welcome rewards credit for every booking by entering coupon code WREXTRA. For more information, visit www.hotels.com.

Orbitz has begun a new advertising campaign. The new campaign and branded tagline, "When You Orbitz, You Know," shows how Orbitz provides the information and resources consumers need to book hotel rooms. The campaign"s first advertisement has begun its run on television. The ad presents a traveler who sees future events before they occur as a metaphor for Orbitz customers who know what to expect from their hotel stays because they use Orbitz to help plan and book their trips. The ad is designed to show that Orbitz gives its customers tools and information to make smart decisions when they book a hotel on Orbitz.com. The new campaign highlights Orbitz"s hotel content and resources. For more information, visit www.orbitz.com.

PhoCusWright’s European Consumer Travel Report explores key trends and indicators impacting consumer travel in Europe. According to the report, French travelers show a strong ratio of consumers who plan to travel more versus travel less. The German outlook is also positive, though more moderate. U.K. travelers, in contrast, show a very slight growth trajectory for the upcoming year. Among those with Internet access, just 6 percent of French travelers, 9 percent of German travelers and 5 percent of U.K. travelers plan and book their trips completely offline. When shopping for leisure travel, the majority of French, German and U.K. travelers typically use general search engines, which rank first among website categories.

Even in today"s price sensitive environment, travelers most commonly cited prior positive experience as a reason to visit a website -- 38 percent in France, 50 percent in Germany and 51 percent in the U.K. Only 38 percent of French travelers enjoy staying in hotels, compared to 72 percent of German travelers and 82 percent of U.K. travelers. Over a third of travelers now carry mobile phones with web browsing capabilities -- 38 percent in France, 37 percent in Germany and 47 percent in the U.K. Fewer than 10 percent of travelers have performed travel-related activities on their mobile phone in the past year. Yet intentions show that the mobile travel audience will likely double in the next 12 months. For more information, call 860 350-4084 or visit www.phocuswright.com.

Amadeus has reached an agreement with Disney Cruise Line to distribute its products using the Amadeus System in the U.S. and Canadian markets. Other markets are currently being discussed and will be announced at a later date. This expansion permits a further diversification of the Amadeus Cruise Distribution Solutions portfolio that now offers 22 cruise lines through its Cruise Distribution Solutions, covering more than 95 percent of the world cruise inventory, the highest of all global distribution systems.

For the 2010 European season, each itinerary offers Port Adventures that include distinctly Disney touches, storytelling and some Disney characters. Disney Cruise Line recently began construction of two new ships, the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. Scheduled to launch in 2011 and 2012, respectively, these new ships will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line to meet the sustained demand for family cruise vacations. For more information, visit www.amadeus.com.
 

HostelBookers, a budget accommodation website, has launched a summer sale campaign, offering a vast range of properties across 28 top destinations worldwide at discounted prices many with over 20 percent off their normal rates. Bookings must be made by July 31. Rates are for budget accommodations such as Days Inn, just 10 to 15 minutes from mid-town Manhattan, in New York. In Europe, customers can benefit from 60 percent off beds at Lisbon Calling, a newly established hostel situated in the heart of Lisbon"s historic city center. The Brianza hotel in Italy, centrally located and only 10 minutes from the Duomo, Milan"s cathedral, is on sale for 50 percent off. For more information, visit www.hostelbookers.com/summer-accommodation-deals.

Orbitz has begun a new advertising campaign. The new campaign and branded tagline, "When You Orbitz, You Know," shows how Orbitz provides the information and resources consumers need to book hotel rooms. The campaign"s first advertisement has begun its run on television. The ad presents a traveler who sees future events before they occur as a metaphor for Orbitz customers who know what to expect from their hotel stays because they use Orbitz to help plan and book their trips. The ad is designed to show that Orbitz gives its customers tools and information to make smart decisions when they book a hotel on Orbitz.com. The new campaign highlights Orbitz"s hotel content and resources. For more information, visit www.orbitz.com.

