FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 22, 2006
Contact for more information
info@traveltalkradio.com

 

UATP EASTERN EUROPEAN EXPANSION: BSP BULGARIA TO SUPPORT UATP SALES

Washington, DC – UATP’s global financial payment network continues its Eastern European expansion with the addition of a new direct connection to billing and settlement plans (BSP): BSP Bulgaria.  BSP Bulgaria continues the extension throughout Eastern Europe by UATP, where UATP is the first credit card brand to be processed electronically. 

BSP Bulgaria joins over two dozen BSPs worldwide, including recently introduced BSP Poland, Croatia and Hungary, which process UATP transactions directly with ATCAN, UATP’s central, global transaction-processing system.

“Streamlining acceptance of UATP as a form of payment, via the BSP to our acquirer network, ATCAN, significantly reduces processing times and increases efficiency for UATP’s airline and agency merchants,” said Ralph Kaiser, president and CEO, UATP. “Eastern Europe continues with significant growth and being accepted through BSPs across the region enables ease of use of UATP accounts while growing its base in Eastern Europe to accommodate future needs.”

Once a BSP is connected to ATCAN, it can send data directly to ATCAN on a Merchant’s behalf. Merchants simply have to instruct the BSP to send the data to ATCAN and discontinue their current method for submitting BSP data to ATCAN.

To learn more about BSP connections to ATCAN, e-mail atcaninfo@uatp.com, or call +1 (202) 626-4054 (ATCAN help desk) or contact Vladko Iordanov at viordanov@uatp.com

About UATP

UATP accounts are accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel by more than 220 airlines worldwide. UATP accounts are issued by these airlines: Aer Lingus, Air New Zealand, American Airlines (NYSE: AMR), Austrian Airlines, Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL), Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines (NasdaqOTC: JALSY), Qantas Airways, Ltd., United Airlines (OTC Bulletin Board: UALAQ), US Airways (UAIRQ.OB), and VARIG Brazilian Airlines. AirPlus International issues the UATP-based Company Account for: British Airways (NYSE: BAB), Lufthansa German Airlines, and Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL).

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Press contact:

Wendy L. Ward

+1 202-626-4077

wward@uatp.com

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About Sandy Dhuyvetter
Sandy Dhuyvetter is the CEO of CelestiaLINK, LLC and Executive Producer and Host of TravelTalk RADIO. Ms. Dhuyvetter is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in travel and technology. Sandy pioneered computer graphics in Silicon Valley in 1982, long before the Internet was on anyone’s radar. She founded her first
multimedia company, The Electronic Pen, four years later in San Mateo. When the Internet first became available for commercial use in 1994, Sandy was extremely well-positioned for this new medium and became actively involved in the development of many of the earliest commercial Web sites, including 3 of the first 5 CyberCash transaction storefronts. Since then, Sandy has developed online marketing strategies and eCommerce enabled Web sites for over 200 companies including the Santa Barbara Convention and Visitors Bureau (believed to be the first Web site ever created for any CVB), Trailways, American Sightseeing Association, Superbowl XXXII, TravelWorld.com, GE Capital Corporation, Tours.com and many others. In 1998, Sandy founded CelestiaLINK, LLC and went on to create TravelTalkRADIO, TravelTalkTV and TravelTalkNEWS. These multimedia companies form a comprehensive travel news and information network. As executive producer and host, Sandy attracts audiences from around the world each month. Her reporting style is dynamic and concise and her interviews are entertaining and informative. She has an immense depth of technical expertise in the travel industry and her recommendations and opinions are based on honest evaluations. Sandy is a frequent guest speaker at travel and technology conferences around the world on topics including branding, distribution and media relations. More information about Sandy is available at
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