Special airfares for Students from Abacus and STA Travel

Students can now get special rate airfares ticketed through Abacus connected travel agencies in Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Philippines following an agreement signed between Abacus International and STA Travel.

STA Travel representatives in Asia Pacific can now issue Student Air Travel Association (SATA) tickets through the Abacus Reservations System like normal Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) tickets using Abacus host commands.

STA Travel is a SATA member and has a network of over 450 travel agencies globally, serving over 2.5 million students a year. SATA is an international membership association of student travel agencies who share a commitment to provide affordable and accessible travel to young people. This new agreement will facilitate STA Travel Representatives in Asia Pacific to service their student travelers with greater ease.

"Abacus International is delighted to be in partnership with STA Travel to support STA Travel's global IT solution, by offering a seamless interface to the core SATA ticketing system. With this new functionality added to the Abacus System, our agency subscribers are able to sell and issue SATA tickets using one single application.

It also means less administrative and accounting work for our subscribers since the ticket numbers will be sent to the airlines in the correct airline format and all information about the tickets will be sent to STA Travel, similar to what we are doing currently for BSP tickets. There will be no more hassles of sending audit coupons with sales report except for refunds, credit values and reissues.

We are also working with STA Travel to offer this service to more travel agencies across the region over the next few months," said Mr. Kenneth Low, Vice President, Marketing, Abacus International.

Lim Joon Kiat, Director, Asian Partnership Development, STA Travel said the initiative was good news for both students and STA Travel representatives. 

"Student and youth travelers have a specific need for flexibility and often change plans or make new ones on the road. STA Travel is constantly looking out for potential partners like Abacus International in harnessing technologies to remain competitive and provide an integrated solution. Our partnership with Abacus will facilitate our distribution network to more easily service the emerging students market almost anywhere they go. It is our firm belief that giving customers convenient access to products and services via mix channels, together with trusted professional advice, will go a long way in meeting their requirements."

Student travellers under 26, and those who possess valid identification including the International Student Identity Card (ISIC), International Youth Identity Card (IYIC) and the International Teacher Identity Card (ITIC), are eligible to buy special SATA tickets.

List of Appointed STA Travel Representatives serviced by this initiative:

* Brunei -- Anthony Tours & Travel
* Hong Kong -- Sincerity Travel 
* India -- STIC Travel
* Indonesia -- PT Pacto Holidays Tours
* Philippines -- Blue Horizons