Postilion Selected by Sapp Bros Travel Centers to Centralize Fleet Card Authorization and Store Transaction Capture

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NORCROSS, Ga., July 29 /PRNewswire/ — Postilion, a leading global provider of integrated solutions for payments and self-service banking and a division of S1 Corporation , today announced that Sapp Bros travel Centers will deploy Postilion solutions to enable the company to centralize fleet card authorization and transaction capture.
Because of the complexity of managing fleet payments and the range of fleet cards used to purchase fuel in the travel stop and convenience store industry, Sapp Bros chose Postilion to help streamline its authorization and transaction capture, and to integrate payment for fuel at the pump with traditional retail payments in its stores. Postilion solutions enable Sapp Bros to process all transactions via a central, open-systems payment switch, and provide stand-in authorization.
“Given our current goal of growing our stores and the increasingly tighter margins on fuel purchases, it was imperative that we find new ways to streamline our transaction processing,” said Don Quinn, President, Sapp Bros. “The Postilion Forecourt and POS Payments solution and the Postilion Payment Switching solution enable us to further control the payment transaction authorization and settlement process, which in turn drives down our costs and improves our customers’ overall experience at the pump and in the store.”
Francois van Schoor, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Postilion Payments, said, “We are delighted that Sapp Bros has chosen Postilion solutions to integrate payments at the fuel pump with the convenience store. This enables them to reduce transaction processing time, the overhead of managing, configuring, and maintaining multiple applications at each store, and the in-store hardware footprint.”
Postilion solutions are known worldwide for their flexibility, security, regulatory compliance, and high application availability.
About Sapp Bros
Sapp Bros Truck Stops was started by the four Sapp brothers in Omaha Nebraska at the junction of I-80 and Highway 50 in 1971. Sapp Bros Truck Stops, Inc. was incorporated in October of 1988. Prior to being incorporated, the travel centers were each separate corporations under the central leadership of W. D. Sapp. Sapp Bros Truck Stops, Inc. has grown into a chain of sixteen travel centers covering an eight state region.
About Postilion
Postilion, a division of S1 Corporation , is a leading provider of integrated solutions for payment processing and self-service banking. Our offices, on five continents, serve over 1,500 customers in more than 50 countries. Postilion solutions drive self-service financial transactions and payments, including advanced transactions such as prepay, through Internet access points, ATMs, POS terminals, and phones.
More than 100,000 ATMs and 500,000 POS terminals worldwide run on Postilion solutions. In the United States, over 1,250 credit unions and community financial institutions use Postilion solutions. Built on open systems, Postilion solutions provide consolidated management information, card management, 3DES and EMV enablement, and loyalty management. At the forefront of compliance with new regulations and security enhancements, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and Visa’s Payment Application Best Practices (PABP), Postilion can help customers achieve compliance with the latest data security standards developed by the payment card industry. More information is available at .
About S1 Corporation
S1 Corporation delivers customer interaction software for financial and payment services and offers unique solution sets for financial institutions, retailers, and processors under three brand names: Postilion, S1 Enterprise and FSB Solutions. Additional information about S1 solutions is available at , , , and .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These statements include statements with respect to our financial condition, results of operations and business. The words “believes,”"expects,”"may,”"will,”"should,”"projects,”"contemplates,”"anticipates,”"forecasts,”"intends” or similar terminology identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions made using information currently available to us. Because these statements reflect our current views concerning future events, they involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Therefore, actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. The risk factors included in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (and available on our web site at or the SEC’s web site at ) provide examples of risks, uncertainties and events that may cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations we describe in our forward-looking statements. Except as provided by law, we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
Postilion

