TRAVELOCITY

Founded in March 1996 by Terry Jones, Travelocity was the first online provider of consumer-direct travel services for leisure and business. Pioneering a new trend in the tourism business, in its first three months of operation, Travelocity reported 1.2 million visits and had 144,000 people register at the site. Travelocity grew from a strategy of offering compelling travel content and selling airline tickets, to allying with travel agents, and within four years they had built 12,000 customized websites to help agencies handle online bookings. By 2000 the company had over 21.6 million registered users and began a process of expansion outside of the US, starting with sites in Canada, Germany and the UK and most recently launching in Mexico and Argentina

Travelocity aims to differentiate itself through its superior level of customer service. It defines itself as the “customer’s champion” and has created its own Customer Bill of Rights which forms the basis of the company’s business strategy. The Bill sets out seven guarantees to its customers – from the right to best overall value, to the right to be inspired by your travel company. Constant innovation is also key to its success. Recent examples include a travel service tool for the I-Phone which includes a “hotels near me” service, together with an “Experience Finder” tool which won the Tourist Industry Association’s “Innovator of the Year” award. Today Travelocity not only maintains its position as a leader in online travel services, but does so through a commitment to innovation and a special focus on customer satisfaction.