eTravel8 begins online services<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): eTravel8, an on-line flight reservation site,
\nlaunched its service here on Thursday joining five other existing
\ntravel portals in attracting customers to buy tickets through the
\nInternet.<\/p>\n
Managed jointly by wireless data services provider inTouch,
\nautomated accounting and management systems TravelAssist, and
\ncomputer reservation and global distribution system Abacus,
\neTravel8 can be accessed through both using the World Wide Web
\n(WWW) and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).<\/p>\n
inTouch business manager Andy Zain said that eTravel8's
\nadvantages against the five other travel portals currently
\noperating in Indonesia was its ability to be accessed from a
\ncellular phone through WAP or through the Web via personal
\ncomputers (PCs), personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other
\nplatforms, and also because of its real-time services.<\/p>\n
\"Other portals may say they provide real-time online
\nreservations, but in fact they have human operators behind them
\nthat process each transaction, that's not what we call real
\ntravel portals,\" he said in a media briefing here.<\/p>\n
Indonesian travel portals currently in operation include
\nTravoo.com, and Astaga!Tours.<\/p>\n
Andy said that with the Abacus server which has access to all
\nairline schedules, a customer could access the flights they need
\nand immediately reserve them,<\/p>\n
\"Airline tickets could be sent to their (customer's) homes,
\noffice, or be picked up at eTravel8 special counter at Terminal
\n2-D at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Payments could be made with credit cards, cash on delivery, or
\nthrough a company's corporate account, Andy said, adding that in
\norder to use a corporate account a company must first have an
\narrangement with a travel agent.<\/p>\n
Abacus managing director Iwan H. Susilo said that eTravel8
\ncooperates with Nokia as its technology partner which provides
\nthe WAP gateway, the Blue Bird Group for airport pick-up
\nservices, and PT Gapura Angkasa to provide the special eTravel8
\nairport counter service.<\/p>\n
eTravel8 also worked together with travel agents Jalan Tours,
\nMutiara Indah, Ramantha Tours & Travel, Sapta Tours, Smailing
\nTours, and Anta Express, he said.<\/p>\n
inTouch managing director Kendro Hendra said that the service
\nwas user centric, meaning that a customer could have a
\npersonalized account that can be accessed with a password.<\/p>\n
\"The system would have all your data so as it could
\npersonalize the site to give you information according to your
\nneeds,\" he said, adding that it could arrange for ticket pick-up,
\nairport handling, pre check-in, and even arrange for a pre-
\nprinted embarkation card.<\/p>\n
Kendro said that eTravel8's target customers were business,
\nholiday, and group travelers who use air travel.<\/p>\n
\"For the moment we are focusing on outbound travelers, but we
\nwill soon develop the system to service domestic travelers as
\nwell,\" he said.<\/p>\n
It would also be developed to include hotel reservations,
\nKendro added.<\/p>\n
Potential customers include some 1.8 million credit card
\nholders in the country, about 1.5 million Internet users, 3
\nmillion handphone users, and around 150,000 frequent flyers,
\nKendro said.<\/p>\n
He said that the system is currently Jakarta based, but will
\nsoon be expanded to Surabaya, Medan, Bandung, and Denpasar. It
\nwould also be expanded to Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan, Kendro
\nadded.<\/p>\n
\"We already have the infrastructure ready in Singapore,
\nMalaysia and Taiwan, its just a matter of legal permits and
\nmarketing,\" he said. (tnt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/etravel8-begins-online-services-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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