Open AXIS Group said that the following organizations have joined ATPCO as Allied Members -- AOI Marketing, ARC, Datalex, eNett International, Farelogix, LUTE Technologies AG, Mobiata, PASS Consulting Group and Radixx International. As Allied Members, these organizations can provide feedback on and participate in the development of the Group’s XML standard. They can also voice their recommendations on future enhancements.

Open AXIS Group’s primary goal is advocacy and promotion of XML as the optimal electronic messaging structure for airline system connectivity used in content distribution. The organization has already established a proven XML schema as the baseline for its standard and will work closely with its members to adopt, promote, enhance and maintain this schema to create a robust industry standard that addresses the needs of both the supply and demand sides of the travel supply chain.

The current Open AXIS Group XML schema supports the full range of airline transactions, from straightforward booking and PNR management transactions, to more complex transactions involved with multiple passenger management, ticketing, exchange, refunds, voids and the various merchandising related transactions including optional services, bundling, EMD management and payment and settlement solutions. “With support from Open AXIS Group members, we will provide a robust, standardized XML schema that addresses both current and future needs of the travel industry,” said Jim Young, executive director of the Open AXIS Group.

Open AXIS Group is open to any entity that operates in the travel industry, including the airlines (Full Members) and other third party developers, GDS, travel agencies, associations, and consultants (Allied Members). There is however no requirement to join Open AXIS Group to use its messaging standard, which can be downloaded at www.openaxisgroup.org.
 

VAX VacationAccess has introduced Secure Agent Access, which allows agency owners and managers to control the reservation information their agents can view on VAX. It also reduces search time and protects data for agents.VAX Secure Agent Access provides agency managers with more control over the reservation information their agents see when booking on VAX.

Secure Agent Access provides agency owners and managers the flexibility to set access on an individual agent basis. Agency owners have the flexibility to limit access to only each agent’s individual reservations while giving managers access to all reservations. In addition to protecting the privacy of individual agent reservations, agents will save time by searching only their reservations when retrieving them on VAX. Secure Agent Access is the latest of new enhancements and tools VAX is rolling out. For more information, visit www.vaxvacationaccess.com . 
 

Travelport said that it has signed a new long-term marketing and distribution agreement with Avis Budget Group, Inc. The multi-year agreement secures access to Avis Budget Group’s rates and services for all Travelport-connected customers worldwide, including corporate customers and online agencies booking through Galileo and Worldspan. Avis Budget Group, Inc., has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.

Hotels.com $99 or Less Sale is back this summer with more than 1,000 three- and four-star properties all around the world. Travelers need to book by Aug. 2 for travel by Aug. 23. Those who book by July 25 will earn free nights faster with an extra welcome rewards credit for every booking by entering coupon code WREXTRA. For more information, visit www.hotels.com.

Orbitz has begun a new advertising campaign. The new campaign and branded tagline, "When You Orbitz, You Know," shows how Orbitz provides the information and resources consumers need to book hotel rooms. The campaign"s first advertisement has begun its run on television. The ad presents a traveler who sees future events before they occur as a metaphor for Orbitz customers who know what to expect from their hotel stays because they use Orbitz to help plan and book their trips. The ad is designed to show that Orbitz gives its customers tools and information to make smart decisions when they book a hotel on Orbitz.com. The new campaign highlights Orbitz"s hotel content and resources. For more information, visit www.orbitz.com.

Hotels.com $99 or Less Sale is back this summer with more than 1,000 three- and four-star properties all around the world. Travelers need to book by Aug. 2 for travel by Aug. 23. Those who book by July 25 will earn free nights faster with an extra welcome rewards credit for every booking by entering coupon code WREXTRA. For more information, visit www.hotels.com.

Open AXIS Group said that the following organizations have joined ATPCO as Allied Members -- AOI Marketing, ARC, Datalex, eNett International, Farelogix, LUTE Technologies AG, Mobiata, PASS Consulting Group and Radixx International. As Allied Members, these organizations can provide feedback on and participate in the development of the Group’s XML standard. They can also voice their recommendations on future enhancements.

