Expedia.com VIA Rail Canada Expands Travel Booking Options with Expedia WWTE Private Label Partnership
BELLEVUE, Wash. – July 20, 2004 – VIA Rail Canada and Expedia, Inc.’s WWTE™ have partnered to enable hotel and car rental bookings directly on viarail.ca. As Canada’s national passenger rail service serving more than 450 communities, VIA Rail will now be able to offer customers one central location for hotel and car rental shopping alongside rail booking, route information, and vacation guides.
“This agreement with WWTE enables us to expand our business and offer more complete travel services at a fraction of the cost of developing an in-house solution,” said Steve Del Bosco, Vice-President, Marketing of VIA. “While we stay focused on providing great service to our 4 million annual travelers, WWTE provides an extremely compelling solution with seamless technology integration and outstanding customer service and support.”
WWTE’s online booking technology provides direct online access to Expedia’s wide selection of Canadian hotel properties and rental cars from the best-known global brands.
“Expedia is very pleased to be partnering with Canada’s leading passenger rail service to grow both of our businesses,” said Barney Harford, senior vice president of air, car and private label at Expedia, Inc. “This agreement demonstrates our commitment to providing our diverse group of travel partners with the tools and services needed to better serve their customers.”
About VIA Rail
VIA Rail Canada is the national passenger rail service. VIA transports some four million passengers per year, connecting over 450 communities from coast to coast. Its operations contribute significantly to the tourism sector, generating significant tourism spending throughout Canada. For a complete listing of train departures, on-board services as well as fare plans, visit VIA’s website at www.viarail.ca.. Passengers can book their tickets by calling 1-888-VIA-RAIL (1-888-842-7245), at kiosks in major Corridor stations or through their travel agents.
About WWTE
WWTE, operated by Travelscape, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Expedia, Inc., provides private label booking solutions for travel suppliers looking to enhance their product offerings. The WWTE private label solution gives travel suppliers the ability to enhance their own Web sites with industry leading cross-sell and dynamic packaging solutions offering access to highly competitive travel products and services. Additional information about WWTE can be found at www.wwte.com.. Expedia, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ: IACI). CST: 2029030-40
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