Saudi Arabian Airlines, Air India and Air Yemenia are the latest three airlines to implement e-ticketing via Galileo, a leading global distribution system (GDS) and subsidiary of Travelport.

 Galileo-connected agents worldwide will now be able to transmit ticket information directly to the databases of the three airlines, enabling passengers to check in and board their flights without a paper ticket.

 Bruce Hanna, President & CEO, Galileo India commented, Â"Despite the fact that the IATA target to become e-ticket compliant has been extended to 31 May 2008, airlines still need to plan now in order to be prepared for the deadline. Now that we can provide e-tickets for Saudi Arabian Airlines, Air India and Air Yemenia via our GDS, we have activated virtually all carriers from the list of Top 100 ticket volume producers. We expect to announce further activations very shortly.Â"

The European Commission adopted the latest Community list of airlines banned in the European Union.

 The measures adopted by the Commission include bans on:

Galileo, a leading global distribution system (GDS) and subsidiary of Travelport, has announced the launch of Galileo Traversa. Initially offered by Galileo Americas for customers with English-speaking employees worldwide, this next generation corporate booking tool integrates the ease-of-use and familiarity of one of the worldÂ's most famous leisure online booking platforms with the control and content corporate travel requires, offering the best of both worlds to corporate travelers and corporations.

Galileo Traversa is planned to be rolled out by IBM, which played a key role in the development of this leading edge corporate travel booking tool.  By the end of Q4, it will be available in six languages. Currently it is offered in U.S. English, U.K. English, French Canadian and European French – German and European Spanish coming later this year –  and available in the 234 currencies supported by the Galileo GDS.

Â"Galileo Traversa delivers the best of all worlds to travel managers, corporations and ultimately their travelers: a booking tool already known to millions, enabling instant adoption, high productivity, increased traveler satisfaction, and fewer low-value calls to the agency, all of which can amount to measurable cost savings,Â" said Dave Falter, president, Galileo by Travelport, The Americas. Â"We are particularly proud to premiere Galileo Traversa because it sets a new standard in the corporate booking tool arena, and we are delighted to be in this enviable market position. Whether the issue is savings, high adoption, policy control or productivity, Galileo Traversa helps companies take advantage of leading edge travel technology to reap benefits every day.Â"

Wyndham Hotel Group today announced that the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand will be introduced to the United Kingdom with the conversion of The Conrad London, the five-star, all-suite hotel of Hilton Hotels Corporation, to The Wyndham London–Chelsea Harbour.

A Wyndham Hotel Group International subsidiary, Chelsea Harbour Management Inc., will operate the 160-unit hotel under a 20-year agreement with the owner, Blue Harbour 2 Ltd., a privately held entity in the United Kingdom.

Â"After an extensive search, we selected the Wyndham brand for our marquee London hotel and the company behind the brand -- Wyndham Hotel Group International -- to manage it,Â" said Pat Power, director, Blue Harbour 2 Ltd.  Â"We are proud to introduce this widely recognized brand name to the United Kingdom.Â"

TravelPartner, a leader in the online travel market based in Stockholm, Sweden, and global travel technology provider Worldspan jointly announced that they have extended their e-commerce IT and travel distribution partnership.

Through a new agreement, TravelPartner will continue to use the Worldspan global distribution system (GDS) and Web- based travel technologies to build on the success of its full-service, online travel agency business. TravelPartner provides B2C services to travellers throughout the Scandinavian region, and the company recently expanded its online platform with Web sites serving additional European markets.

Since 2002, TravelPartner has provided its growing customer base with access to millions of fares from hundreds of airlines, including low-cost carriers, through an interface to the Worldspan GDS. The state-of-the-art connection to Worldspan is achieved using Worldspan Universal Messaging (UM) technology, which provides travel buyers real-time access to flights, availability and fares, as well as advanced booking tools, instant booking confirmations, secure transaction processing and e-ticketing. Buyers also enjoy the power and cost-savings of Worldspan e-Pricing(SM) technology, amongst the travel industry's most advanced low-fare shopping tools.

