TWA Launches Improved TWA.com.TWA TWA Time-weighted average, see there celebrates its 75th anniversary and its website's five-year birthday by transforming TWA.com into a one-stop shop One-Stop Shop A company or a location that offers a multitude of services to a client or a customer. The idea is to provide convenient and efficient service and also to create the opportunity for the company to sell more products to clients and customers. for travelers and relaunching it on August 28. "TWA decided to rapidly expand its focus on e-commerce in early 2000 -- we grew from two to 16 employees -- and developed internet and other e-commerce service products that continue to radically improve services offered to our customers. Online booking is not just the wave of the future, it's the way things are now," says John Gunby, director of TWA's e-commerce initiatives, and the one in charge of the TWA.com website. "The new site, created in partnership with march FIRST (www.marchfirst.com), the world's largest, most comprehensive internet processional services firm, looks different from our old one. The graphics are cleaner, and the site is far easier to use. The customer no longer, has to enter cumbersome cum·ber·some adj. 1. Difficult to handle because of weight or bulk. See Synonyms at heavy. 2. Troublesome or onerous. cum information before reviewing flight options or booking a ticket." TWA'S new booking engine simplifies purchasing a ticket online. It is powered by GetThere (www.getthere.com) which operates the world's largest internet marketplace See vertical portal and Web hub. focused on business-to-business travel services. "Not only can our customer book TWA tickets on TWA.com but when he or she searches for a flight, we also provide the opportunity to book a ticket on another airline that may offer a lower price or more convenient flying time," Gunby says. "It's all in line with our philosophy that customer service is our number one priority." New functionality allows customers to tailor their flight experience online. Customers can see an interactive display of the plane's seat plan and select the seat of their choice. On flights that serve meals, they can order children's, seafood seafood Edible aquatic animals excluding mammals, but including both freshwater and ocean creatures. Seafood includes bony and cartilaginous fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, edible jellyfish, sea turtles, frogs, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. , kosher kosher [Heb.,=proper, i.e., fit for use], in Judaism, term used in rabbinic literature to mean what is ritually correct, but most widely applied to food that is in accordance with dietary laws based on Old Testament passages (primarily Lev. 11 and Deut. 14). , low-calorie, low-carbohydrate/low-sugar, low cholesterol/low-fat, low-sodium and vegetarian/non-dairy alternatives. In addition to air purchases, customers can check the weather, get driving directions in their destination city, make hotel reservations and reserve a car rental. "Our goal is for our customers to be able to book their entire travel experience through TWA.com," Gunby says. Dot Com dot com - com Deals [SM] specials, which many travelers regularly check for great TWA prices on quick getaways, will continue to be added on the site every Tuesday. Dot Com Deals [SM] Plus specials will also be listed anytime there's a special sale. Every time a customer books online, he or she earns an extra 1,000 miles in their Aviators Well-known aviators People largely known for their contributions to the history of aviation While all of these people were pilots (and some still are), many are also noted for contributions in areas such as aircraft design and manufacturing, navigation or [R] program portfolio. These miles can be accumulated ac·cu·mu·late v. ac·cu·mu·lat·ed, ac·cu·mu·lat·ing, ac·cu·mu·lates v.tr. To gather or pile up; amass. See Synonyms at gather. v.intr. To mount up; increase. and redeemed re·deem tr.v. re·deemed, re·deem·ing, re·deems 1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum. 2. To pay off (a promissory note, for example). 3. for free TWA tickets. In addition, TWA'S FirstUp [SM] program allows you to buy coach and fly first class when you purchase full-fare tickets on TWA.com. (FirstUp is available on qualifying domestic connecting flights via St. Louis, as well as on most nonstops out of JFK. Subject to availability.) Customers who book online follow the same rules about changing their tickets as those who arrange for tickets by phone. And, ultimately, travelers will be able to book their tickets through TWA.com using their PDAs. "We're hoping to substantially increase the number of bookings in 2000 on TWA.com over 1999," Gunby says. Warren Rasquinha, manager of e-commerce for TWA, shares Gunby's belief that the importance of e-cominerce will continue to grow. "I was impressed im·press 1 tr.v. im·pressed, im·press·ing, im·press·es 1. To affect strongly, often favorably: by TWA'S strategic approach to e-commerce. Our staff is given as much creative input as possible and seeks to continually con·tin·u·al adj. 1. Recurring regularly or frequently: the continual need to pay the mortgage. 2. and dynamically improve the site's ability to generate revenue," he says. Although the new site is up and running, the work is ongoing. "We'll consistently evaluate the site to see what's working and what's not," Rasquinha says. "It's a vital, continuous, process. Simply put, we want to keep things fresh." From Weather to Hotel Reservations, Customers Find Service Galore on TWA.com TWA kept customer service top of mind when it redesigned its website, TWA.com. Here's a smattering of what a customer can do on TWA.com: * Purchase TWA full-fare coach tickets (Y-Fares) and automatically be upgraded to first class (subject to availability) * Earn an extra 1,000 Aviator [R] miles * Find out which flights have the most convenient departure or arrival times * Buy tickets on TWA or on another airline * Learn if a TWA flight is in on time * Order an alternative children's meal on TWA flights where food is served * Select a particular seat on TWA flights * Reserve a rental car * Make hotel reservations * Enroll to have TWA Dot Com Deats [SM] e-mailed |
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