New ebookers website launches in Belgium
July 24, 2008 | Online Travel
ebookers has re-launched its Belgian website on a new global technology platform that offers its customers greater functionality and a better user experience.
ebookers is a brand of Orbitz Worldwide, Inc., which operates in 13 countries across Europe and Scandinavia, including the brand Mr. Jet in Denmark and Sweden.
The new Belgian website aims to make booking decisions for travelers easier through simpler navigation and more product choice. Like past platform migrations in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the re-launch of ebookers’ new Belgian website is expected to triple the number of hotels accessible to customers. The Belgian site is the first on Orbitz Worldwide’s global platform where users can search for travel in a non-English language.
Orbitz Worldwide’s global technology platform was built in 2007 and offers customers greater ease in searching and booking on the company’s numerous online travel brands. Additionally, the new technology makes it easier for travelers to book any combination of flight & hotel choices when planning their own holiday. The multi-language, multi-currency backend information technology has the ability to power multiple websites that operate in different locations, increasing maintenance efficiencies, common inventory access and speed to market with new innovations. The platform will eventually power all 13 ebookers websites in Europe and also Orbitz Worldwide’s properties in North America, including Orbitz.com, CheapTickets.com, Orbitz for Business and the company’s Private Label business.
Additionally, authentic hotel user reviews of thousands of properties and additional information about traveler destinations, including more hotel photos and maps, also have been added to the Belgian ebookers site.
“Core to our business plan, we continue to increase our operational efficiencies in Europe by integrating more of our ebookers country sites onto this technology platform,” said Steve Barnhart, president and CEO of Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. “The platform continues to deliver key learnings that improve the overall technology with every ebookers country site migrated to our common architecture.”
Additional ebookers.be functionality now includes:
—Dynamic packaging features that enable customers to create their own holidays by mixing and matching any combination of flight, hotel and car. Customers will now be able to book a dynamic package for more destinations and will be able to benefit from guaranteed savings when they book flight+hotel together.
—Improved content which supports the Belgian website’s natural search ranking—so customers are more likely to see ebookers.be listed higher on free search engine results
—Easier filtering of travel search results, enabling customers to sort by hotel name and address, price or proximity to a landmark
—Improved features and promotional pages guiding customers to great offers and deals, helping them find the trip they want for less!
—“My Trips” and “My Accounts” sections that allow customers to view current and previous trips; securely save their payment information and delivery and travel preferences; and send itinerary alerts to up to four contacts, friends, family members or business associates.
—Transatlantic multi-city flight search enabling customers to book more complex flight itineraries, including up to four flights segments, which can arrive and depart from different airports. For example, ebookers customers can now book a flight that departs from Brussels and flies into New York and schedule a return flight departing from Boston back to Brussels on the same itinerary.
“We believe that Europe represents a significant area of growth for online travel companies like ebookers and our parent, Orbitz Worldwide,” said Alan Josephs, managing director, ebookers. “Our migration progress is a win for our business as we become more efficient and a win for our customers, who gain a better user experience when booking travel on the ebookers brand.”
Related Link: ebookers Belgium
Related Articles
Social media empowers new modes of travel
19 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Where German travelers are headed in 2010
19 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
HotelPlanner.com launches new meeting space reservations platform
19 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
10 travel innovation trends for 2010
18 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
eLong meets Ctrip’s best price guarantee
17 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
China expected to stimulate world travel economy in 2010
16 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Google Marketplace drives corporate travel apps
15 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
IATA sees brighter 2010 outlook
15 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Expedia to lift investment in Kuxun.cn
15 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
How TripAdvisor engages mass influencers
12 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Most Popular Articles
Does your hotel really need a social media strategy?
11 Mar, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
How TripAdvisor engages mass influencers
12 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Top ten best practices for today’s online hotel marketer
17 Mar, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
6 ways to drive more online travel sales in 2010
11 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Why should I open your e-mail?
09 Mar, 2010 | Internet Marketing
The need for a more holistic approach to revenue management
10 Mar, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
How have Web 2.0 & social media shaped online hotel marketing?
16 Mar, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
Google Marketplace drives corporate travel apps
15 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Five creative strategies for hotels to attract new repeat guests
17 Mar, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
Starwood runs loyalty pilot program that targets rivals’ customers
15 Mar, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
Economic Downturn
Recovery over a year away, say European hotel executives
16 Mar, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
China expected to stimulate world travel economy in 2010
16 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
IATA sees brighter 2010 outlook
15 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Virgin America’s guide to not screwing up customer service
12 Mar, 2010 | Internet Marketing
UK travelers plan to take multiple trips abroad in 2010
09 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Un-stoppable growth in OTA bookings, GDS still lacking behind
05 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Global hotel prices dropped beyond 2004 levels during 2009
02 Mar, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
Things are looking up for U.S. airlines
02 Mar, 2010 | Online Travel
Asia leads travel industry’s recovery
26 Feb, 2010 | Online Travel
Meeting buyers see budget cutbacks ease
25 Feb, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
Travel companies grapple with “new normal”
23 Feb, 2010 | Online Travel
Europe likely to see recovery, not growth, says STR
22 Feb, 2010 | Hospitality Industry
Hogg Robinson Group sees early signs of recovery
22 Feb, 2010 | Online Travel
US Travel growth expected in 2010
18 Feb, 2010 | Online Travel
IHG’s profit drops 18%, as hotel rates continue to fall
16 Feb, 2010 | Hospitality Industry












