06/26/07
Wandrian, Inc. Appoints New CEO Bret Gordon
Newton, MA. Gordon leads innovation efforts to simplify the planning and purchase of train travel - Wandrian, Inc. today announced the appointment of its new chief executive officer and president, Bret Gordon, effective immediately. Gordon is charged with leading the business development, marketing, operations, and technology teams to leverage rapid growth through new markets, partnerships and geographic expansion.
Non-executive chairman of the board Tommaso Zanzotto commented, "Mr. Gordon brings to Wandrian the skills and experience required to manage our rapid growth and to build on the strategic opportunities the company enjoys in the field of rail technology and distribution."
Gordon joins the company with over fifteen years of senior management experience covering strategic planning, corporate management, finance and operations. Gordon, a Boston University graduate, led National Leisure Group's (NLG) successful launch of its dynamic packaging vacation business which connected 'best-in-class' technology partners and suppliers with private-label and owned distribution channels. NLG's packaging business powered premier consumer brands such as Sam's Club, Wal-Mart, Yahoo, Orbitz, Vacation Outlet and many more. Most recently, Gordon provided strategic consulting services to companies and private equity firms focused on the travel industry.
"Wandrian is enjoying a period of unprecedented growth as it benefits from the dynamic changes occurring within the rail industry. With high-speed train service expected to double within the next three years and rail companies leading the way for environmentally-responsible travel, Wandrian is able to deliver a consumer purchasing experience that validates traveling by train is a serious alternative to flying," stated Gordon. "I look forward to expanding Wandrian's organization, technology, and strategic partnerships to leverage this transformation of rail travel," he added.
About Wandrian Inc.
Wandrian is a leading global travel distributor and technology developer for rail products and services that provides consumers and travel agents with a cost-effective, easy-to-use site for booking global rail. The company provides its services to international rail travel sites, including Railpass.com, InternationalRail.com and Italiarail.com. Wandrian is based in Newton, MA and has offices in White Plains, NY, United Kingdom, and Australia. The Company was founded in 2000, and is funded by Brook Venture Partners and Boston Capital Ventures.
04/02/07
Italian Rail Network, Trenitalia, Improves Rail Services and Train Availability in 2007
Newton, MA. Train Travel in Italy is Easier and More Convenient Than Ever Before; Book at the Official US Trade Site for Trenitalia: RailAgent.com - Trenitalia updated its rail services for its domestic and international lines. The update strives to improve service and increase the convenience of train travel throughout Italy. Agents will find all updates and changes effective immediately at RailAgent.com, the official US trade booking site for Trenitalia.
"Rail is really the best way for your clients to visit Italy and truly experience the amazing country between the major cities," said Mike Fuller, President of Wandrian, the developer of RailAgent.com. "Trenitalia has made a major commitment to increasing the convenience, accessibility and environmental impact of taking the train, which makes it even more attractive for clients in 2007."
The most significant domestic changes in 2007 are:
- Rome - Bologna – Venice: Four new Eurostars added, as well as stops in Florence and Padua, taking the service up to 20 Eurostars a day.
- Milan – Venice: Two new Eurostars added, in addition to the 48 trains already running daily with connections every half hour.
- Genoa - Rome: Two new Eurostars, thanks to a change in direction of the current Eurostar 9307 (Turin - Rome) and 9306 (Rome - Turin), take the direct connections up to 16 between these cities.
- Eurostar City: The first Eurostar City was inaugurated on December 10th, 2006, a new type of train with completely renovated carriages that offer traveling comfort prevailing that of the Eurostars but at a lower price.
The most significant international changes in 2007 are:
- Italy - Austria Connections: EC 32/33 Allegro Stradivari: change of timetable and new stop at the Conegilano Station.
- Italy - Eastern Europe Connections: EC 52/53 Goldoni: discontinued. EN 240/241 Venice: new section as far as Belgrade.
- Italy - Nice, France Connections: EN Riviera Montecarlo - a new Florence-Nice connection with sleeper cars and couchettes, which up until 10/12/06 left from Napoli Centrale and Roma Ostiense, now also leaves from Roma Termini.
- Italy - Germany Connections: EC 188/189 "Val Gardena" extended as far as Verona.
- Italy - Switzerland Connections: Cisalpino 154/155: A new Trieste - Schaffausen connection following the transformation of the Eurostar 9490-9497 Tireste Milan into the Cisalpino Trieste - Milan, Zurich.Timetable: Departure from Trieste 6:30am and arrival in Zurich at 2:51pm. Departure from Zurich at 1:00pm and arrival in Trieste at 9:30pm. Discontinuation of Zurich - Stuttgart connections with Cisalpino. EN 313/314 Rome discontinuation of the Venice - Chiasso connections.
About Trenitalia
Trenitalia, the transport company of the Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato - Italy's state railways group, focuses on its customers for its business, and strives towards making its industrial structure increasingly more modern and efficient. This general goal commits it to becoming more flexible: to be able to acknowledge and act on the market's demands; and to succeed in quickly updating strategies and objectives.
