The International Air Transport Association’s New Distribution Capability has been in the making for about five years and many still don’t get it. Depending on your interpretation and where you sit, it’s either a promising or unsettling development for business travel distribution. NDC is neither a new airline reservations system nor a massive database of traveler information. It’s not meant…
By all accounts, hotel attachment is an important indicator. Roughly speaking, this is the percentage of bookings for trips of more than one day that contain a lodging component. A higher ratio means better data for negotiations and risk management. If the hotel booking is made with the air booking, there may be transaction fee savings. If it’s commissionable, that…
Former BCD Travel research director Claudia Unger points out that 76 U.K. universities offer a combined 450 tourism-related degrees, none of which focus on corporate travel. If a new program started, her recently published book could fit on the reading list. “Corporate Travel: Hiding in Plain Sight” (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016) is written at the 101 level in academic…
Our eleventh podcast episode features the second installment of a panel discussion recorded last month on hotel pricing and the lodging request for proposals process. The first part is here. Our expert guests were Yapta president and CEO James Filsinger, Miraval Group SVP and CMO Tom Botts, industry veteran Chris Vukelich and Navesink Advisory Group’s Flo…
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has reversed its plan to keep new loyalty program members-only discount rates out of global distribution systems. A spokesperson declined to address why the company quickly overturned its original statement that travel agents would have to use its website to book the rates. “Many of our members book their travel through our valued agency and corporate partners,”…
Fortunately for traveling businesspeople exposed to a world of danger, risk management is embedded in corporate travel’s consciousness. It’s a tricky area that touches many other business disciplines. Travel risk management approaches depend on culture, risk tolerance and many other factors. Threats, social stigmas and legalities vary around the globe. New technology constantly emerges to help both criminals and those working to…
[UPDATE, June 10: Airbnb announced the program. An official said travel agents are not part of it for the moment, but on-site agents might be. More context here.] Breaking from its standard policy of allowing only the guest to book his or her own accommodations, Airbnb is preparing a feature for its business clients allowing travel agents or arrangers to make…
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