Egencia to Launch Full-Service Travel Offering in Australia

SYDNEY, Australia and LOS ANGELES, July 29 /PRNewswire/ — Egencia, an Expedia, Inc. company, today announced the launch of service in Australia. Companies doing business in Australia will have access to fully localized service and content combined with the company’s industry leading suite of online booking and travel management tools. A strong in-country account management team will provide dedicated client service.
Australia is yet another step in Egencia’s expanding global footprint on top of recent launches in China, Ireland and the Netherlands. The company’s approach to international expansion includes an emphasis on strong local service and deep supplier relationships to support their customers in key markets, helping them maintain a global business edge.
“Our unwavering focus on quality means we do not enter a market unless we can provide a level of service that is truly reflective of our commitment to clients,” says Jean-Pierre Remy, president of Egencia. “To this aim, we look forward to offering corporations with offices in Australia strong travel management service that is localized to meet the unique needs of their market.”
Egencia(TM) will provide Australian corporations and travellers with:

— Access to the company’s industry leading self-booking platform
including custom-defined destinations
— Dedicated local account management and customer service teams
— Strong business intelligence capabilities including unused ticket
tracking and customisable Lowest Logical Fare reporting
— Access to Egencia’s broad global supply network including localized
hotel and air content such as major low-cost carriers
— User friendly policy and trip approval controls
— Direct access and control of their data through the company’s global
reporting functionality

These offerings contain benefits for travellers, travel managers and executives, all in one system. The addition of an Australian point of sale allows Egencia to more efficiently service larger companies with global travel management needs.
About Egencia, an Expedia, Inc. Company
Egencia is the fifth largest travel management company in the world. As part of Expedia, Inc., , the world’s largest travel marketplace, Egencia helps business get ahead by offering the only truly integrated corporate travel service. Egencia’s industry expertise and the partnerships the company has built help drive results that matter, delivering meaningful advancements that have a real impact. By combining a powerful offline and online service, Egencia delivers a complete corporate travel offering supported by global market expertise and a best-in-class technology platform.
Expedia, Egencia and the Egencia logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.
(C) 2008 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST# 2029030-40, 2083922-50.
Egencia, an Expedia, Inc. company

TRX and ExpenseWire Partner to Deliver Integrated Travel & Expense Management Solution

ATLANTA, WOOSTER, Ohio and LOS ANGELES, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — At the National Business travel Association (NBTA) International Convention and Exposition, TRX Inc. , a global technology company that develops and hosts software applications to process data records and automate manual processes, and ExpenseWire, a Rearden Commerce company, today announced the two companies have partnered to deliver an integrated expense and travel management solution for customers using RESX, TRX’s corporate travel booking application. Available now, the integrated solution improves companies’ visibility into employee spending and their ability to cut costs, while providing employees the convenience of submitting their expense reports online.
RESX is a Web-based, self service application that enables business travelers and travel arrangers to create policy-compliant air, car and hotel reservations. RESX’s robust administration module enables travel management companies and corporate travel managers to tightly manage policy, site customization and user settings. ExpenseWire’s on-demand software simplifies and streamlines the process of filing, reviewing, approving and reimbursing employee expense reports online. The integrated solution delivers valuable company and employee benefits for travel, procurement and finance professionals that include:
– Reducing employee spending by communicating and enforcing spending policies from the point of purchase to the expense report.
– Identifying discrepancies between booked and actual charges and flagging employee fraud and overbilling by suppliers.
– Pre-populating expense reports automatically with travel and credit card transaction data, so employees spend less time completing expense reports and waiting for reimbursement.
“We are excited about our partnership with TRX, and the opportunity to bring the benefits of ExpenseWire’s integrated expense management solution to thousands of RESX customers and millions of employees nationwide,” said Andrew Vaeth, President of ExpenseWire.
“This technology integration is representative of our approach to delivering freedom of choice to customers in terms of integrated technology solutions in the travel and expense management space,” said Shane Hammond, president of RESX Technologies. “Through our partnership with ExpenseWire we are pleased to offer our RESX clients yet another expense management option.”
About TRX
TRX is a global technology company. We develop and host software applications that process data records and automate manual processes, enabling our clients to optimize performance and control costs. We are a leading provider to the travel industry and are expanding into financial services and healthcare. We deliver our technology applications in an on-demand environment to travel agencies, corporations, travel suppliers, government agencies, credit card associations, credit card issuing banks, and third-party administrators. TRX is headquartered in Atlanta with operations and associates in North America, Europe, and Asia. Please visit the company’s website at .
About ExpenseWire
The ExpenseWire(R) application sets a new bar for expense management. It simplifies and automates the process of filing, reviewing, approving and reimbursing employee expense reports online. It provides organizations the business insight and process control they require to reduce costs and strategically manage expenses. ExpenseWire’s on-demand solution can be deployed quickly and integrates easily with travel booking tools and other third party applications. ExpenseWire(R) is a brand of Rearden Commerce, Inc. ( ). To learn more about how ExpenseWire delivers on the promise of expense automation, visit .
TRX, Inc.