About RailAgent.com
RailAgent.com is a website for travel agents that is a profitable and easy way to plan and book international rail travel for clients. Travel agents benefit from instant commission checks, powerful travel planning tools, and the widest selection of international rail passes. For further information, go to www.railagent.com.
About Wandrian, Inc.
Wandrian is a leading global travel distributor and technology developer for rail products and services that provides travel agents with a cost-effective, easy-to-use site for selling rail at RailAgent.com. The company provides its services to international rail travel sites, including InternationalRail.com and Italiarail.com. Wandrian, based in Newton, MA and with offices in White Plains, NY, was founded in 2000, and is funded by Brook Venture Partners and Boston Capital Ventures.
03/25/07
Booking International Rail Just Got Easier with New Version of Popular Trade Portal, RailAgent.com
Newton, MA. RailAgent 2.0 Now Offers the Best New Products, Commissions, Service and Technology for Travel Agents; Offers 10% Commissions Until April 15th, 2007 for Registered Agents - Wandrian, Inc. today announced a new version of its web booking portal for travel agents, RailAgent.com. RailAgent 2.0 now offers agency chains and home-based agents the easiest-to-use trip planning tools, the largest European and global rail inventory, and the most profit opportunities in the business. "The growth of RailAgent.com has been tremendous, with over 10,000 U.S. travel agencies using the site," said Mike Fuller, President of Wandrian, Inc., the developer of RailAgent.com. " RailAgent.com is the result of incorporating feedback from our large and varied user base to offer an even better rail booking experience – we expect to more than double the number of RailAgent.com users over the next 2-3 months."
New, Easy-to-Use Trip Planning Tools
RailAgent's latest technology provides more content and an advanced planning tool to help agents recommend the best combination of rail tickets and/or passes for their customers, based on specific itinerary and traveler information. Other new content and tools include detailed reporting functionality on commissions and sales; exclusive on-line and phone technical support; and country and route maps, schedules and detailed train information.
The Largest Inventory
RailAgent.com now has the largest depth and breadth of global rail products with the addition of live connectivity to Eurostar and Spanish Rail tickets, as well as access to Rail Australia and Via Rail Canada products. This inventory is in addition to being recognized as the best source for Italian rail and other European point-to-point tickets, as well as other rail products such as Amtrak rail passes, Britrail, Eurail and Japan Rail.
More Profit for Agents
Railagent.com offers highly competitive commissions on point-to-point tickets and rail passes; more importantly, RailAgent.com is often 10%-30% cheaper on European point-to-point tickets than its closest competitor, making it more profitable for agents to sell rail. Railagent.com also offers agents the ability to add a booking fee and mails out commission checks the same day the order is placed. To encourage agents to "Cross Over to RailAgent," the site offers 10% commission on Eurail Global Passes, Eurail Global Passes Flexi and Eurail Select Passes for all new bookings until April 15th, 2007. All registration processes are on www.RailAgent.com.
The Best Service
RailAgent is in the business of supporting the agents and is proud of its efficient and friendly service. RailAgent.com also takes phone calls at 1 888 RAIL 444.
About RailAgent.com
RailAgent.com is a website for travel agents that is a profitable and easy way to plan and book international rail travel for clients. Travel agents benefit from instant commission checks, powerful travel planning tools, and the widest selection of international rail passes. For further information, go to www.railagent.com.
About Wandrian, Inc.
Wandrian is a leading global travel distributor and technology developer for rail products and services. Wandrian provides travel agents with a cost-effective, easy-to-use site for selling rail at RailAgent.com. The company provides technology, marketing, and fulfillment services to help lower distribution costs for railways and travel companies, and also powers specific international rail travel sites, including InternationalRail.com and Italiarail.com. Wandrian, based in Newton, MA and with offices in White Plains, NY, was founded in 2000, and is funded by Brook Venture Partners and Boston Capital Ventures. The company's customers and partners include many of the top international travel companies and railroads. For more information, visit www.wandrian.com or call 617-630-0250 ext. 297.
Wandrian, Railpass.com, RailAgent.com and RailAgent are trademarks of Wandrian, Inc. All other products and services are trademarks of their respective companies.
02/21/07
Amadeus signs international rail distribution agreement with Wandrian
Madrid, Spain. Amadeus RailAgent will enable travel agents to book global rail tickets through the Amadeus display - Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, today announced it signed an exclusive deal with Wandrian, a global rail specialist, to distribute rail internationally. Through the advanced web-based system Amadeus RailAgent, travel agents have online connectivity and tools enabling them to book global rail passes and point-to-point tickets for travel in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and more. Amadeus RailAgent offers high-speed trains and scenic trains such as Eurostar, Trenitalia, BritRail, Thalys, TGV, ICE, VIA Rail, Rail Australia. Agents also earn generous commissions by accessing the widest selection of global rail passes on the Amadeus display. Popular rail passes include Eurail, BritRail, Amtrak, VIA Rail, Japan Rail, Australia Rail and more. Amadeus RailAgent is integrated into the travel agent's back-office system for tracking, accounting and billing purposes.
