The Company Dime co-founder Jay Campbell last week interviewed Sabre CEO Kurt Ekert via videoconference. Among other issues, Ekert talked about supplier content fragmentation, global distribution system pricing, AI, technology modernization and, yes, NDC. A lightly edited transcript follows. Some travel managers look back fondly at a period a few years ago when it seemed…
Delta Air Lines during a Thursday virtual meeting named the tech partners it would work with on a customer service-oriented distribution strategy based on IATA’s New Distribution Capability protocols. Accelya, ARC and Google will support Delta as it collaborates with corporate travel intermediaries on new distribution methods. The announcement comes as Delta’s agreement with Sabre…
Southwest Airlines has always done things differently, but lately, it’s been embracing industry norms in the corporate market. It’s participating in more distribution channels and fielding a bigger sales team. It offers a basket of options for corporate dealmaking, including at least one throwback idea: back-end rebates. Those may be instead of or in addition…
What airlines want from their corporate customers and what they’re willing to give in return is changing. For many U.S. accounts, the request for proposals process and resulting contracts look very different than they did five years ago, especially for American and United clients. Airline corporate discounts are getting downsized or eliminated, and carriers want…
As American Airlines all but dismantles corporate sales, airline industry pundits scrutinized AA’s latest arguments about going small and emphasizing competitiveness via network and loyalty. The strategy illustrates diversification among big airlines that adds to these challenging times for corporate travel buyers. Chief commercial officer Vasu Raja on March 4 told Wall Street analysts that…
Southwest Airlines finished last year with roughly 12 percent of U.S. domestic managed corporate travel bookings, based on its analysis of ARC data, up from zero four years earlier. The jump resulted from a combination of market and Southwest-specific developments. Measured by passengers, the dataset encompassed global distribution system bookings through a few dozen of…
Consulting services for corporate travel program management are popping up everywhere. Even suppliers like Delta Air Lines and Mastercard are ready to help. Incumbents include special divisions of travel management companies, individuals, boutique firms and some of the world’s largest consultancies. How does an organization choose? Primarily, it’s about how well the consultant’s subject matter…
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