London, England, U.K., and Chicago, IL, USA, August 20, 2007 -- ebookers, a leading full service online travel company in Europe, has re-launched its U.K. website (http://www.ebookers.co.uk/) offering customers greater functionality and a better user experience. 

ebookers (http://www.ebookers.com/) is a brand of Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: OWW) that operates in 13 countries across Europe and Scandinavia, including the brand Mr. Jet (http://www.mrjet.se/) in Denmark and Sweden.

The new website aims to make booking decisions easier through simpler navigation and more product choice.  As an example, ebookers has tripled the number of hotels available within its inventory. Authentic hotel user reviews from thousands of properties and additional information about traveller destinations, including more hotel photos and maps also have been added.  Built on a new global technology platform, ebookers will offer customers greater speed in searching and booking.

Flood warnings, record levels of rain and below average temperatures have encouraged Brits to ditch the umbrella and pull out the suitcase this summer. Holiday bookings having increased this summer as we have turned our backs on the dismal weather.

As the holiday season comes to an end, ebookers.com have launched an 'End of Season Sale', offering getaways from as little as £150. Start your Christmas shopping early in Madrid for £163 or further a field in New York for just £355. If it's a tan you're after chase the sun to Mallorca for 7 nights for only £196.

See below for some other fantastic getaways

	Dublin, Ireland – 3 nights from £150 Staying at the 3 Star Ardmore, a superb location which is convenient to both Dublin City and Dublin Airport Flying with bmi from London Heathrow Departing 24th September, returning 27th September 2007
	Lisbon, Portugal – 3 nights from £154 Staying at the 3 Star Res Jardim D'Amadora, with good access by train, and bus to the Lisbon city centre Flying with Iberia from London Heathrow Departing 20th September, returning 23rd September 2007
	Madrid, Spain – 3 nights from £163 Staying at the 3 Star Leganes Madrid, located in the centre of Leganes and just 15 minutes from Madrid Flying with British Airways from London Departing 20th September, returning 23rd September 2007
	Mallorca, Spain – 7 nights from £290 Staying at the 3 Star Floramar, located in the south of Menorca, 250 metres from Cala Galdana white sandy beach and the commercial centre Flying with Monarch from Manchester Departing 28th September, returning 5th October 2007
	New York– 5 nights from £355 Staying at the 3 Star Wellesley Inn Whippany, offering a convenient location near the Washington Headquarters, Mennan Arena, and other area attractions Flying with British Airways from London Heathrow Departing 20th September, returning 25th September 2007

The launch of the new website is supported by ebookers.com introducing a customer centric identity and the site's improved functionality.

Parent company Orbitz Worldwide has set a new position for the ebookers.com brand. Its significant investment created a new logo, reflecting the values of the company.

The re-brand, ebookers is supported by a multimedia campaign under the new strap line 'smart bookers are ebookers'. It was launched on 10th September that positions the brand as the choice for travel savvy customers. 

Ebookers is regarded as one of the best and ideal sites to avail information regarding cheap flights around the globe. The ease of navigation is heightened by a special flight-search facility on its homepage. Once you give the details of your journey, which includes "from and where" details and also the "time and date" details, the facility provided by ebookers quickly does the calculation to give you the best suited flights for your desired routes.

Once you make the choice from these results, the site provides its price and also a quote for car hire, which you perhaps will need when you reach your desired destination. Some extra features also provide an 'airline legroom chart', which is handy if you're going for long-haul flights. With a comprehensive database about hotels, insurance, currency and airport parking, you can rest assured that once you land on the website of ebookers, you will have complete information that would be needed or related to your flight. You can even go on to find the weather conditions of your destination, which of course is very-very helpful to plan your visits, more so if you are allergic to some weather conditions. You can also avail the choice of an electronic ticket, which of course is a good option to save paper and thus contribute towards green tourism; however, you will need to check with the particular airline, as all airlines do not accept electronic tickets.

Overall, ebookers stand as one of the best sites that you will find as a ultimate destination for finding information about cheap flights.

A research released today shows that as many as one in four people living in the UK will be going out of the nation over the period of Christmas.

