Carlson Hotels Worldwide Signs with Pegasus

Business Wire, Jan 9, 2008

DALLAS & MINNEAPOLIS -- Pegasus Solutions, Inc., which introduced streamlined commission processing 15 years ago, has signed a contract with Carlson Hotels Worldwide to provide payment processing services to the global group's five major hotel brands, Regent[R] Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels & Resorts[R], Park Plaza[R] Hotels & Resorts, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson[R] and Park Inn[R].

The services to Carlson, which will include Pegasus' Rules Engine and TravelCom, consolidate commission payment and collection for travel agents and travel suppliers. Processing more than $500 million commissions annually, Pegasus' payment services are used by more than 35,000 properties, the majority of the world's travel agencies, and travel distributors in more than 200 countries. This international reach was important to Carlson during the selection process, according to Carlson's Vice President of Distribution and Reservation Services Christine Brosnahan.

"We wanted to globally adopt a simplified approach to managing commission services for our hotels to the travel agent community," said Brosnahan. "The travel agent community is a valued intermediary for all of our hotel brands. Ensuring that commissions are paid timely, accurately, and in the format that an agency requests is key to continuing these relationships. With the further development of Pegasus' rules-based engine, we can ensure that payments are seamlessly and efficiently processed."

Pegasus has provided commission processing directly to select Carlson brands in the past. This contract, however, will provide the company's more than 950 locations in 71 countries with uniform financial services, added Mark Dubrow, president of financial services for Pegasus. The addition of Pegasus' TravelCom Web-based tool will enable travel agents and hotel personnel to also have searching capabilities on the status of any Pegasus commission inquiry.

"Given Carlson's global presence and range of brand categories, the company needed a service capable of handling large demand and volume in a timely manner," said Dubrow. "With Pegasus' financial services, we can help Carlson enhance the exceptional service they provide the travel agent community while minimizing efforts at the property level."

Brosnahan added, "The importance of the GDS channel and travel agents is also evidenced by the success of our patented Look To Book([R]) program, which allows individual travel agents to automatically and electronically accumulate award points for every U.S. dollar booked and consumed at our hotels globally. More than 300,000 agents across 107 countries currently participate in the program."

About Carlson Hotels Worldwide

Carlson Hotels Worldwide is one of the major operating groups of Carlson, a global leader in providing corporate solutions and consumer services in the marketing, travel and hospitality industries. Other names among the Carlson family of brands and services are: Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Carlson Marketing, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Results Travel, Cruise Holidays, T.G.I. Friday's and Pick Up Stix restaurants. The company has been recognized by both Fortune and Working Mother magazines as one of the "100 best places to work for in America," Carlson Companies' corporate headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

About Pegasus

Dallas-based Pegasus Solutions, Inc. is a global leader in providing technology and services to hotels and travel distributors. Founded in 1989, Pegasus' customers include a majority of the world's travel agencies and more than 78,000 hotel properties around the globe. Pegasus' services include central reservation systems, electronic distribution services, commission processing and payment services, and marketing representation services, including the consumer Web site, www.hotelbook.com. The company's representation services, including Utell[R] Hotels & Resorts and Unirez by Pegasus[TM], are used by more than 9,300 member hotels in more than 130 countries, making Pegasus the hotel industry's largest third-party marketing and reservations provider. Pegasus has 16 offices in 11 countries, including regional hubs in London, Singapore and Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, please visit www.pegs.com.