Open AXIS Group’s primary goal is advocacy and promotion of XML as the optimal electronic messaging structure for airline system connectivity used in content distribution. The organization has already established a proven XML schema as the baseline for its standard and will work closely with its members to adopt, promote, enhance and maintain this schema to create a robust industry standard that addresses the needs of both the supply and demand sides of the travel supply chain.

The current Open AXIS Group XML schema supports the full range of airline transactions, from straightforward booking and PNR management transactions, to more complex transactions involved with multiple passenger management, ticketing, exchange, refunds, voids and the various merchandising related transactions including optional services, bundling, EMD management and payment and settlement solutions. “With support from Open AXIS Group members, we will provide a robust, standardized XML schema that addresses both current and future needs of the travel industry,” said Jim Young, executive director of the Open AXIS Group.

Open AXIS Group is open to any entity that operates in the travel industry, including the airlines (Full Members) and other third party developers, GDS, travel agencies, associations, and consultants (Allied Members). There is however no requirement to join Open AXIS Group to use its messaging standard, which can be downloaded at www.openaxisgroup.org.
 

VAX VacationAccess has introduced Secure Agent Access, which allows agency owners and managers to control the reservation information their agents can view on VAX. It also reduces search time and protects data for agents.VAX Secure Agent Access provides agency managers with more control over the reservation information their agents see when booking on VAX.

Secure Agent Access provides agency owners and managers the flexibility to set access on an individual agent basis. Agency owners have the flexibility to limit access to only each agent’s individual reservations while giving managers access to all reservations. In addition to protecting the privacy of individual agent reservations, agents will save time by searching only their reservations when retrieving them on VAX. Secure Agent Access is the latest of new enhancements and tools VAX is rolling out. For more information, visit www.vaxvacationaccess.com . 
 

Travelport said that it has signed a new long-term marketing and distribution agreement with Avis Budget Group, Inc. The multi-year agreement secures access to Avis Budget Group’s rates and services for all Travelport-connected customers worldwide, including corporate customers and online agencies booking through Galileo and Worldspan. Avis Budget Group, Inc., has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.

Hotels.com $99 or Less Sale is back this summer with more than 1,000 three- and four-star properties all around the world. Travelers need to book by Aug. 2 for travel by Aug. 23. Those who book by July 25 will earn free nights faster with an extra welcome rewards credit for every booking by entering coupon code WREXTRA. For more information, visit www.hotels.com.

PhoCusWright’s European Consumer Travel Report explores key trends and indicators impacting consumer travel in Europe. According to the report, French travelers show a strong ratio of consumers who plan to travel more versus travel less. The German outlook is also positive, though more moderate. U.K. travelers, in contrast, show a very slight growth trajectory for the upcoming year. Among those with Internet access, just 6 percent of French travelers, 9 percent of German travelers and 5 percent of U.K. travelers plan and book their trips completely offline. When shopping for leisure travel, the majority of French, German and U.K. travelers typically use general search engines, which rank first among website categories.

Open AXIS Group said that the following organizations have joined ATPCO as Allied Members -- AOI Marketing, ARC, Datalex, eNett International, Farelogix, LUTE Technologies AG, Mobiata, PASS Consulting Group and Radixx International. As Allied Members, these organizations can provide feedback on and participate in the development of the Group’s XML standard. They can also voice their recommendations on future enhancements.

Open AXIS Group’s primary goal is advocacy and promotion of XML as the optimal electronic messaging structure for airline system connectivity used in content distribution. The organization has already established a proven XML schema as the baseline for its standard and will work closely with its members to adopt, promote, enhance and maintain this schema to create a robust industry standard that addresses the needs of both the supply and demand sides of the travel supply chain.

The current Open AXIS Group XML schema supports the full range of airline transactions, from straightforward booking and PNR management transactions, to more complex transactions involved with multiple passenger management, ticketing, exchange, refunds, voids and the various merchandising related transactions including optional services, bundling, EMD management and payment and settlement solutions. “With support from Open AXIS Group members, we will provide a robust, standardized XML schema that addresses both current and future needs of the travel industry,” said Jim Young, executive director of the Open AXIS Group.

