Agents to benefit from Helloworld online push, says Gurney

Agents to benefit from Helloworld online push, says Gurney
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Helloworld agents are to receive a share of earnings generated by the retail brand’s online channel, as Jetset Travelworld Limited confirmed a 10-year deal has been struck with Orbitz Worldwide to power the new website.

Chief executive Rob Gurney described the partnership as a “key component” of the new Helloworld “multichannel” strategy which aims to allow customers to select the method of searching and booking that suits them best.

“It’s our goal to provide options for customers to search online and transact both offline and online,” he said.

“Helloworld aims to reshape the Australian travel landscape by uniting the dedication and experience of our full-service agents with an industry-leading online offering. As a result, Helloworld agents will be provided with a share of earnings from the online site.”

Clients that prefer to book with an agent will be directed to their nearest Helloworld consultant via an “agent finder” tool, he added.

The site will launch towards the end of this year with a range of air, land, cruise and car product and will “continue to evolve” through 2014 with mobile applications, travel insurance and dynamic packaging functionality to be introduced over the coming months.

Meanwhile, Orbitz chief executive Barney Harford highlighted the benefits its global technology platform would deliver to Helloworld customers.

“Our investment in a powerful global technology platform has resulted in enormous benefits to our customers in terms of fast and easy to book sites,” he said. “This same technology will provide Helloworld with a strong online and mobile presence.”

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