Newsbit
United Airlines Partners with Get2Net to Provide Free Internet Access for Travelers at Airports
November 16, 1999
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Get2Net, the world's leading provider of out-of-home Internet services, and United Airlines, the largest air carrier in the world, today announced a partnership in which Get2Net will serve as the exclusive provider of free Internet access at United Shuttle terminals, gates, and concession facilities.
Beginning in early 2000, Get2Net NetStations will provide free out-of-home access to email and the Internet at airport locations served by United Shuttle. The service will feature Get2Net's customized delivery of vital information and provide travelers with a direct link to the United Airlines web site (www.ual.com). The service will extend United's customer service by keeping travelers informed with up-to-the-minute flight schedules, weather, airport information and maps, and allowing them to purchase tickets and check frequent flier mileage accounts.
"We're excited about this vote of confidence from United Airlines as it emphasizes the importance of and demand for Get2Net's free out-of-home access, already being proven in United gate areas," stated Mark Greenstein, CEO of Get2Net. "United's extensive reach and company-wide commitment to customer service make it an ideal partner as we both fulfill our mission to serve the Internet and information needs of the traveling consumer."
"At United, we recognize that the airport is an extension of the office for our frequent business travelers," said United Shuttle President Montie Brewer. "Whether it's checking important email or changing a reservation on UAL.com, United Shuttle's partnership with Get2Net will enable business travelers to be more productive when waiting to board their flights."
Developed by the employees of United Airlines as a low-cost alternative to short-haul business travelers, United Shuttle serves 22 cities in the Western United States and operates nearly 500 daily departures. The agreement will double the number of Get2Net NetStations currently deployed to 300, offering the partners a substantial means to serve the needs of travelers. Additionally, Get2Net's 120,000 users per month will significantly increase traffic to the United Airlines web site.
About Get2Net
Get2Net (www.get2net.com) has offices in New York, Denver, and Chicago and is the leading provider of out-of-home Internet access services. Today, Get2Net is strategically positioned to deliver on the market's demand for high-speed, easy and secure out-of-home Internet service to people on the go. To accomplish Get2Net's mission of remaining the premier out-of-home access provider of online services, it has established several strategic and technology partnerships with many major Internet corporations as well as with many Fortune 100 companies, including Host Marriott Services, Intel, and AT&T.
About United Airlines
As the largest air carrier in the world and the largest majority employee-owned company, United Airlines offers more than 2,400 flights a day to 134 destinations in 27 countries and one U.S. territory. United also is an industry innovator with breakthroughs such as E-Ticket Service, United Connection, Airport Gate Readers, Mobile Airport Chariots, United Shuttle, and the introduction of the technologically advanced Boeing 777. United Airlines' Internet address is http://www.ual.com.
November 16, 1999
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE) -- More than nine million people are expected to make travel arrangements through the Internet this year, but planning a trip on the Web is far from the user-friendly, hassle-free experience promoted by online travel service providers. According to a comprehensive analysis of the largest U.S. travel industry Web sites--Excite, Preview Travel, Priceline and others--conducted by Quidnunc, a global e-business consultancy, not one offered the kind of online experience which would make online travel service providers come of age for the leisure travel industry.
In anticipation of the Thanksgiving travel season, Quidnunc staffers tested capabilities of 20 sites from a consumer usability perspective, and found some of the highest profile sites to be the lowest rated in terms of experience, ease of use and an inherent understanding of the needs of visitors to the site.
"The main reason the travel Web sites in our surveys failed to accomplish their purpose is basic usability problems," said Laurence Holt, CEO of Quidnunc. "Visitors come to travel Web sites with many different needs, from planning a single flight to an entire vacation. Analyzing each site with specific user scenarios in mind helped us determine which sites do the best job of helping visitors meet those needs."
Quidnunc's Methodology
Quidnunc staffers used the company's Scenario Modelling(TM) methodology to establish research criteria and scoring. Scenario Modelling is a way to design Web sites based on a clear understanding of users' goals when they visit the site. Quidnunc examined the top 20 Web sites listed in Forrester Research's report, "Web Travel Winners," dividing the sites into two groups--travel agents and portals (e.g. Alta Vista and Expedia) and travel suppliers (e.g. Priceline and individual airline sites).
Using Quidnunc's rigorous scoring system, the highest total a site could receive was 48 points, but even the highest scoring sites fell far short of that number. Of the 20 U.S. travel portal and travel agent sites examined, Expedia topped the scoring with just 36 points, while Infoseek's 27 points placed it at the bottom of the list. The highest scoring travel supplier--Northwest--scored a 28, with Priceline last on that list with 14 points.
"The experience shoppers get from visiting travel sites today is derived from the business travel concept: finding the best way to get from point A to point B. With leisure travel, planning your experience once you get to your final destination is the most important thing," said Holt. "At the moment, the Internet is a great place for leisure travelers to get information, but not for planning and buying your dream holiday," adds Holt, who is a frequent traveler himself.
The importance of Quidnunc's Scenario Modelling technique to the future of online travel firms is seen in forecasts from Jupiter Communications: Online travel is projected to grow from $4.2 billion this year to $16.6 billion by 2003, with 25 million people expected to make their airline reservations online. Quidnunc's analysis shows, however, that many well-known companies are fielding Web sites that can retard their ability to capitalize on this anticipated growth.
"Compared to the results of the U.K. Travel Survey we completed in July 1999, the average score is significantly higher in the United States," said Laurence Holt. "However, we believe that there is still room to present the site visitor with a more rewarding and complete customer experience. It's no longer enough to just provide online customers with the same level of service a brick-and-mortar travel agency can provide. The Internet gives travel service providers the means to offer a far better and more highly personalized service."
