Founded February 7, 1990, World span was originally owned by affiliates of Delta Air
Lines, Inc., Northwest Airlines, and Trans World Airlines, Inc. It is the technology leader in
Web-based travel e-commerce, offering solutions for conducting all facets of travel business
in the online channel. As a leading global distribution system (GDS), World span provides
travel distribution, technologies and services for thousands of travel companies worldwide,
including travel agencies, corporations, travel suppliers and travel Web sites. World span
transforms global travel distribution and transaction processing with industry-first fares,
pricing, shopping and booking technologies, and a portfolio of interactive shopping tools
that enable travel companies to reduce costs, increase productivity and build revenues
(Samipatra Das, 2002).
Corporate Preview
It is currently owned by affiliates of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (40%), North west Airlines
(34%)
, and American Airlines, Inc. (26%). Since its 1995 advance into the world of Internet
technology for the travel industry, World span has successfully developed the strategies,
solutions, and services to ensure the company’s long-term success in the new web-based
world of travel distribution. World span currently serves 20,021 travel agencies in nearly 90
countries and territories.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, World span connects approximately 421 airlines,
210 hotel companies, 40 car rental companies, 39 tour and vacation operators, and 44 special
travel service suppliers. To escalate the delivery of web-based technologies and services to
its customers; World span has forged a number of new partnerships and equity agreements
with leading travel technology companies. Resulting technologies, joint developments, and
an expanded realm of solutions and Internet travel products are enabling the company
and its customers to participate in a spectrum of e-business opportunities. Some of the
successful partnerships have been with companies such as Data lex, a leading provider of
e-business infrastructure and solutions for the global travel industry; Digital Travel, a global
online tour provider; Kinetics, Inc., developer of technology and solutions for the airline
industry; OpenTable.com, an Internet-enabled restaurant management tools system; and
Viator, a major provider of Internet-based content, technology, and distribution services,
including data management, hosting, and e-commerce. Additionally, in 2001, Orbitz LLC
was launched on the Internet; using World span as its Internet Booking Engine, and in
2002, the launch of World span Pricing SM made World span the first GDS to introduce a
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revolutionary new multi-server-based technology, offering an unprecedented selection of
pricing options to all of World span’s customers (Samipatra Das, 2002).
Product Solutions and Services
World span provides worldwide electronic distribution of travel information,
Internet products and connectivity, and e-commerce capabilities for travel agencies, travel
service providers, and corporations. Some of the major services and solutions offered by the
World span are listed in Figure.
World span Go
World span Go! brings a spectrum of travel planning and
management solutions to your desktop, combining browserbased travel technologies and the power of the World span GDS.
World span Airline
Source
Airline Source is the highest level of connectivity for your airline
in the World span GDS.
World span Fare
Source
World span Fare Source is one of the most comprehensive and
accurate fares and pricing solutions for airlines worldwide.
World span Hotel
Distribution
Solutions
World span’s industry-leading technologies for hotel distribution,
shopping and booking include the GDS- based World span Hotel
Select system and integrated Web-based tools.
World span
Interactive Maps
for Hotels
World span Interactive Maps for Hotels is the advanced shopping
and booking solution that lets users shop, price, compare and
book hotels in a visual environment.
World span Car
Rental Distribution
Solutions
World span’s leading technologies for car rental distribution,
shopping and booking include World span Car Select and
integrated Web-based tools.
World span XML
pro
World span XML Pro is the leading global data exchange tool for
building fully functional travel applications and establishing GDS
direct connects via the Internet.
Services offered by the World span
Source: (Samipatra Das, 2002).
Competitive Strength
World span has a legacy of industry firsts that are not well known. The company
therefore has an opportunity to raise the industry’s awareness of its accomplishments and
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more importantly, its future strategy. World span continues to look at benefits of creating
its own consumer brand and has been partnering with different companies to expand the
services that it can provide to its customer base. World span believes in focusing on its
core competencies, and is determined to be perceived as a distribution facilitator across
all channels. It is increasingly getting a clearer sense of its capabilities and building its
appetite for technical and commercial challenges. Through the company’s revolutionary
e-world ideas, offerings, and services, along with its agility and eagerness in meeting the
needs of the travel distribution market on a global scale, World span and its customers are
transforming the way travel is distributed, bought, and sold (Samipatra Das, 2002).