Rearden Commerce Continues Rapid Growth With Addition of 500,000 Contracted Users

FOSTER CITY, Calif. and LOS ANGELES, July 28 /PRNewswire/ — At the National Business travel Association (NBTA) International Convention and Exposition (Booth #2501) Rearden Commerce, Inc., creator of the first Web-based personal assistant, and a leading choice among companies for managing spending on business services, announced that it added more than 800 customers and 500,000 contracted users in the first six months of 2008, placing it among the fastest-growing on-demand providers. The company also introduced a new International Mobile Service, and announced the acquisition of ExpenseWire, a leading provider of on-demand expense management solutions. Both of these initiatives are aimed at helping companies better manage and control expenses in today’s uncertain economy (see today’s related press releases).
Companies of all sizes are turning to Rearden Commerce for its user-friendly personal assistant, industry leading spend management solution, and on-demand commerce platform that enables one-stop shopping with more than 160,000 merchants and applications providers. Rearden Commerce orchestrates all aspects of business travel and entertainment including flights, hotels, ground transportation, dining, and event tickets, and also extends its reach to related employee services and applications like web and audio conferencing and desktop shipping.
“The huge growth in our customer base in the first half of 2008 is a tremendous validation of Rearden Commerce’s vision for the industry,” said Patrick Grady, founder and CEO of Rearden Commerce. “Since our inception, we’ve put the Web to work to help organizations manage spend in areas that have traditionally gone unmanaged, and help people more easily find and buy what they need based on personal preferences and company policies.”
Travel Distribution Partners Fuel Customer and User Growth
In the last eighteen months, Rearden Commerce has added more than 2,000 customers and 1.5 million contracted users, and increased spend managed on its platform by more than 1600%. Advisory Board, Pearl Drums, and USG Corporation are now among Rearden Commerce’s growing roster of customers, spanning the Fortune 500 to SMB.
Much of Rearden Commerce’s customer growth can be attributed to the success of its growing distribution network of travel management companies (TMC). Today, more than 55 TMCs including industry leader American Express Business travel are successfully reselling Rearden Commerce’s technology platform to thousands of businesses throughout the United States.
“Being a Rearden Commerce TMC partner has helped us differentiate our services, win new accounts and offer our clients cost-savings opportunities and conveniences they’ve never seen before,” said Michael Cain, president of Boulder, Colo.-based Cain Travel. “In the last six months, we’ve migrated our entire base of 120 customers from legacy booking tools to Rearden Commerce, using only two internal resources. This really speaks to the value our customers see in the Rearden Commerce Platform, and the ease with which it can be quickly deployed.”
Rearden Commerce Adds International Mobile Service and Acquires ExpenseWire
Rearden Commerce also continues to add new services and applications that help companies manage spend and simplify life for employees. The company introduced International Mobile Service, which lets organizations slash international mobile roaming charges up to 75 percent, while keeping travelers connected with customers, partners, friends and family. Rearden Commerce also announced the acquisition of ExpenseWire, a leading provider of on-demand software that helps organizations better manage and control employee spending. Seamlessly integrated with the Rearden Personal Assistant(TM), ExpenseWire’s application lets employees submit their expenses online in minutes and receive reimbursement within hours. Rearden Commerce will continue to support customers who prefer to work with expense tools from other providers.
About Rearden Commerce, Inc.
Rearden Commerce makes life simpler by delivering a Web-based personal assistant that intuitively manages the everyday details of business and personal life. Just like a seasoned executive assistant, the Rearden Personal Assistant(TM) handles an impressive array of tasks and services, and delights users by considering their unique needs and personal preferences. The Rearden Personal Assistant is built on the Rearden Commerce(TM) Platform, which supports an ecosystem of more than 160,000 trusted merchants and third-party applications providers. Today, more than one and a half million contracted users at organizations ranging from the Fortune 500 to small/medium enterprises, including ConAgra Foods, Glaxo Smith Kline and JDSU, rely on the recommendations and assistance of the Rearden Personal Assistant to save time and be more efficient, while saving their companies money. Rearden Commerce is headquartered in Foster City, CA. For more information, visit .
Copyright 2008 Rearden Commerce, Inc. All rights reserved.
Rearden Commerce, Inc.