The results (completed on November 5th 1999) are shown in the tables below:
Quidnunc Online Travel Portals and Agencies Research e-Usability Rating Name Site surveyed 36 Expedia www.expedia.com 34 Excite www.excite.com 34 AOL www.aol.com 31 Travelocity www.travelocity.com 31 Preview Travel www.previewtravel.com 30 Netscape www.netscape.com 28 Yahoo! www.yahoo.com 27 Altavista www.altavista.com 27 Infoseek www.infoseek.com Quidnunc Online Travel Suppliers Research e-Usability Rating Name Site surveyed 28 Northwest Airlines www.northwest.com 27 Southwest Airlines www.southwest.com 26 Marriott www.marriott.com 25 Continental Airlines www.continental.com 24 American Airlines www.american.com 24 Delta Airlines www.deltaairlines.com 23 Holiday Inn www.holiday-inn.com 22 US Airways www.usairways.com 22 Hertz www.hertz.com 21 United Airlines www.ual.com 14 Priceline.com www.priceline.com
About Scenario Modelling
Quidnunc uses Scenario Modelling on all of its e-business projects because it provides an objective measure of a Web site's experience and usability rather than its look and feel, which are much more subjective indices. Scenario Modelling is a way to design Web sites based on a clear understanding of users' goals when they visit the site and it enables Quidnunc clients to turn a long list of requirements and functionalities into a short document from which the entire team can work. Scenario Modelling also presents a simple, common language for the different people involved in the creative, technical, marketing and business aspects of the site. Most importantly, it allows clients to verify that the finished site supports the business model and objectives.
About Quidnunc
Founded in 1988, Quidnunc is an e-business consultancy for forward-thinking organizations and customers. Quidnunc's approach brings together competencies from business, brand and technology, and is the first e-business consultancy to give its teams the agility to react immediately to shifting market conditions, the flexibility to tailor the approach to best fit the client's needs and the metrics to measure how closely the site is fulfilling its business objectives. As a result, Quidnunc provides a one-stop solution that brings together all the capabilities required to deliver an e-business solution that meets the client's short-term business objectives and also creates a foundation for future developments. This approach encapsulates over 11 years of experience on more than 300 projects and incorporates Quidnunc's proprietary techniques, such as Scenario Modelling, which harnesses user requirements and ties them to business objectives and Risk Mapping. Quidnunc serves its corporate clients globally from offices in New York City, San Francisco, the United Kingdom and a development center in Bangalore, India. More information about Quidnunc can be found at www.quidnunc.com or by calling (212) 981-1900.
APPENDIX A Quidnunc Research into Online Travel Suppliers These are Quidnunc's scenarios for the ideal online travel suppliers. The Web sites were graded on the usability of the following scenarios: 1. I want to find the Web site 2. I want to see all travel routes/destinations offered 3. I want to find a specific route/destination 4. I want to virtually visit the flight/car/hotel route/destination 5. I want to map an itinerary for a trip 6. I want to cost out various itineraries 7. I want to have a flight/car/hotel suggested according to lifestyle{#bucriteria (e.g. budget, activities, area, etc.) 8. I want to check availability of my choice of flight/car/hotel 9. I want to compare my choice to alternatives suggested 10.I want to view optional extras that are available on my choice 11.I want to find detailed information about my chosen#} flight/car/hotel route/destination 12.I want to get lifestyle information around my choice 13.I want to book the chosen flight/car/hotel 14.I want advice about how to make the best of my trip (e.g. medical advice, cultural tips, places to eat, etc.) 15.I want to chat with a travel representative or expert 16.I want to see what new choices are available 17.I want to find out information on current special offers 18.I want to view the top choices of flight/car/hotel 19.I want to see how I can pay for my trip 20.I want to see a log of my previous trips 21. I want to be informed of relevant new offers on routes/destinations (based on previous site behavior) 22.I want to be kept up to date on any changes or developments relevant to the trip (e.g. war, epidemic, natural disaster, festivals, etc.) 23.I want to download a personal itinerary report for offline viewing 24.I want to cancel or reschedule a trip Quidnunc Research into Online Travel Portals and Agencies These are Quidnunc's scenarios for the ideal online travel portals and agencies. The Web sites were graded on the usability of the following scenarios: 1. I want to find the Web site 2. I want to see all travel destinations offered 3. I want to find a specific holiday destination 4. I want to virtually visit a holiday destination 5. I want to map an itinerary for a trip 6. I want to cost out various itineraries 7. I want to have a trip suggested according to lifestyle criteria (e.g. budget, activities, area, etc) 8. I want to check availability of the chosen destination 9. I want to compare the destination chosen to alternatives suggested 10.I want to view optional extras for the destination chosen 11.I want to find detailed information about the chosen destination 12.I want to get lifestyle information around the destination 13.I want to book the chosen destination 14.I want advice about how to make the best of my trip (e.g. medical advice, cultural tips, places to eat, etc.) 15.I want to chat with a travel representative or expert 16.I want to see what new destinations are available 17.I want to find information on current special offers 18.I want to view the top destinations 19.I want to see how I can pay for my trip 20.I want to see a log of my previous trips 21.I want to be informed of relevant new offers and destinations (based on previous site behavior) 22.I want to be kept up to date on any changes or developments relevant to the trip (e.g. war, epidemic, natural disaster, festivals, etc.) 23.I want to download a personal itinerary report for offline viewing 24.I want to cancel or reschedule a trip
<
CONTACT: Schwartz Communications, Inc. | Doug
Russell or Doug Fraim | 781/684-0770 |
[email protected] |
[email protected] | or | Quidnunc | Tania
Hodgkinson | 212/981-1900 |
[email protected]
© 1999 Kiosks.Org.
Thanks Kinetic!
All Rights Reserved.