ITA Software, Inc., the leading provider of innovative Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to the airline industry, today announced that Alitalia successfully launched the multi–destination search capability within ITA Software´s QPX, the industry´s premier management system for airfare pricing and shopping. By further expanding its use of QPX, Alitalia has delivered its innovative "Ideas for your travels" search feature, enabling customers to find inspiring travel destinations backed by its "Best Price Guarantee" at http://www.alitalia.com.
QPX´s multi–destination search capability allows travelers to pick their preferred departure city and obtain pricing and availability of airfares for multiple destinations, including vacation themes such as "Italian seaside resorts" and "Italian art cities." Travelers can also specify their preferred trip duration and maximum spend, following which QPX computes all the possible flight options. This feature provides travelers with more flexibility in planning trips by being able to see a number of options quickly, without which travelers would need to complete separate searches for each potential destination city and specified dates of travel.
"QPX offers endless search possibilities, which empowers us to offer our customers more options when searching for airfares while helping us to increase our direct sales revenue through these advanced shopping features," said Paola Magnani, senior vice president, worldwide sales and distribution, Alitalia. "We are excited to extend our use of ITA Software´s QPX and to offer our inspiring "˜Ideas for your travel´ search option, providing our customers with more flexibility than ever before when searching for airfares."
An ITA Software customer since 2004, Alitalia already takes advantage of many of QPX´s advanced shopping features including flexible date search – a capability that performs a comprehensive, availability–checked search across any range of dates - and QPX´s reward shopping capabilities to offer Alitalia´s most frequent travelers expanded flight reward redemption options. Adding the flexible multi–destination search capability enables Alitalia customers to make more customized choices for a better online shopping experience.
"Alitalia has experienced significant ROI since first implementing QPX and their expanded use of the system is a testament to the value it provides airlines," said David Peller, regional vice president of business development, EMEA and India, ITA Software. "We are excited to support Alitalia as it takes advantage of the unique features and functionality available though our QPX airfare pricing and shopping system."
About Alitalia
Alitalia – Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. has been transporting passengers and cargo throughout the world since 1947. Today, Alitalia is still the airline for Italians and for all those who choose Italy as their final destination or as a stopover to other destinations, taking advantage of Italy´s geographical position. Its services include the typical and closely related activities carried out by airlines companies such as flight and ground operations, marketing, business strategies, and sales. In Italy, Alitalia serves 24 airports with 1.209 flights a week. In Europe, the Company serves 45 airports with 910 weekly flights. In the rest of the world, Alitalia planes take off and land at 14 airports with 101 flights every week. Since 2001, Alitalia has been a member of the SkyTeam alliance whose members include some of Europe´s and the world´s leading companies - Aeroflot, AeroMexico, Air France, China Southern, Continental, CSA Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Northwest and the "associates" Air Europa, Copa Airlines e Kenya Airways – and whose vast network provides services to 841 destinations in more than 162 countries. In 2007 approximately 24.5 million passengers flew with Alitalia, representing an increase of 1,5% compared with 2006. The Company has one primary hub, Rome Fiumicino, and an operating fleet of 173 aircraft.
About ITA Software
ITA Software (www.itasoftware.com) is a leader in providing innovative Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to the airline industry. ITA developed the industry´s most comprehensive airfare shopping system, which is used by leading travel companies such as American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Alitalia, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, Hotwire, Kayak, Orbitz and others. ITA is currently building a radically new passenger reservation system with launch partner Air Canada. In 2006 and 2007, ITA was named as one of the Best Places to Work by the Boston Business Journal; received the Economic Impact award from the Massachusetts Alliance for Economic Development; and received Deloitte´s Technology Fast 500 award. ITA was founded by computer scientists from MIT.
