Star Alliance spearheads development of multi-carrier wireless travel support
Star Alliance spearheads development of multi-carrier wireless travel support Star Alliance announced the immediate roll-out of downloadable , automatically updated timetables for PC's and personal digital assistants displaying the more than 9,000 daily flights operated by the Star Alliance member airlines at a meeting of its Chief Executive Board in London today. - Extensive research confirms that our key customers, who are the frequent international travelers, use technology and expect us to give them the technological solutions that can simplify their travel. We will deliver a service that allows them to easily interact globally with Star Alliance around the clock, seven days a week, using devices with which they are familiar, said Paul Van Doninck, Director, Star Alliance Seamless Service and Product Development. Star Alliance plans to implement electronic services step-by-step. It has positioned its public website www.staralliance.com as a portal for the new services. The website has a new visual design and has been enhanced so that users will find it easy to navigate and use. - Our members have a clear understanding of customer needs in different regions of the world and have developed wireless services that specifically address those needs. We are going to leverage the partner airlines' technical and regional expertise to offer electronic services worldwide and across the alliance. The global Star Alliance offerings will comprise the best of what our individual members are providing in their home markets, with additional Star Alliance-specific services. These support services will be available no matter how many borders are being crossed or how many alliance partners are included in the customer's itinerary. It will be a major step forward in our efforts to provide seamless service to frequent international travelers, said Paul Van Doninck. Star Alliance was established in May 1997. Current members of the global airline partnership include SAS, Air Canada, the Air New Zealand Group ( Air New Zealand and Ansett Australia), ANA- All Nippon Airways, the Austrian Airlines Group ( Austrian Airlines, Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airways), bmi british midland, Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines and VARIG Brazilian Airlines. Together the Star Alliance members serve 894 airports in 129 countries with a combined fleet of more than 2,000 aircraft. For further information contact: Paul Van Doninck, Director, Star Alliance Seamless Service and Product Development. Mobile: +46 70 997 54 75 SAS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/03/30/20010330BIT00450/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/03/30/20010330BIT00450/bit0001.pdf