Delray Beach, FL — August 16, 2021. Hickory Global Partners, a leading global travel alliance for travel agencies and travel departments has added airline booking capabilities to its already robust online booking tool called SmartBook™, making it the complete 360-degree online booking solution for hotel, ground and now air, as well as Hickory Global Partners becoming the first and only consortia to offer air in an online booking tool.

Prior to adding air, SmartBook™ was already in a class all itself compared to other online booking platforms with stellar hotel and ground offerings. In addition to being complimentary to Hickory’s members and its robust capabilities and easy-to-use interface, it’s also the travel industry’s only platform with integrated group/meeting capabilities. SmartBook™ offers over 1 million commissionable hotel properties worldwide, access to Hickory’s Hotel Program including pay on checkout hotel rates, inclusion of pre-paid rates from over 30 aggregators (i.e. Expedia, Booking.com and Agoda), all hotel rates commissionable up to 20% and clearly displayed prior to booking, 80% total hotel commission payments directly via ACH/monthly check and a direct connection to Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Carey for ground transportation bookings.

SmartBook™ Air will be powered by Flyus.com, the next generation of travel technology, offering a sophisticated booking engine with advanced price tracking tools and innovative fulfillment technology. Flyus.com boasts top-of-the-line customer service with real-time reporting and easy-to-access private fares, as well as comprehensive end-to-end travel assistance. SmartBook™ will offer a complete selection of airline content, including published, private and consolidator fares. All airlines will be available, including Hickory’s point-of-sale, upfront commission, preferred airlines. A short but not complete list of available airlines are American Airlines, British Airways, Etihad Airways, Finnair, Iberia Airlines, Japan Airlines and WestJet (including codeshare). Existing Hickory SmartBook™ users will have their SmartBook™ profiles updated automatically in the platform, so they can use the air component now as well.

With SmartBook™ Air, Hickory Global Partners’ members will receive an additional revenue opportunity by earning a 30% of the total air booking revenue (a combination of fees and commission).

“SmartBook has always been an important tool for travel advisors to have in their toolboxes, but now that we have added air to the platform, the sky is really the limit for our members for a complete online booking solution for leisure and corporate travelers. Now, our members can book air, hotel and ground all in one platform, which means we can deliver the trifecta (hotel, ground and air) in a single online booking tool. This is something we have wanted to provide for some time that has finally come to fruition, which further cements Hickory Global Partners as a leader and innovator in the travel space,” states Chris Dane, President and Managing Partner of Hickory Global Partners.

For more information, please contact partnercare@hickoryglobalpartners.com or register for SmartBook™ at https://smartbook.hickoryglobalpartners.com/TravelAgentAgreement.html.

About Hickory Global Partners

Founded over 40 years ago, Hickory Global Partners is an industry-leading global alliance for travel agencies and travel departments that delivers unparalleled negotiated discounts and commissions, resources, support and value that significantly benefits its members, and ultimately, their clients. Hickory Global Partners bridges the gap between members and suppliers and raises the bar on what being a global travel alliance is all about. Its visionary hotel program, robust air program, one-of-a kind ground transportation program, comprehensive ancillary portfolio and cutting-edge technology and tools, make HICKORY an important strategic partner in the travel industry. For more information, visit www.hickoryglobalpartners.com.