Open AXIS Group is open to any entity that operates in the travel industry, including the airlines (Full Members) and other third party developers, GDS, travel agencies, associations, and consultants (Allied Members). There is however no requirement to join Open AXIS Group to use its messaging standard, which can be downloaded at www.openaxisgroup.org.
 

VAX VacationAccess has introduced Secure Agent Access, which allows agency owners and managers to control the reservation information their agents can view on VAX. It also reduces search time and protects data for agents.VAX Secure Agent Access provides agency managers with more control over the reservation information their agents see when booking on VAX.

Secure Agent Access provides agency owners and managers the flexibility to set access on an individual agent basis. Agency owners have the flexibility to limit access to only each agent’s individual reservations while giving managers access to all reservations. In addition to protecting the privacy of individual agent reservations, agents will save time by searching only their reservations when retrieving them on VAX. Secure Agent Access is the latest of new enhancements and tools VAX is rolling out. For more information, visit www.vaxvacationaccess.com . 
 

Travelport said that it has signed a new long-term marketing and distribution agreement with Avis Budget Group, Inc. The multi-year agreement secures access to Avis Budget Group’s rates and services for all Travelport-connected customers worldwide, including corporate customers and online agencies booking through Galileo and Worldspan. Avis Budget Group, Inc., has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.

Hotels.com $99 or Less Sale is back this summer with more than 1,000 three- and four-star properties all around the world. Travelers need to book by Aug. 2 for travel by Aug. 23. Those who book by July 25 will earn free nights faster with an extra welcome rewards credit for every booking by entering coupon code WREXTRA. For more information, visit www.hotels.com.

Orbitz has begun a new advertising campaign. The new campaign and branded tagline, "When You Orbitz, You Know," shows how Orbitz provides the information and resources consumers need to book hotel rooms. The campaign"s first advertisement has begun its run on television. The ad presents a traveler who sees future events before they occur as a metaphor for Orbitz customers who know what to expect from their hotel stays because they use Orbitz to help plan and book their trips. The ad is designed to show that Orbitz gives its customers tools and information to make smart decisions when they book a hotel on Orbitz.com. The new campaign highlights Orbitz"s hotel content and resources. For more information, visit www.orbitz.com.

PhoCusWright’s European Consumer Travel Report explores key trends and indicators impacting consumer travel in Europe. According to the report, French travelers show a strong ratio of consumers who plan to travel more versus travel less. The German outlook is also positive, though more moderate. U.K. travelers, in contrast, show a very slight growth trajectory for the upcoming year. Among those with Internet access, just 6 percent of French travelers, 9 percent of German travelers and 5 percent of U.K. travelers plan and book their trips completely offline. When shopping for leisure travel, the majority of French, German and U.K. travelers typically use general search engines, which rank first among website categories.

Even in today"s price sensitive environment, travelers most commonly cited prior positive experience as a reason to visit a website -- 38 percent in France, 50 percent in Germany and 51 percent in the U.K. Only 38 percent of French travelers enjoy staying in hotels, compared to 72 percent of German travelers and 82 percent of U.K. travelers. Over a third of travelers now carry mobile phones with web browsing capabilities -- 38 percent in France, 37 percent in Germany and 47 percent in the U.K. Fewer than 10 percent of travelers have performed travel-related activities on their mobile phone in the past year. Yet intentions show that the mobile travel audience will likely double in the next 12 months. For more information, call 860 350-4084 or visit www.phocuswright.com.

Amadeus has reached an agreement with Disney Cruise Line to distribute its products using the Amadeus System in the U.S. and Canadian markets. Other markets are currently being discussed and will be announced at a later date. This expansion permits a further diversification of the Amadeus Cruise Distribution Solutions portfolio that now offers 22 cruise lines through its Cruise Distribution Solutions, covering more than 95 percent of the world cruise inventory, the highest of all global distribution systems.

