Travelport Executing Strategic Growth

ATLANTA, Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelport Limited, a leading distribution services and e-commerce provider for the global travel industry, today announces its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013.

Commenting on developments, Gordon Wilson, President and CEO of Travelport, said:

"Our second quarter and first half 2013 results clearly demonstrate the momentum we have built around our new product innovation, successful delivery in all areas of our growth strategy and positive engagement with all of our customers.   I am also pleased to report a solid future pipeline of industry interest and support for Travelport's renewed and reinvigorated proposition."

Highlights

• Adjusted EBITDA increased 5% for the second quarter 2013 and 5% year to date 2013*
• Net Revenue increased 7% for the second quarter 2013 and 5% year to date 2013*
• Signed new long-term full content agreement with Delta Airlines
• Implemented two further low cost carriers, Jet2.com and Norwegian, on our merchandising platform, continuing our momentum
• Completed the refinancing of our first lien credit agreement in June 2013, having successfully executed a comprehensive refinancing, including our senior notes, in April 2013

* Excluding the loss of the Master Services Agreement with United Airlines

Financial Highlights

In connection with the refinancing of our first lien credit agreement in June 2013, we amended our definition of Adjusted EBITDA to exclude the amortization of Customer Loyalty Payments.  As a result, we have revised our reported Adjusted EBITDA for all periods presented to exclude the amortization of Customer Loyalty Payments.

Second Quarter 2013

Travelport's Net Revenue of $537 million for the second quarter of 2013 was $31 million (6%) higher than the second quarter of 2012 and Adjusted EBITDA was $4 million (3%) higher. 

The Master Services Agreement ("MSA") with United Airlines contributed approximately $2 million to the Net Revenue, Operating Income, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for second quarter 2012.  Excluding the impact of the MSA, Net Revenue increased $33 million (7%) and Adjusted EBITDA increased $6 million (5%), compared to 2012.

Travelport RevPas increased by 3% to $5.51.   

As noted above, Adjusted EBITDA now excludes the amortization of Customer Loyalty Payments of $15 million for each of the second quarters of 2013 and 2012.

YTD 2013

Travelport's Net Revenue of $1,085 million on a year to date basis for 2013 was $29 million (3%) higher than 2012 and Adjusted EBITDA was $11 million (4%) lower. 

The MSA with United Airlines contributed approximately $27 million to the Net Revenue and $21 million to the Operating Income and EBITDA and $23 million to the Adjusted EBITDA on a year to date basis in 2012.  Excluding the impact of the MSA, Net Revenue increased $56 million (5%) and Adjusted EBITDA increased $12 million (5%), compared to 2012.

Travelport RevPas increased by 5% to $5.45.

As noted above, Adjusted EBITDA now excludes the amortization of Customer Loyalty Payments of $29 million and $31 million on a year to date basis for 2013 and 2012, respectively.

In June 2013, the Company completed the refinancing of its first lien credit agreement.  In April 2013, the Company completed its previously announced comprehensive refinancing, including its senior notes.

Interest costs of $174 million year to date were $30 million higher for 2013 due to $21 million of financing costs incurred in relation to the debt refinancings in April and June 2013 and a $9 million increase due to higher interest rates.

Travelport's net debt was $3,327 million as of June 30, 2013, which comprised debt of $3,537 million less $117 million in cash and cash equivalents and less $93 million of cash held as collateral.

Travelport generated $12 million in net cash from operating activities for the six months ended June 30, 2013 compared to $128 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012.  The decrease is a result of higher interest payments and fluctuation in operating working capital.

Conference Call

The Company's second quarter 2013 earnings conference call will be held on August 7, 2013, beginning at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). Details for this conference call, as well as the earnings presentation, are available through the Investor Center section of the Company's website (www.travelport.com/investors/Financial-Calendar), where pre-registration for the call is required.

A recording of the call will be made available within 24 hours in the Financial/Operating Data section of the Investor Center on the Company's website.

About Travelport

Travelport Limited is a leading distribution services and e-commerce provider for the global travel industry.

With a presence in over 170 countries, approximately 3,500 employees and 2012 net revenue of more than $2.0 billion, Travelport is comprised of the global distribution system (GDS) business, which includes the Galileo and Worldspan brands and its Airline IT Solutions business and a majority in a joint venture in eNett.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Travelport is a privately-owned company.

