KDS, the Paris-based online business travel management solutions provider, has signed an agreement with Pegasus Solutions to give its customers access to 60,000 hotels around the world.
Under the deal, KDS will use Pegasus' UltraDirect electronic distribution service for access to the hotels.
Pegasus which is based in Dallas, Texas, is a leading provider of technology services to hotels and travel distributors.
KDS said the deal would give its customers instant access to information on the hotels including rates and availability as well as the facility to book.
The French company said the "rapidly expanding market for self-booking tools" was the reason behind the deal and its selection of Pegasus as its partner.
Matthew Frost, KDS sales director in the UK, said: "Pegasus allows us to offer another level of direct access to the central reservation systems of a wide selection of hotels worldwide. By working with Pegasus, we can expand the options of our customers as they face the daily demands of online business travel."
Peter Fitzgerald of Pegasus EMEA, said: "The company (KDS) is already established as the market leader for self-booking tools in Europe and the service and distribution strength that Pegasus provides complements KDS's business travel management solutions."
Aer Lingus IPO could raise €563m
The initial public offering (IPO) of Irish national carrier Aer Lingus could raise between €438m and €563m, the Financial Times reported.
The airline is expected to issue 208.4m new shares in a price range of €2.10-€2.70 a share.
This values the Irish carrier, which has re-positioned itself largely as a low cost carrier, at €601m-€773m.
Aer Lingus will announce it final share price on September 27 and hopes to be listed on the Dublin and London stock markets by early October.
The Irish Government has a substantial 85% stake in the airline which after the IPO is likely to fall to around 25%.
* new jobs this week on BTE's recruitment site www.businesstraveljobs.com