Travelport and Hilton Worldwide Ink Agreement Committing More Content and Advanced Technologies for Travel Buyers

ATLANTA, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --Travelport, the business services provider to the global travel industry, today announces a new, jointly beneficial, long-term full content and technology services agreement with Hilton Worldwide, the leading global hospitality company. The agreement includes the distribution of full availability, rates, rules and property information from Hilton Worldwide and its global brands, representing 3,750 properties and 615,000 rooms in 85 countries. Hilton Worldwide and its renowned brands will also continue to deploy advanced interfaces to Travelport's Worldspan™, Galileo™ and Apollo™ global distribution systems (GDS), and expand property, pricing and policy information for Travelport subscribers globally.    

"Travelport is a vital distribution and technology partner, particularly at a time when Hilton Worldwide and its brands are expanding their global reach, including many new markets," said Eduardo Schutte, vice president, Distribution and Channel Management, Hilton Worldwide. "Travelport-connected travel agents are also invaluable partners and we are committed to enhancing our relationship with them through innovative technologies. This agreement ensures Hilton Worldwide and Travelport will achieve mutual objectives that deliver value to both companies."

"Hilton Worldwide continues to take advantage of evolving distribution and merchandising capabilities within the GDS channel, which is very robust, continues to grow and often brings better rates," said Niklas Andreen, group vice president, Hospitality & Partner Marketing, Travelport. "We are working aggressively to raise industry standards in advanced connectivity, systems transparency, functionality and traveler services so that our supplier and subscriber customers can maximize their return and efficiency of working with Travelport, and deliver the best experiences to their travelers."

Buyers Get Closer to Hilton Worldwide through Advanced GDS Interface: Travelport subscribers globally will experience new efficiencies and system response times when Hilton Worldwide migrates its global connectivity to Travelport's Hotel Supplier Link – an advanced GDS interface for hotel suppliers. The planned interface will allow travel buyers to conduct business transactions with Hilton Worldwide using the most fluid, high-speed connectivity for real-time rates, availability, rules and property information. Hotel Supplier Link, which employs the latest OpenTravel Alliance (OTA) universal transmission specifications for the global travel industry, is a cost-effective tool for travel companies to exchange structured data, lower operating costs and eliminate the need for and costs associated with third-party solutions.  

Lowest Available Rates Via the GDS: Hilton Worldwide brands and properties will soon partake in Travelport Lowest unrestricted Public Rates (LPR), a successful hotel distribution program that boosts hotel sales and gives travel buyers access to expanded content. Hotel companies are able to distribute through the GDS instant, guaranteed access to their full range of public rates, including restricted rates, such as prepaid and nonrefundable rates. The best available published, non-restricted rates, including prepaid rates and rates with cancelation policies, are also made available through the program.

Complete Pricing for Hotel Stays: Hilton Worldwide is committed to implementing Travelport Complete Pricing Plus technology to enhance the travel agent shopping experience and help agencies increase traveler satisfaction by eliminating unexpected pricing discrepancies at hotel check-in. Part of the Galileo and Apollo systems, Complete Pricing Plus allows hotel companies to return detailed data to travel buyers in response to requests for availability, rates and rules – prior to completing a booking. Total costs for entire stays are provided, including nightly rates, meals, cancel/refund policies, rate categories, commissions and credential requirements.

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, which includes the Galileo and Worldspan brands and its Airline IT Solutions business, 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 Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,750 hotels and timeshare properties, with 615,000 rooms in 85 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. For more information about the company, visit www.HiltonWorldwide.com or connect with Hilton Worldwide www.HiltonWorldwideGlobalMediaCenter.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jill Brenner, Corporate Communications Director, Americas
Tel: 1 973 939 1325
Email: [email protected]

Kate Aldridge, Corporate Communications Director, EMEA and APAC
Tel: +44 (0) 1753 288720
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Travelport