Amadeus Vacation Link debuts as free all-in-one leisure booking portal

Travel professionals can get it FREE now at www.amadeusvacationlink.com

Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, today announced the market-wide availability of Amadeus Vacation Link for travel professionals in the U.S. and Canada. A free, one-stop booking portal, Amadeus Vacation Link enables travel agents to book high-profit, commissionable vacation travel for their clients including cruises, shore excursions, tours, consolidator fares, rail, activities and entertainment, and much more.

Using Amadeus Vacation Link, travel professionals also gain access to world-class travel content, including visa and passport information, driving directions, restaurant recommendations, subway maps and traveler alerts. All features of Amadeus Vacation Link are available free to travel professionals in North America regardless of their GDS affiliation.

'Travel professionals told us they need to make money, save time, and better serve their customers,' said Tom Cates, Chief Commercial Officer, Amadeus North America. 'We are always looking for opportunities to provide the industry with innovative solutions, and Amadeus Vacation Link gives travel agents a 'direct connection' to booking profitable leisure travel.'

With Amadeus Vacation Link, travel agents have access to:

Amadeus Cruise: Direct access to the reservation systems of multiple cruise lines from a single screen. Real-time, accurate booking capabilities from 18 cruise providers worldwide, representing 90% of all bookable cruises.

Shore Excursions: Quality, commissionable excursions at discounted prices bookable in advance. Also the ability to provide custom-designed excursions, transfers, beach parties, dining options, golf, tennis, water sports and more.

Amadeus Tours: Give customers the complete travel experience by customizing comprehensive, budget-friendly vacations with access to cost-effective travel tour offerings. Powered in the U.S. by VAX Vacation Access and in Canada by Soft Voyage.

Amadeus Activities & Entertainment: Connect to thousands of premier travel products at over 400 destinations. Book airport transfers, adventure trips, theater or sporting tickets or city sightseeing tours. E-mail customized travel guides, with all bookings made tracked to your agency so you receive commission credit.

Amadeus RailAgent*: Book high-speed and scenic trains including Amtrak, Eurostar, BritRail, and more. Earn generous commissions on global rail passes including the Orient Express, Trans Siberian Express and The Rocky Mountaineer. (*RailAgent via Amadeus Vacation Link is only available to U.S. customers at this time.)

Amadeus Consolidator Shopper: Find the best consolidator and published airfares simultaneously using the industry's only Web-based consolidator booking tool that allows you to easily search and compare the fares of multiple consolidators in real-time. Customizable so you can personalize your invoices & itineraries.

Agent tools and resources: Integrated agency desktop tools and services, including office applications, travel planning resources and administration.

Amadeus e-University(R): Online training portal packed with time-saving tips, guided courses and a complete online suite of reference materials for 24/7 learning.

For current Amadeus Cruise stand-alone customers, the migration to Amadeus Vacation Link is free of charge and seamless: the stand-alone version of Amadeus Cruise has been incorporated into the updated Amadeus Vacation Link, providing even greater value. The portal is easy to learn and operate for all users, with no cryptic entries or training required. Up-to-the-minute pricing and 24/7 real-time availability ensure accurate and efficient booking.

For more information or to sign up for FREE Amadeus Vacation Link, visit www.amadeusvacationlink.com or contact Amadeus at 1-888-AMADEUS or salesinquiries@amadeus.com.

About Amadeus
Amadeus is the chosen technology partner for providers, sellers, and buyers of travel. The company provides distribution, IT and point-of-sale solutions to help its customers adapt, grow and succeed in the fast changing travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (airlines, hotels, car rental companies, railway companies, ferry lines, cruise lines, insurance companies and tour operators), travel sellers (travel agencies) and travel buyers (corporations and travelers). Solutions are grouped in four solution categories - Distribution & Content, Sales & e-Commerce, Business Management and Services & Consulting.

Amadeus has central sites in Madrid (corporate headquarters & marketing), Nice (development) and Erding (Operations - data processing centre) and regional offices in Miami, Buenos Aires and Bangkok. Amadeus maintains customer operations in 76 countries covering more than 215 markets. Amadeus employs over 7,800 employees worldwide, representing 95 nationalities.

More information about Amadeus is available at: www.amadeus.com


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