"I never sold rail before and couldn't believe how easy it was. The site has tools to help me choose the most appropriate product for my clients. The best part was that I got my tickets and commission check in the same week. If I had known it was this easy, I would have sold rail a long time ago," said Bob.
Amadeus RailAgent gives travel agents access to a comprehensive range of rail content including availabilities, schedules, maps, images, destination and local weather information. The user-friendly interface includes a state-of-the-art rail planning tool, which allows travel agents to produce a customised itinerary for travellers; the system also allows booking and payment for inter-modal itineraries (combining air, rail and car) in the same platform. These features enable agents to offer complete and tailored service to each customer, enhance satisfaction, and increase customer loyalty.
"Providing innovative e-commerce solutions that facilitate the distribution of rail tickets is an integral part of our strategy and we feel that this partnership with Amadeus will bring travel agents a rounded solution to enable the effective sale of rail tickets while fulfilling their back-office needs," says Mike Fuller, President of Wandrian.
Albert Pozo, Managing Director at Travel & Leisure Amadeus stated: "This agreement with Wandrian is testament to our dedication to provide sophisticated IT solutions to travel agents. The rail market is an important and growing market, and with 2007 bringing the completion of three missing links in Europe's 186mph rail network, it is vital that we provide travel agents the choice and the tools to effectively serve their customers before they go abroad."
New Amadeus benefits include:
- Instant Commissions
- Live Connectivity to European Railroads
- Lowest Prices for Clients
- Access to a Powerful Rail Planning Tool
- Express shipping to your office or direct to clients
- Agency keeps the Fees
- Fast & Friendly Service
- Simple to Use
- Clear Payment System
- Helpful Training Modules
02/20/07
RailAgent.com Launches State of the Art Rail Booking Functionality
Newton, MA. RailAgent 2.0 New Tools, Products, Functionality, and Technology to be the premier site for agents to sell rail - RailAgent.com, today announced the launch of RailAgent 2.0, a new and improved source for agencies and home-based agents to book international rail tickets and passes. RailAgent.com listened to the feedback of its agents and incorporated their suggestions into RailAgent 2.0.
Based on web 2.0 functionality and design, the new RailAgent.com offers features like interactive maps, more content and images, advanced planning tools that calculate the best combination of tickets and passes, live connectivity to European railroads, and an extensive selection of rail products worldwide.
"We spent the past 6 months revamping our site to accommodate the needs of rail agents around the world and are excited to launch the new RailAgent 2.0," said Mike Fuller, President of Wandrian, Inc. "RailAgent.com has been well received and is gaining big accounts. More than 8,000 travel agents have "Crossed Over" to RailAgent.com in 2006; and we have been selected as the preferred source for rail for certain Consortia. Wandrian expects wonderful outcomes with RailAgent 2.0 for 2007."
RailAgent 2.0 is aligned with RailAgent’s "MORE" strategy to win the trust of the agents by offering them: MORE Products, MORE Service, MORE Technology, and MORE Profits from selling rail.
MORE Products: RailAgent.com was already recognized as being the best source for Italian rail and other European point to point tickets. RailAgent.com also offered an array of rail products such as Amtrak rail passes, Britrail, Eurail and Japan Rail. In addition, RailAgent 2.0 offers live connectivity to Eurostar, Spanish tickets as well as access to the Rail Australia and Via Rail Canada products, making it the largest source of global rail.
MORE Service: RailAgent is in the business of supporting the agents and is proud of its efficient and friendly service. RailAgent.com also takes phone calls at 1 888 RAIL 444.
MORE Technology: RailAgent 2.0 offers more efficiency, speed, and increased ease of booking with the launch of this state of the art booking tool.
MORE Profits: Railagent.com offers highly competitive commissions on point-to-point tickets and rail passes; more importantly, RailAgent.com is often 10%-30% cheaper on European point-to-point tickets than their closest competitor, making it more profitable for agents to sell rail. Railagent.com also offers agents the ability to add a booking fee and mails out the commission checks the same day the order is placed.
To encourage agents to "Cross Over to RailAgent", the site offers 10% commission on Eurail Global Passes, Eurail Global Passes Flexi, and Eurail Select Passes for all new bookings until March 31, 2007. All registration processes are on www.RailAgent.com
About RailAgent.com
RailAgent.com is a website for travel agents that provides a profitable, easy way to plan and book international rail travel for clients. Travel agents benefit from instant commission checks, powerful travel planning tools, and the widest selection of international rail passes. For further information, go to www.railagent.com.
About Wandrian, Inc.
Wandrian is a leading global travel distributor and technology developer for rail products and services. It provides technology, marketing, and fulfillment services to help lower distribution costs for railways and travel companies, and also powers specific international rail travel sites, including Italiarail.com. Wandrian, based in Newton, MA with offices in White Plains, NY, was founded in 2000, and is funded by Brook Venture Partners and Boston Capital Ventures. The company’s customers and partners include many of the top international travel companies and railroads. For more information visit www.wandrian.com or call 617-630-0250 ext. 297.
Wandrian, RailAgent.com and RailAgent are trademarks of Wandrian, Inc. All other products and services are trademarks of their respective companies.
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