Three-Day Fourth of July Weekend Filled Philadelphia Hotels

PHILADELPHIA, July 22 /PRNewswire/ — Wedding bells, the Liberty Bell and a three-day Fourth of July weekend has the hospitality industry still celebrating Independence Day. According to the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) and the Greater Philadelphia hotel Association (GPHA), Philadelphia hotel occupancy soared to 87% on Friday, July 4, and visitors stayed the weekend with occupancy at 81% on Saturday, July 5. This marks the second year in a row for Fourth of July success for Philadelphia hotels. Last year, a city-wide convention propelled Philadelphia hotel occupancy to 82%.
“Our member hotels are crediting this year’s stellar occupancy to a strong mix of hotel business, including high leisure demand, a dozen weddings, chess tournaments and gay bowling, the Phillies game, visiting sports media like ESPN and the fact that the holiday created a three-day weekend,” said Ed Grose, executive director of GPHA. “To ensure future gains, Philadelphia must continue to lure visitors here with special hotel offers, group and convention sales, attractions and events like Sunoco Welcome America!, all along with tourism marketing.”
Historically, Philadelphia hotels do best when the Fourth of July is a three-day weekend compared to a mid-week day. And, for the next three years, that’s just what Americans will have. Here is a look at the historical data for Center City Philadelphia hotels:
— On Friday, July 4, 2003, hotel occupancy was 81%
— On Sunday, July 4, 2004, hotel occupancy was 82%
— On Monday, July 4, 2005, hotel occupancy was 48%
— On Wednesday, July 4, 2006, hotel occupancy was 52%

“These upcoming Fourth of July weekends are a great opportunity for Philadelphia hotels,” said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, GPTMC. “GPTMC will be working with our hotels, the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, Sunoco Welcome America! and all of our partners to continue to bring visitors here to celebrate the Fourth of July, to host their wedding, to meet or to compete.”
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside(R) a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.
Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of .
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

Rail up……Rail up……Orient-Express Auctions Historic ‘Brighton Belle’ Pullman Carriage on eBay

LONDON, July 23 /PRNewswire/ — This week, luxury train operator, Orient-Express, is auctioning an
original 1930’s Pullman Car on eBay.

Currently stored in Orient-Express’ Battersea depot, Car
number 85 is a third class parlour car, which was built in 1932, and was once
part of the famous Brighton Belle.

The car has a unique history; it entered service in January
1933 where it spent the next forty years conveying city workers and holiday
makers between London and Brighton. It was withdrawn from service in 1972 but
it found a completely new lease of life as a restaurant attached to the
‘Nag’s Head’ Public house in Mickleover in Derbyshire.

Following this, it was then moved to the heritage Severn
Valley Railway in Shropshire but was never put back to use on the rails.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express purchased it in 1998 and since then it has been
stored undercover, awaiting restoration.

Car 85 is in above-average condition for its age and type and
this is “a rare opportunity for a truly dedicated collector of railwayana who
would enjoy the restoration process,” says Andrew Overton, General Manager
Orient-Express UK Trains, he add’s “this car is being auctioned off as it is
now surplus to our (Orient-Express) requirements.”
Orient-Express have 8 carriages in their reserve fleet which
are not refurbished. Car 85 is a third class car and Orient-Express only use
first class cars. This rare opportunity allows an avid railway enthusiast to
bring this car back to life.

