Australia's Travel Agents set internet usage record

In a milestone for the Australian travel industry, agents used the internet more than they used CRS to access the Concorde SmartFares database during August, 2002.

Smartravel Solutions, which operates SmartFares for the Concorde Group, revealed today that 55 per cent of fare enquiries during August were via the internet - the first time in Australia that online enquiries to SmartFares have surpassed traditional CRS searches.

And the General Manager of Smartravel Solutions, Mr Richard Noon, predicted that the percentage of Australia's travel agents accessing SmartFares via the internet would reach 65 per cent by the end of 2002, growing to a massive 80 per cent by the end of 2003.

"The internet has now arrived well and truly for Australia's travel agents," said Mr Noon. "Once it was regarded by many as a threat, but today it is increasingly becoming the communications channel of choice. This is not only a first for the Australian travel industry - it is a major milestone."

SmartFares is the leading air fares database in the Australasian region and one of the most advanced systems in the world, containing millions of fares negotiated with airlines or constructed by the Concorde Group.

"It is not new that SmartFares has become the preferred database of Australia's travel agents for identifying the most competitive air fares based on airline of choice, schedules, date of travel or specific routes," said Mr Noon.

"What is new and exciting is that the trend towards internet access to SmartFares has been growing steadily and now, for the first time, Australia's travel agents are preferring the net over the trusty CRS green screens.

"Not only does this mean that travel agents have become comfortable with the internet. It means that agencies increasingly are investing in online technology, and that consultants see internet-based trading as the way of the future."

SmartFares features an easy-to-use screen display, which presents the colour logo of each airline any specific details of fares offered on particular routes.

In addition to fare searches, SmartFares offers the new Fare Matrix feature, in which it searches automatically for the lowest fare on a specified route.

Mr Noon said even more refinements were planned for the SmartFares system in coming weeks, making life even easier for travel agents.