Travelport Launches Search Control Console

keyboardTravelport reports the global launch of its new Search Control Console, a tool to customize search in real time. The application enables agencies to centrally control over 35 rules and parameters to fine tune the relevancy of search results to their traveler’s needs and to quickly capture business opportunities, Travelport says.

Travelport says its Search Control Console is the only web-based solution of its kind that enables agencies to configure air shopping search parameters according to individual traveler needs. For example, agents can use the application to eliminate particular transit airports that they know from experience have a poor customer experience, or prohibit a connection point for a set time period if the area has been affected by a volcanic ash cloud or another natural disaster.

The Search Control Console removes the burden of labor-intensive ‘intelligence coding’, or the need to continually send instructions to frontline sales staff, saving both time and money, Travelport says.

Agencies can also leverage the Travelport Search Control Console to achieve important financial objectives. Search modifiers within the application can be applied to meet airline sales targets, Travelport says. 

“We are convinced our travel agency customers will see the value in this highly efficient tool as it really does enable them to offer an enhanced customer experience,” said Reginald Warlop, Travelport’s vice president for fares, search and GDS cores.

The Travelport Search Control Console application is available to subscribers of the Apollo, Galileo and Worldspan systems worldwide.

Travelport cites examples of how the Search Control Console helps:

Online travel agencies (OTA) can present only the most relevant options to meet their customer’s needs without undertaking coding projects in their systems to enforce rules and parameters. 

Multi-branch agencies can centrally govern rules and parameters based on the locations of its branches with pseudo city codes (PCC), removing the need to constantly provide detailed instructions to sales staff and reducing the need for staff to have advanced GDS coding knowledge to perform the search. 

Businesses in general can better manage compliance in line with their travel policies, prioritizing preferred suppliers and incorporating other corporate travel guidelines. 

Examples of Travelport Search Control Console parameters include:

Restrict overnight itineraries

Travel effective and discontinue dates

Restrict maximum ground time

Restrict maximum number of connections (by carrier)

Prohibit a specific connection point

Restrict intra-airport connections

Restrict carrier transfers

Inhibit shopping results by fare type, RBD, fare family, fare basis code

Direct flight preference (regardless of price point)

Restrict flight or flight number ranges

Restrict carrier sales by a specified number days (operational)

Visit www.travelport.com