The item is currently on http://www.ebay.co.uk and is item
number 270256929705, The auction ends on Monday 28th July at 13.23.

Notes to Editors

Orient-Express Hotels, Trains and Cruises (
http://www.orient-express.com ) is a hotel and leisure company providing
luxury travel experiences for discerning travellers in areas of outstanding
cultural, historic or recreational interest. Founded in 1976 when the company
acquired Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Orient-Express owns or has investments in
51 businesses: 41 highly individual hotels, two restaurants, six tourist
trains and two river cruise operations, located in 25 countries worldwide.

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Europe

The legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express offers a travel
experience like no other, in the style of a bygone era, to exciting cities
including Venice, Paris, London, Budapest, Prague, Istanbul, Vienna and Rome.

British Pullman, United Kingdom

Experience the golden age of travel aboard the vintage
carriages of the British Pullman. Superbly comfortable carriages make the
perfect way to travel on a day excursion or short break from London and other
cities to some of the UK’s most spectacular destinations.

Northern Belle, United Kingdom

The Northern Belle fulfils the highest expectations of the
original Pullman “Belle” trains of the 1930s, offering day, weekend and Grand
Tours in immaculate carriages, with ornate interiors and superb food.
Departures from towns and cities throughout the UK.

The Royal Scotsman, Scotland

Experience the majesty of the Scottish Highlands,
ever-changing landscapes of sweeping glens, towering peaks and mirror-calm
lochs of Scotland from aboard The Royal Scotsman on a selection of one to
seven night journeys.

Eastern & Oriental Express, South East Asia

The Eastern & Oriental Express carries passengers in luxury
between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand and travels through dense
rainforests and towering mountains, past golden temples, rubber plantations
and remote towns and villages.

For further information or high resolution images please
contact Anna Nash or Lisa Sharland at Orient-Express Public Relations on
44(0)207-921-4050 / 64 or email anna.nash@orient-express.com /
lisa.sharland@orient-express.com.

For further information regarding Orient-Express please visit
http://www.orient-express.com

Orient Express Hotels Ltd

TripAdvisor Proclaims People Picky About Pro-Pet Properties

NEWTON, Mass., July 24 /PRNewswire/ — TripAdvisor(R), the world’s largest travel community, today announced the results of its annual traveling with pets survey of more than 1,600 travelers. Among people that own pets, 61 percent have traveled with a pet and 17 percent said the number one reason they travel with their pet(s) is they enjoy spending vacation with them. Sixty-five percent of survey respondents own a pet.
(Photo: )

Pets and Petrol

The high cost of fuel is even impacting our furry friends. Travelers may be less likely to see Sparky hanging out the window of a car, as 20 percent of pet owners said they are less likely to travel with their pet(s) this summer because of the high cost of fuel. Eighty-five percent of pet owners said that when traveling with a pet, they typically travel by car.
Pet Predicament
Although many people like to travel with their pet(s), there are concerns. Twenty-five percent of pet owners cited animal stress as their biggest concern about traveling with a pet and 23 percent said the fact that no one can look after their pet while they are sightseeing/touring is their biggest concern.
Pooches and Planes
Forty-seven percent of people said it sometimes annoys them when they see people bringing pets on planes. The top reason (39 percent) those travelers said it is annoying is they believe it is cruel to subject an animal to a flight, 23 percent said pets are loud, and 18 percent cited pet allergies. Six percent of pet owners have obtained a pet passport.
In the Dog House
Forty-four percent of travelers think hotels should be more accommodating for pets, which is down four percent from last year. Among pet owners, 24 percent would most like to see hoteliers provide a pet-sitting service and 17 percent asked for separate housing/hotel kennel. Fifty-six percent of all travelers do not think there are any pet-friendly hotel chains.
Whisker Withdrawal
Thirty-two percent of pet owners take shorter vacations and 21 percent take fewer vacations, down from 25 percent last year, to limit the time they are away from their pet(s). Twelve percent of pet owners said their pet prevents them from going on vacation. Six percent of people indicated they would be interested in renting a pet while traveling.
Doggie Diggs
Paws pads are a priority when traveling with a pet, as 46 percent of pet owners said they will only stay at accommodations that are pet friendly. This attitude was especially strong among dog owners (58 percent.) Thirty-eight percent of respondents with a pet said they would pay more to stay somewhere that is pet friendly. For the second straight year, Best Western is the most pet-friendly hotel chain according to the survey.
“For many people, a pet is a member of the family and leaving them home is not an option,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. “As it’s clear there is a demand for pet-friendly accommodations, look for more and more hotels to add pet amenities.”
TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Pet-Friendly Accommodations
1. Gazebo Inn Ogunquit, Ogunquit, Maine - Average nightly rate: $164