Investor Contact

Julian Walker
Head of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
+44 (0)1753 288 210 
[email protected]

Media Contacts

Kate Aldridge
Senior Director, Corporate Communications, EMEA and APAC
+44 (0)1753 328 8720
[email protected]  

Jill Brenner
Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Americas
+1 (973) 753 3110
[email protected]  

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "projects", "estimates", "plans", "may increase", "may fluctuate" and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will", "should", "would", "may" and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. Any statements that refer to expectations or other characterizations of future events, circumstances or results are forward-looking statements.

Various risks that could cause future results to differ from those expressed by the forward-looking statements included in this press release include, but are not limited to: the impact that our outstanding indebtedness may have on the way we operate our business; factors affecting the level of travel activity, particularly air travel volume, including security concerns, general economic conditions, natural disasters and other disruptions; general economic and business conditions in the markets in which we operate, including fluctuations in currencies and the economic conditions in the eurozone; pricing, regulatory and other trends in the travel industry; our ability to obtain travel supplier inventory from travel providers, such as airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines and other travel providers; our ability to develop and deliver products and services that are valuable to travel agencies and travel providers and generate new revenue streams, including our universal desktop product; risks associated with doing business in multiple countries and in multiple currencies; maintenance and protection of our information technology and intellectual property; the impact on supplier capacity and inventory resulting from consolidation of the airline industry; financing plans and access to adequate capital on favorable terms; our ability to achieve expected cost savings from our efforts to improve operational efficiency; our ability to maintain existing relationships with travel agencies and to enter into new relationships on acceptable financial and other terms; and our ability to grow adjacencies, such as our acquisition of Sprice and our controlling interest in eNett. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have material adverse effects on our performance or achievements. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release may not occur. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date stated, or if no date is stated, as of the date of this press release. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to release any revisions to any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of unanticipated events unless required by law.

This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined under Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") rules. As required by SEC rules, important information regarding such measures is contained below.

(*) Other adjusting items relate to payments for costs included within operating income but excluded from Travelport Adjusted EBITDA. These include (i) $17 million and $9 million of corporate costs payments during the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, (ii) $23 million and $8 million of litigation and related costs payments for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and (iii) a $14 million payment related to a historical dispute related to a now terminated arrangement with a former distributor in the Middle East during the six months ended June 30, 2012.

Definitions:

RevPas: transaction processing revenue divided by the number of reported segments.

Customer Loyalty Payments: development advance payments that are made with the objective of increasing the number of clients or improving customer loyalty with travel agents or travel providers.  The amortization of such payments is excluded from Adjusted EBITDA under the terms of our senior secured credit agreement and our second lien credit agreement.

Unlevered free cash flow: is a non-GAAP measure and may not be comparable to similarly named measures used by other companies. Unlevered free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities adjusted to exclude cash interest payments and include capital expenditures and capital lease repayments. We believe unlevered free cash flow provides management and investors with a more complete understanding of the underlying liquidity of the core operating businesses and its ability to meet current and future financing and investing needs.

Travelport Adjusted EBITDA: is a non-GAAP financial measure and may not be comparable to similarly named measures used by other companies. We believe this measure provides management with a more complete understanding of the underlying results and trends and an enhanced overall understanding of our financial liquidity and prospects for the future. Adjusted EBITDA is the primary metric for measuring our business results, forecasting and determining future capital investment allocations and will be used by the Board of Directors to determine incentive compensation for future periods. Capital expenditures, which impact depreciation and amortization, Customer Loyalty Payments, interest expense and income tax expense, are reviewed separately by management. Travelport Adjusted EBITDA is disclosed so investors have the same tools available to management when evaluating the results of Travelport. Travelport Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA adjusted to exclude items we believe potentially restrict our ability to assess the results of our underlying business. Travelport Adjusted EBITDA is a critical measure as it is required to calculate our key financial ratios under the covenants contained in our credit agreements. These ratios use a number which is broadly computed from Travelport Adjusted EBITDA for the last twelve months and consolidated net debt, as at the balance sheet date and are known as the Total Leverage Ratio and Senior Secured Leverage Ratio. Travelport is currently in compliance with all of its financial covenants. A breach of these covenants could result in a default under the senior secured credit agreement, second lien credit agreement and the indentures governing the notes.

SOURCE Travelport