Unicard Travel Insurance and Viator Destination Activities Now Bookable through Galileo E-Agent™ Internet Portal

Galileo Agents Have Access to New Commissionable Content to Provide Value-Added Service

Galileo International (NYSE:GLC), a leading provider of electronic global distribution services to the travel industry, today announced the addition of two content providers on its Galileo e-Agent Internet portal for travel agents: Viator, a destination tour and activities distributor, and Unicard, a travel insurance provider. Agents can view and book commissionable inventory with both vendors immediately.

Galileo e-Agent is the exclusive Internet portal for travel agents that integrates Internet travel-related information and content for convenient and efficient bookings via the Viewpoint™ platform. Bookings made through Galileo e-Agent are viewable as part of the primary traveler’s Viewpoint itinerary along with air, car rental, hotel and other bookings, providing travel agents with a single source of information from which to service their customers.

“We are excited to be adding two new suppliers to Galileo e-Agent,” said Joan Dienst, vice president, Sales and Marketing. “With Galileo e-Agent, suppliers have a valuable opportunity to reach thousands of travel agents with their unique product and service offerings.”

“As traveler demands become more sophisticated, Galileo continues to provide new content that extends the value and service offerings of the agency,” said Galileo’s Babetta Gray, executive vice president, Subscriber Sales and Service. “Traditionally, researching and booking destination activities and travel insurance has been a time-consuming, cumbersome process for travel agents. Unicard’s and Viator’s availability through Galileo e-Agent is an ideal complement to traditional travel products offered by travel agents. It empowers travel agents to enhance customer service while increasing productivity, enabling agents to earn the highest commissions in the travel industry.”

With access to Unicard's Travel Protection Plans via Galileo e-Agent, travel agents can purchase Unicard travel insurance for their customers and receive an immediate online Confirmation in just seconds. Agents using Galileo e-Agent are guaranteed to receive a 30 percent commission on travel insurance booked through Unicard, even if the customer cancels the plan for a covered reason.

“Galileo e-Agent’s link with Unicard replaces the tedious paper applications for travel insurance with just a few clicks,” said Laura Owen, president of Unicard. “At last, travel agents can provide speedy insurance service and accommodate last minute travelers’ travel insurance needs.”

Unicard is the first travel insurance supplier available through Galileo e-Agent and is available to Galileo travel agents worldwide. Unlike most travel insurance products, Unicard Travel Protection Plans are valid for residents of any country. Today, travel agents can view Unicard’s English language version site. A Spanish version will be added in fourth quarter 2001.

Through Galileo e-Agent’s link with Viator, travel agents worldwide will have direct access to more than 12,000 destination activities in more than 37 countries within Europe, Asia Pacific and North America. Viator’s database of global suppliers places at agents’ fingertips, photos, descriptions and booking capability for activities such as sightseeing tours, theatre tickets, diving excursions, scenic cruises, whale watching, helicopter tours and a wide range of local attractions.

Travel agents can generate additional revenue from booking activities in advance so travelers don’t have to waste precious time researching and booking tickets for activities once they arrive at their destinations.

“Through Galileo e-Agent, Viator is helping to meet a market need for easily accessible and bookable destination products from a broad assortment of global suppliers,” said Rod Cuthbert, Viator CEO. “Our cutover to Galileo e-Agent has gone very smoothly and we’re anticipating increased bookings as agents discover how easily they can now book destination products that were previously unavailable to them or required extensive effort to locate, while earning commissions.”