2. TierraLinda Bed and Breakfast, Galena, Illinois - Average nightly rate: $135
3. The Sleepy Dog Guest House, Bisbee, Arizona - Average nightly rate: $95
4. Spruce Moose Lodge and Cottages, North Conway, New Hampshire - Average nightly rate: $124
5. Brittania and W.E. Mauger Estate Bed and Breakfast, Albuquerque, New Mexico - Average nightly rate: $127
6. Best Western Cavalier Oceanfront Resort, San Simeon, California - Average nightly rate: $210
7. La Quinta Inn and Suites Madison American Center, Madison, Wisconsin - Average nightly rate: $124
8. Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge, Massachusetts - Average nightly rate: $316
9. Hotel Monaco, Denver, Colorado - Average nightly rate: $289
10. The Paw House Inn: West Rutland, Vermont - Average nightly rate: $225

About TripAdvisor Media Network

TripAdvisor(R) Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts nearly 32 million monthly visitors* across 12 popular travel brands, TripAdvisor(R), , , , , , , , , , and . TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with 24 million monthly visitors*, six million registered members and 15 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 300,000 hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S. (), the U.K. (), Ireland (), France (), Germany (), Italy (), and Spain (). TripAdvisor(R) Media Network provides travel suppliers with graphical advertising opportunities and a cost-per-click marketing platform. Collectively, the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network have won hundreds of awards and accolades from press and industry worldwide. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. .
TripAdvisor is a registered trademark of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix, May 2008

