Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : IFLY - travel sales on the web pure play -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IFLYer who wrote (3967)	1/19/1999 5:47:00 AM
From: IFLYer	Respond to of 4761

The company plan was laid out back in April in the CBSMarketWatch and The Street.com interviews and it was followed exactly to the details. cbs.marketwatch.com The site will include an interactive chat feature in which users will be able to talk to one of the company's agents to close a purchase. "We believe the missing piece is the individual," Mastrini said. "We feel there's been resistance to buying tickets online because contact with an individual hasn't been possible." It's amazing that 8 months ago, this company already had the vision about the benefits of an interactive site while recently other internet companies start to realize it. See this Jupiter report: dailynews.yahoo.com In part to prepare for the Internet plans, the company is looking to add about 1,000 agents to its current staff of 150, Mastrini said. This is currently underway with 2 training sessions for new agents at two call centers according to posts by people who called the company. But Mastrini said he's confident that the company's personalized service can be successful. "We've yet to see anyone selling tickets over the Internet make money," he said. "There may be a cost advantage (to not offering customers help from live agents) but if you're not generating additional revenue by reducing the cost, then you don't really have an advantage." This is exactly what the IRIS has provided. Most people who have tried the IRIS are happy and impressed. It provided a fast and lazy way to shop for the best airfare, and later other travel plans as well. The travel agents do all the work by suggesting alternative itineraries and flight time to save the fare, while all the customers need to do is to accept or decline. It's true that no single internet travel company has yet to make money, and there is no reason to get rid of the reservation agents to simply make less money. Despite what the naysayers want to believe, this company makes on the average 15% commission while other travel internet companies make only 5%. From The Street.com: Message 4110801 We were probably the best-kept secret in the airline business because people will always think that nobody can do it any better than Sabre or Apollo," Chairman Warde told Dow Jones, referring to the two large airline-reservation systems, Sabre Group Holdings Inc. (TSG), and Apollo Travel Services, which Galileo International Inc. (GLC) bought from UAL Corp. (UAL) last year. That's right, the IRIS is superior to what Sabre has provided in its base system. Mark Mastrini, president and chief operating officer of 800 Travel, said the company is coming "very close" to finalizing its Internet plans. "We are talking to several people who are considered major players on the Internet, and we feel a relationship with one of those agencies will do the trick for us." One of the major players on the Internet is Sabre as we all know already. Without such relationship, this company cannot build a software that can produce 900 lowest quotes to the reservation agent in a matter of seconds. There is no doubt that there will be more relationships with other companies that will be announced.