Travelport renewed its long-term agreement with Kuoni, the Zurich-based travel conglomerate, and will continue as its approved GDS provider.

As part of the agreement, Kuoni will integrate the Travelport Universal API into specific areas of its business and will adopt Travelport Smartpoint App, the upgrade to the Galileo Desktop.

The deal covers several countries in Europe and Asia, and technology provision will be tailored for various local requirements.

Egencia completes VIA Travel acquisition

Egencia, Expedia Inc.’s travel management company, completed the acquisition of VIA Travel, the largest TMC in the Nordic countries, on April 27. 

VIA Travel was renamed VIA Egencia.

The acquisition brings the number of countries in which Egencia has a presence to more than 50.

AirAsia Philippines signs with Abacus

AirAsia Philippines signed an agreement to distribute its published inventory of flights and fares through Abacus International. The carrier, a joint venture between AirAsia International Ltd. and Filipino Investors, launched domestic service from Angeles City, Pampanga, in March.

Priceline said to be bidding for thetrainline.com

Priceline is among the second round of bidders for thetrainline.com, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and SkyNews.

Founded in 1999, the site offers advance-purchase discounts for travel on U.K. trains. Tickets can be printed by the consumer, collected at a kiosk or delivered by mail.

The site also offers a Best Fare Finder and train schedules.

Other bidders are said to be the Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Providence Equity Partners and Francisco Partners private equity firms.

Lebanese agency launches online portal

Wild Discovery, a Beirut, Lebanon-based leisure travel and tourism retailer and a subsidiary of Johnny R. Saade Holdings, deployed Travelport’s Galileo Web Services solution to launch mousetrotter.com, its online travel portal and booking platform.

It is one of the first Lebanese agencies to offer online booking and ticketing.

Galileo Web Services provides a suite of pre-developed services that address the most commonly used travel processes on the web and supports data transfer between the agency and the GDS.