Open AXIS Group said that the following organizations have joined ATPCO as Allied Members -- AOI Marketing, ARC, Datalex, eNett International, Farelogix, LUTE Technologies AG, Mobiata, PASS Consulting Group and Radixx International. As Allied Members, these organizations can provide feedback on and participate in the development of the Group’s XML standard. They can also voice their recommendations on future enhancements.

Open AXIS Group’s primary goal is advocacy and promotion of XML as the optimal electronic messaging structure for airline system connectivity used in content distribution. The organization has already established a proven XML schema as the baseline for its standard and will work closely with its members to adopt, promote, enhance and maintain this schema to create a robust industry standard that addresses the needs of both the supply and demand sides of the travel supply chain.

The current Open AXIS Group XML schema supports the full range of airline transactions, from straightforward booking and PNR management transactions, to more complex transactions involved with multiple passenger management, ticketing, exchange, refunds, voids and the various merchandising related transactions including optional services, bundling, EMD management and payment and settlement solutions. “With support from Open AXIS Group members, we will provide a robust, standardized XML schema that addresses both current and future needs of the travel industry,” said Jim Young, executive director of the Open AXIS Group.

Open AXIS Group is open to any entity that operates in the travel industry, including the airlines (Full Members) and other third party developers, GDS, travel agencies, associations, and consultants (Allied Members). There is however no requirement to join Open AXIS Group to use its messaging standard, which can be downloaded at www.openaxisgroup.org.
 

VAX VacationAccess has introduced Secure Agent Access, which allows agency owners and managers to control the reservation information their agents can view on VAX. It also reduces search time and protects data for agents.VAX Secure Agent Access provides agency managers with more control over the reservation information their agents see when booking on VAX.

Secure Agent Access provides agency owners and managers the flexibility to set access on an individual agent basis. Agency owners have the flexibility to limit access to only each agent’s individual reservations while giving managers access to all reservations. In addition to protecting the privacy of individual agent reservations, agents will save time by searching only their reservations when retrieving them on VAX. Secure Agent Access is the latest of new enhancements and tools VAX is rolling out. For more information, visit www.vaxvacationaccess.com . 
 

Travelport said that it has signed a new long-term marketing and distribution agreement with Avis Budget Group, Inc. The multi-year agreement secures access to Avis Budget Group’s rates and services for all Travelport-connected customers worldwide, including corporate customers and online agencies booking through Galileo and Worldspan. Avis Budget Group, Inc., has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.

Hotels.com $99 or Less Sale is back this summer with more than 1,000 three- and four-star properties all around the world. Travelers need to book by Aug. 2 for travel by Aug. 23. Those who book by July 25 will earn free nights faster with an extra welcome rewards credit for every booking by entering coupon code WREXTRA. For more information, visit www.hotels.com.

Orbitz has begun a new advertising campaign. The new campaign and branded tagline, "When You Orbitz, You Know," shows how Orbitz provides the information and resources consumers need to book hotel rooms. The campaign"s first advertisement has begun its run on television. The ad presents a traveler who sees future events before they occur as a metaphor for Orbitz customers who know what to expect from their hotel stays because they use Orbitz to help plan and book their trips. The ad is designed to show that Orbitz gives its customers tools and information to make smart decisions when they book a hotel on Orbitz.com. The new campaign highlights Orbitz"s hotel content and resources. For more information, visit www.orbitz.com.

PhoCusWright’s European Consumer Travel Report explores key trends and indicators impacting consumer travel in Europe. According to the report, French travelers show a strong ratio of consumers who plan to travel more versus travel less. The German outlook is also positive, though more moderate. U.K. travelers, in contrast, show a very slight growth trajectory for the upcoming year. Among those with Internet access, just 6 percent of French travelers, 9 percent of German travelers and 5 percent of U.K. travelers plan and book their trips completely offline. When shopping for leisure travel, the majority of French, German and U.K. travelers typically use general search engines, which rank first among website categories.

