Amadeus and VisaHQ.com make passport and visa processing fast and easy for U.S. travel professionals and their customers
Partnership enables travel professionals to deliver timely service and greater value to U.S. travelers "going global"
MIAMI, July 30, 2007 — More globe-trotting Americans, changing passport requirements and lengthy application procedures are enough to make even the most avid traveler want to stay home. That's why Amadeus, a global leader in travel distribution and technology, and VisaHQ.com, a leading online passport and visa services company, have teamed up to enable thousands of Amadeus travel professionals in the U.S. to add quick, easy and automated visa and passport processing to their portfolio of services.
“Amadeus is a global leader in providing twenty-first century travel solutions, and we are very excited about working jointly to offer exceptional and versatile services for Amadeus customers,” said VisaHQ.com CEO Alexander Yaroshenko. “We are committed to making the relationship mutually beneficial and boosting Amadeus customers’ revenues and competitiveness on the global market by offering a new service package and utilizing VisaHQ.com’s extraordinary technological capabilities.”
Via the Amadeus AgentNet travel agency services platform, Amadeus users can take advantage of VisaHQ.com’s unique passport and visa capabilities. Amadeus customers can apply for visas on behalf of their clients for all countries that have Consulates in the United States. Online technology also lets agents apply to as many countries as needed at any time by filling out one universal 100% paperless electronic application. They also have 24/7 access to online tracking and real-time electronic updates, as well as the most comprehensive in the world online visa and passport requirements database for the citizens of all countries.
"Navigating the processes and paperwork involved with international travel can be daunting and time-consuming for anyone," said Bob Lowry, Senior Vice President of Products and Services for Amadeus North America. "We are pleased to be working with a leader like VisaHQ.com to deliver the technology and solutions that will enable Amadeus travel professionals to increase their customer service and productivity, as well as save time and effort for them and their customers."
The benefits for Amadeus U.S. travel professionals and their customers include:
- Passport processing in as little as 24 hours - Passport application processing through the local Post Office can take up to two months. VisaHQ.com passport experts submit passport applications directly to the U.S. Passport Agency and can process a new passport, add passport pages, replace lost passport and renew old passport in as little as 24 hours.
- One universal 100% paperless electronic application form – Travelers can apply for visas to virtually all countries that have Consulates in the United States at any time. Since the traveler’s information is securely saved for future use, one only has to enter the information pertaining to the new country of destination when going abroad next time, which reduces the average application time to 2 minutes compared to 30 minutes when using other passport and visa services.
- Comprehensive database – Access to a comprehensive database for visa and passport requirements for citizens of all countries.
- Real-time status update – Real-time online tracking and e-mail status updates keep the agent and the customer informed on the progress every step of the way.
- U.S. citizens and residents - U.S. citizens can apply for visas to almost any country through a unique easy-to-use online account management system. Foreign nationals residing in the U.S. can also apply for visas and enjoy the exact same processing and customer case benefits as U.S. citizens.
Via a URL provided by their Amadeus travel agency, travelers can access and complete all of the required forms electronically or download and submit paper applciations. The agent receives a $5.00 bonus each time a customer uses the service.
For more information, Amadeus agencies should contact their Account Representative or 1-888-AMADEUS, salesinquiries@amadeus.com.
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About VisaHQ.com
VisaHQ.com is a leading online passport and visa services company assisting retail and corporate clients in the United States. Headquartered on Embassy Row in Washington DC, VisaHQ.com uses cutting-edge online technologies to offer unmatched electronic travel management solutions, unparalleled embassy and government connections in the US capital and access to the most comprehensive passport and visa requirements, as well as Embassy and Consulates online database for its customers.
For more information, please visit VisaHQ.com.
About Amadeus
Amadeus is the chosen technology partner for providers, sellers, and buyers of travel. The company provides distribution, IT and point-of-sale solutions to help its customers adapt, grow and succeed in the fast-changing travel industry. Customer groups include travel providers (airlines, hotels, car rental companies, railway companies, ferry lines, cruise lines, insurance companies and tour operators), travel sellers (travel agencies) and travel buyers (corporations and travelers). Solutions are grouped in four solution categories – Distribution & Content, Sales & e-Commerce, Business Management and Services & Consulting.
Amadeus has central sites in Madrid(corporate headquarters & marketing), Nice (development) and Erding (Operations – data processing center) and regional offices in Miami, Buenos Airesand Bangkok. At market level, Amadeus maintains customer operations in 75 countries covering more than 215 markets. The company has nearly 6,700 employees worldwide, representing 95 nationalities. Amadeus’ revenue for the year ended 31 December was €2,418.7m. More information about Amadeus is available at: www.amadeus.com.