TripAdvisor LLC

Global Growth Rate of Flights Continues to Slow

LONDON, July 24 /PRNewswire/ — The world’s airlines are scheduled to operate just 1% more flights for July 2008 compared with the same month last year. According to the latest statistics from OAG (Official Airline Guide), the world’s authority on flight information, this represents an additional 34,800 flights. Capacity for July is up by 3% year on year.
The total number of flights scheduled to operate worldwide this month is 2.64 million, offering 318.3 million seats to travelers around the globe. Within this global figure of all scheduled passenger flight operations, the low cost sector accounts for 459,000 flights (17%) and 68.3 million seats (21%). Frequencies and capacity in the low cost sector are both showing 13% growth for July 2008 vs July 2007.
Within the United States, domestic activity has dropped 2% overall, or 21,500 fewer flights this month, resulting in 818,000 fewer seats. This is despite increases in low cost frequencies and capacity within the US of 4% and 3% respectively.
Figures for Europe and Asia Pacific indicate these regions are faring better at present, with intra-Europe and intra-Asia Pacific figures both showing a 3% increase in the number of flights (up by 18,268 and 15,975 respectively) and a 4% rise in capacity of 3.03 million and 3.07 million more seats year on year.
Steve Casley, Chief Operating Officer, OAG, commented:
“The OAG figures for July reveal signs of an impending downturn in the aviation industry. While some regions continue to show steady growth, the impact from the current climate in the United States is already contributing to an overall slowdown in the global figures and on the key long-haul routes between North America and hubs in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The full impact will be clearer when we publish our forecast for the 4th quarter.”
The figures are revealed in the latest OAG Aviation Statistics, a regular snapshot of airline activity around the world. Flight information and data solutions company OAG collates data from more than 900 scheduled airlines, on a daily basis, which gives an accurate overview of anticipated travel demand.
The transatlantic route, traditionally one of strong growth, is showing just 1% increase in flights and 2% in capacity for July. Similarly, there is just 1% rise in the number of transpacific flights and seats. Flights between Western Europe and the Middle East, however, are up by 11%, and there is a rise of 6% for flights between Western Europe and Asia Pacific.
India continues to show year-on-year growth far exceeding the average. For this month, there is a 34% increase in flights to and from India (4,545 extra flights representing 870,000 more seats) and a 12% rise in domestic operations (5,341 flights, 576,000 seats). The Middle East is showing a 20% growth in international operations (7,248 flights and 1.4 million seats), but a drop of -4% on routes within the region.
Other territories showing a notably significant increase in year-on-year capacity are the Russian Federation (621,000 more domestic seats, 558,000 more international seats); France, with 428,000 more international seats, of which 84% is in the low cost sector; UAE with 694,000 more international seats, largely driven by continued growth of Emirates and Etihad; Canada, with 321,000 more domestic seats, largely attributable to WestJet and Porter; and Poland, with 492,000 more international seats, of which around half are in the low cost sector.
Aircraft fleet data from OAG reveals there are 40,197 planes operating worldwide this month compared to 38,886 the same time last year, an increase of 3.4%. North America accounts for 36% of the global market, followed by Europe with 27%. Globally, there are more than 8,100 aircraft on order this month, a rise of just under 20% compared to this time last year. North America is the only region showing a decline year on year, with 0.6% fewer aircraft on order compared with July 2007. Asia Pacific accounts for the largest share of new orders (33%) and the Middle East is showing the largest year on year percentage increase at 74.3% (347 more aircraft on order than a year ago).
OAG publishes a monthly quick reference tool, OAG FACTS (Frequency & Capacity Trend Statistics) which uses interactive graphs to give an overview of the performance of a specific airport, route, country or region from 2001 onwards. For more information, a product demo and subscription details, please visit or email .
About OAG (Official Airline Guide)
OAG () is a global flight information and data solutions company for the passenger aviation, air cargo logistics and business travel markets. It brings together buyers and sellers of air travel and transport through the management and distribution of airline product information; the supply of corporate travel planning tools; and the promotion of travel and transport products. The business is underpinned by its data management expertise. It is best known for its airline schedules database which feeds the world’s global distribution systems and travel portals and drives the internal systems of many airlines, air traffic control systems, aircraft manufacturers, airport planners and government agencies.
OAG is part of Commonwealth Business Media () a wholly owned subsidiary of United Business Media Limited ().
Official Airline Guide

DATABASICS Announces Travel Expense Budgeting

RESTON, Va., July 23 /PRNewswire/ — DATABASICS, the leader in integrated travel expense reporting, announces the general availability of DATABASICS’ travel Expense Budgeting, an add-on to DATABASICS’ expense reporting solution ExpenSite. With travel Expense Budgeting, organizations can cap travel spend more effectively than was previously possible.
DATABASICS travel Expense Budgeting combines prospective travel with actual travel expenditures to take the “guess-work” out of budgetary decisions. By providing visibility into the travel pipeline, travel Expense Budgeting allows approvers to reduce spend without building in a safety margin to avoid overshooting spending targets. This means less mission impact and greater assurance that mandated cuts take place.
A highly flexible tool, travel Expense Budgeting supports budgets at any organization level or by other dimensions like projects or employee type. travel Expense Budgeting automatically calculates budget status by integrating DATABASICS travel Authorizations, agency booking and ticketing data, credit card transactions, and expenditures directly entered by travelers on their expense reports. In short, travel Expense Budgeting captures travel spend from trip planning through completion.
According to Alan Tyson, CEO of DATABASICS, “Travel Expense Budgeting represents the real payoff in travel and expense reporting integration: saving money on travel while minimizing the operational impact. Budgeting belongs inside the travel management process. Whether you are managing individual travel or meetings, it’s there that the spending decisions are made and it’s there that you need the control. After-the-fact, General Ledger- based budgeted is simply not timely enough. Budgeting of the kind we offer has become indispensable-that’s why we developed it.”
DATABASICS Budgeting is available now from DATABASICS () and through DATABASICS’ partners TRX, GetThere, Microsoft Dynamics VARS, Runzheimer International and Rearden Commerce.
About DATABASICS:
Based in Reston, Virginia, DATABASICS is the leader in integrated expense reporting solutions. DATABASICS offers expense reporting, expense budgeting, receipt management, and full travel and accounting integration. A recipient of the Deloitte and Touche Fast50 award for the state of Virginia, DATABASICS serves a wide spectrum of clients including federal contractors, non-profits, manufacturers, health care providers, IT, telecommunications, aerospace, financial services, and professional services. More information about DATABASICS is available at .
DATABASICS Incorporated

