Biztravel.com and Global Network Architects (GNA), a virtual
communities developer, signed an exclusive agreement to provide high-speed,
interactive travel reservation services worldwide.
The Biztravel.com/GNA partnership will offer online airline, hotel, and car
rental reservations via GNA’s various communities, beginning with
Sheraton.Net, a personalized in-room communications service soon to be
deployed in Sheraton hotels worldwide.
Sheraton.Net will make interactive information available via televisions in
its hotel rooms. GNA will also bring Biztravel.com services to other
communities under construction, including those aimed at distance learning
students and business and residential communities. Biztravel.com will be
deployed throughout Asia, Europe, and the U.S. by the end of 1998, the
companies said.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Under the agreement, Biztravel.com and GNA will establish or arrange for
ticket fulfillment centers in strategic locations worldwide. This will allow
travelers and road warriors using GNA communities such as Sheraton.Net to
receive air tickets booked via Biztravel.com the same day or overnight.
Sheraton.Net was announced in November 1997 by its partners Microsoft, Global Network Architects (formerly Asia Connect), ITT Sheraton, Compaq, and
3Com.
The Biztravel.com Web site has automated and integrated the reservations and
frequent flyer rewards processes. The company’s travel reservation system,
bizReservations, helps grow designated frequent flyer accounts by
automatically recommending travel itineraries that can maximize frequent flyer miles.
The system also optimizes other travel preferences, such as lowest price,
closest to desired schedule, and preferred carrier. Biztravel.com enables
travelers to track and manage account summaries for multiple travel frequency
programs at a single location on the Internet via its bizMiles service. It
also offers travel news, opinions, and advice, and provides weather forecasts, restaurant guides, driving instructions, and street maps.
Based in New York, the company is backed by Comcast Corp., News Corp.,
Informix, and Intel, as well as three Silicon Valley venture capital firms
Accel Partners, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, and New Enterprise Associates.