Ebookers.com conducted a survey of 8,000 holidaymakers in which it was found that about fifteen per cent of its clients say that they always prefer to go away over the Christmas period, and around 23 per cent will be going out for the first time at this year's Christmas.

Warm weather and Beaches offer a big draw for the holidaymakers who prefer to go away on during the Christmas time: 42 per cent of those surveyed say that catching the winter sun is the major reason why they love to go away.

Holidaymakers making bookings for their hotel accommodation via the online travel service provider, ebookers will be able to enjoy savings of up to 60 per cent on the normal charges of hotel, as well as bed & breakfast accommodation.

These special offers may attract Britons who are planning to go on a short break within the UK or Ireland, or the holidaymakers looking for a weekend stay at a famous continental tourist destination in Europe.

In fact, some of the most attractive deals are available in London-the city which is known for notoriously expensive hotel accommodations. Ebookers, however, presents travellers from all over the world good deal prices for high quality hotel accommodation.

If you are looking for winter breaks from London, you should not bother your brain over planning. Ebookers.com provides you a plethora of such short break options that you can just plan your trip and set-go. There are beautiful weekend offers that can enliven you up for your work and business environment that has robbed you down of your creativity. If you would like unwind in the countryside or may wish to explore a thriving city, ebookers.com has it all for you.

To Dublin: Weekend breaks to Dublin from London including 3 nights flight + hotel with the cost of £149. This is one of the best options for short-breaks and also for the concept of responsible tourism, which UK holidaymakers love to address. Non-stop flights are offered by bmi, british airways; while two or more stops would be taken by flights of aer lingus, and multiple airlines.

To Paris: If you have desire to visit one of the most beautiful cities of the world, weekend breaks to Paris from London include 3 nights flight + hotel in £159. Non-stop flights are offered by Air France and British Airways.

It has come out that annual two-week holidays are an event of the times of yore, with an increasing number of Brits going for short breaks in the sun and weekends away.

According to a poll conducted by travel firm ebookers, just twenty-seven per cent of travellers wanted to go for a long break this year, with a large number of holidaymakers choosing either a city break or a short week in the sun.

TravelMole reports that around 4 per cent of people will not be taking any breaks this summer, which shows that the holiday season can see a bit of dip trend this time of the year in England.

Through a recent agreement, Viva Voyage, the highly reputed cruise retailer based in North America has arranged for ebookers to power their brand new cruise channel offering.

Most notably, Viva Voyage follows Orbitz's cruise channel, which is the US-based sister company to ebookers and powered by the company. Viva Voyage both owns and operates the ebookers.cruises.com. Viva Voyage is a member of ABTA. In powering the new site, links will be provided directly to the homepage of ebookers. However, according to the present plan, the website will stand on its own.

Customers can enjoy easy access to the call centre of Viva Voyage. Notably, this call centre has highly extended hours of operation than most other cruise specialists in the UK. Over and above, the staff is available for the customers to discuss the options right from 09:00 until 02:00, Monday through Friday, On Saturdays and Sundays, the opening hours are from 10:00 to 23:00.

In a significant move, Orbitz.com and ebookers.com have made all their contents and offerings available to all MSN travel customers - including the facilities to book for air, cruises, cars, hotels and vacation packages.

MSN Travel States was launched on 1st July that enables the U.S. customers with the benefit of 'Price Assurance' service offered by Orbitz.com. According to this scheme, if another Orbitz's customer books a particular itinerary at a lower price, this scheme shall make a refund of the difference in the airfare cost. In addition, the site also offers a highly innovative service called OrbitzTLC, which alerts the customers with updates pertaining to their trip information through email, message, or phone. UK customers can also take the benefit of ebookers.com's 'Price Guarantee' for availing the refund if a customer finds a better price somewhere else. In addition, customers can also benefit from a wide range of accommodation choice with attractive discounts of up to 60%.

Steve Barnhart, Orbitz Worldwide CEO and president observed, "Our partnership with MSN will provide additional visibility and traffic to both Orbitz.com and ebookers.com, strengthening growth in both the United States and the United Kingdom. As one of the largest Internet destinations in the world, MSN represents another significant win for growing our co-branded distribution."