Concur Connect Establishes More Connections With Leading Travel Suppliers to Deliver Full Content and E-Receipts to Power Smart Expenses

REDMOND, Wash., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Concur the world’s leading provider of on-demand business services that automate Employee Spend Management, today announced that several industry-leading suppliers — including Avis/Budget, SNCF, SWABIZ (Southwest Business), Volaris and Interjet — have been added to the growing list of vendors participating in Concur(R) Connect — the global program that connects suppliers from around the world to over $35 billion of spend driven by Concur’s over 7,000 clients. Suppliers participating in this program are able to provide Concur clients with direct access to their travel inventory and content and deliver complete electronic folio data in the form of e-receipts directly into Concur(R) travel & Expense.
Concur Connect gives clients exclusive access to services otherwise unavailable through traditional managed travel programs, but doesn’t just stop at reservations like other content aggregators. Concur uses industry-exclusive technology to gather e-receipts, automate expense reporting and deliver Smart Expenses(TM) — Concur’s industry-first innovation that completely shatters the notion of the traditional expense report. By matching the three trusted sources of corporate travel data — itinerary, corporate card and industry- exclusive e-receipts — Concur enables organizations to automatically complete the expense report on the employee’s behalf, making One Touch Business Travel(TM) a reality.
“For too long, companies have suffered from a lack of direct access to the travel content that they need to manage their corporate travel programs from a global perspective,” said Rajeev Singh, president and chief operating officer for Concur. “This is in addition to the frustration they have in reconciling what was booked with what was actually spent. Concur Connect solves these issues globally, by delivering exclusive access to content from leading global travel suppliers directly through Concur’s online booking experience, while also enabling these same suppliers to provide e-receipts that power the Smart Expenses that are helping clients eliminate the traditional expense report. The results are frictionless transactions for both corporate travel buyers and travel suppliers, a seamless experience for business travelers and greater control and efficiency to help our clients drive down costs.”
These newly added suppliers join other recently added suppliers including Hilton Hotels Corporation, Choice Hotels International, Intercontinental Hotels Group, RideCharge, Deutsche Bahn and many others who are participating in Concur Connect to provide clients with exclusive access to content, inventory, programs and e-receipts. This industry-leading innovation ensures that every Concur client has access to the travel content and programs they need to help them manage and drive costs out of their corporate travel program. Visitors to Concur’s National Business travel Association (NBTA) International Convention & Exposition booth (#739) in Los Angeles, CA on July 28 will see how Concur’s industry-leading travel and expense management service — Concur travel & Expense — delivers access to Concur Connect suppliers.
About Concur
Concur is the world’s leading provider of on-demand Employee Spend Management services. Concur enables organizations to globally control costs by automating the processes they use to manage employee spending. Concur’s end-to-end solutions seamlessly unite online travel booking with automated expense reporting, streamline meeting management and optimize the process of managing vendor payments, employee check requests and direct reimbursements. Organizations of all sizes trust Concur to help them control spend before it occurs while eliminating paper and optimizing supplier relations. Concur’s unified approach to managing employee spend delivers a 360° view into all employee expenses, helping companies globally enforce policies and monitor vendor compliance, while delivering unprecedented control and valuable insight. Concur’s suite of on-demand services reach millions of employees across thousands of organizations around the world — streamlining business processes, reducing operating costs, improving internal controls and providing enhanced visibility and actionable expense analysis. More information about Concur is available at .
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