Even in today"s price sensitive environment, travelers most commonly cited prior positive experience as a reason to visit a website -- 38 percent in France, 50 percent in Germany and 51 percent in the U.K. Only 38 percent of French travelers enjoy staying in hotels, compared to 72 percent of German travelers and 82 percent of U.K. travelers. Over a third of travelers now carry mobile phones with web browsing capabilities -- 38 percent in France, 37 percent in Germany and 47 percent in the U.K. Fewer than 10 percent of travelers have performed travel-related activities on their mobile phone in the past year. Yet intentions show that the mobile travel audience will likely double in the next 12 months. For more information, call 860 350-4084 or visit www.phocuswright.com.

Amadeus has reached an agreement with Disney Cruise Line to distribute its products using the Amadeus System in the U.S. and Canadian markets. Other markets are currently being discussed and will be announced at a later date. This expansion permits a further diversification of the Amadeus Cruise Distribution Solutions portfolio that now offers 22 cruise lines through its Cruise Distribution Solutions, covering more than 95 percent of the world cruise inventory, the highest of all global distribution systems.

For the 2010 European season, each itinerary offers Port Adventures that include distinctly Disney touches, storytelling and some Disney characters. Disney Cruise Line recently began construction of two new ships, the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. Scheduled to launch in 2011 and 2012, respectively, these new ships will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line to meet the sustained demand for family cruise vacations. For more information, visit www.amadeus.com.
 

Travelport said that it has signed a new long-term marketing and distribution agreement with Avis Budget Group, Inc. The multi-year agreement secures access to Avis Budget Group’s rates and services for all Travelport-connected customers worldwide, including corporate customers and online agencies booking through Galileo and Worldspan. Avis Budget Group, Inc., has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.

Open AXIS Group said that the following organizations have joined ATPCO as Allied Members -- AOI Marketing, ARC, Datalex, eNett International, Farelogix, LUTE Technologies AG, Mobiata, PASS Consulting Group and Radixx International. As Allied Members, these organizations can provide feedback on and participate in the development of the Group’s XML standard. They can also voice their recommendations on future enhancements.

Open AXIS Group’s primary goal is advocacy and promotion of XML as the optimal electronic messaging structure for airline system connectivity used in content distribution. The organization has already established a proven XML schema as the baseline for its standard and will work closely with its members to adopt, promote, enhance and maintain this schema to create a robust industry standard that addresses the needs of both the supply and demand sides of the travel supply chain.

The current Open AXIS Group XML schema supports the full range of airline transactions, from straightforward booking and PNR management transactions, to more complex transactions involved with multiple passenger management, ticketing, exchange, refunds, voids and the various merchandising related transactions including optional services, bundling, EMD management and payment and settlement solutions. “With support from Open AXIS Group members, we will provide a robust, standardized XML schema that addresses both current and future needs of the travel industry,” said Jim Young, executive director of the Open AXIS Group.

Open AXIS Group is open to any entity that operates in the travel industry, including the airlines (Full Members) and other third party developers, GDS, travel agencies, associations, and consultants (Allied Members). There is however no requirement to join Open AXIS Group to use its messaging standard, which can be downloaded at www.openaxisgroup.org.
 

VAX VacationAccess has introduced Secure Agent Access, which allows agency owners and managers to control the reservation information their agents can view on VAX. It also reduces search time and protects data for agents.VAX Secure Agent Access provides agency managers with more control over the reservation information their agents see when booking on VAX.

Secure Agent Access provides agency owners and managers the flexibility to set access on an individual agent basis. Agency owners have the flexibility to limit access to only each agent’s individual reservations while giving managers access to all reservations. In addition to protecting the privacy of individual agent reservations, agents will save time by searching only their reservations when retrieving them on VAX. Secure Agent Access is the latest of new enhancements and tools VAX is rolling out. For more information, visit www.vaxvacationaccess.com . 
 

Travelport said that it has signed a new long-term marketing and distribution agreement with Avis Budget Group, Inc. The multi-year agreement secures access to Avis Budget Group’s rates and services for all Travelport-connected customers worldwide, including corporate customers and online agencies booking through Galileo and Worldspan. Avis Budget Group, Inc., has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.avisbudgetgroup.com.