Q&A: Corporate Travel Veteran Maureen Brady On TMC Economics
New York — Maureen Brady in August stepped down from her role as chief commercial officer in North America at Corporate Travel Management after five years with the company and more than 30 years at seven other TMCs of various kinds. She’s taking a career break — not…
Kayak For Small And Medium Businesses Finds Its Bearings
In Listening Mode, American Airlines Restarts Corporate Benefits
Based on feedback from corporate clients, travel agencies and a couple of old friends, American Airlines will reactivate the Corporate Experience program on Oct. 10, providing preferred seats at no fee and priority check-in, security screening, boarding and disruption recovery. According to a Wednesday message to corporate clients, the…
The Evolution Of Lowest Logical Fare Policies
The concept of “lowest logical fare” has always been open to interpretation. Traditionally, it’s the cheapest, in-policy fare returned when the traveler or travel agent searches in a booking system. But various market dynamics are making it harder to pin down, prompting industry professionals to reconsider it. New…
Fox World Travel Churns Out AI Solutions
New York — Wisconsin-based Fox World Travel is in the second of five phases of building an artificial intelligence-augmented traveler experience designed to eventually deliver AI-powered ticketing and self-service as a conversation. Under a mantra of “fast, small steps,” the travel management company thus far has exposed the project…
Partnership Travel Consulting Launches Air, Hotel Auditing Services
Partnership Travel Consulting launched auditing services to ensure corporate clients are getting the lowest fare offers, comparing ticketed fares with what’s on carrier websites, booking negotiated corporate hotel rates and adding lodging to air bookings.PTC partnered with three firms to deliver these and other related services. In January,…
‘Algorithmic’ Hotel Pricing Draws Legal, Regulatory Scrutiny
Plaintiffs in several class-action lawsuits filed over the past 18 months accused hotel chains and third-party intermediaries, including STR and Amadeus, of conspiring to raise room rates. Some of them alleged anticompetitive effects from the use of sophisticated pricing algorithms. They also argued that the U.S. luxury hotel…
What Is ATPI, Direct Travel’s Multinational Partner And Possible Takeover Target?
Transnational corporations want scale in their travel management providers, and it takes a lot to build that. Tech developers seek the same in their channel partners. After Spotnana’s ambitious owners bought Direct Travel, shoring up the global component makes perfect sense. There’s even a ready-made target in ATPI,…
UK Regulators Call Navan Insufficient For Big Multinationals, And Some Customers Agree
After talking to customers, competitors and suppliers in the first phase of its examination of American Express Global Business Travel’s proposed acquisition of CWT, the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority on Aug. 30 put out a lengthy report. One conclusion was that “tech entrants,” including Navan, were…
Corporate Travel 101
How To Get A Budget For Tech And Win Support For Your Ideas
GBTA surveys show that many corporate travel managers want to spend more on technology. The trick is getting a budget for it.In a February poll, 36 percent of buyers expected to spend more on tech this year than last — 12 times the share of those who said they would spend less. Asked in an October 2023 survey to identify…
Notebook: GBTA Speakers On Getting Started With New Distribution Capability
Atlanta — In addition to providing a venue for emotional expression about airline distribution changes, the Global Business Travel Association’s convention here last month offered a platform for blueprint-making. Voicing concern about industry pros who may think — at their peril — that American Airlines backing off means they can, too, more than a dozen speakers pressed on with practical advice. In…
Explainer: IATA’s One Order
Airline reservations and global distribution systems create passenger name records. Airlines issue tickets. Electronic miscellaneous documents account for ancillary sales. This multitude of records, ticket numbers and reservation numbers complicates revenue accounting and can confuse travelers. The International Air Transport Association is working on a better way, which corporate buyers and travel management companies may get a look at next year. “All…
Explainer: Configuring Travel Management Company Services
The primary choices for a travel management company servicing model have been the same for decades. The set of players providing the service has changed through M&A among existing providers and the emergence of new ones while improving technology allows for different flavors like virtual and hybrid-working agents. The most significant change affecting customer decisions on TMC configurations following the…
Electric Vehicles And Business Travel: Navigating The Charging Landscape
Explainer: IATA’s New Distribution Capability
OP ED
Op Ed: Jeff Klee On The Fork In The Road For Global Distribution Systems
AmTrav CEO Jeff Klee has some advice for GDSs looking to maintain their positions as pre-eminent corporate travel tech providers. He suggests they embrace new data formats, expand content aggregation into more corners and make things simpler for users. The story of Kodak is a cautionary tale about a once-great company whose leaders misunderstood its…
Op Ed: Atyab Bhatti On Getting *A Little* Technical With AI, Part Two: Personalization
SkyLink CEO and co-founder Atyab Bhatti is back with another slightly high-tech posts about artificial intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is changing the way we approach personalization across industry verticals, including corporate travel. By leveraging generative AI, organizations can provide personal, delightful experiences for their travelers, enhancing satisfaction while meaningfully reducing costs. Machine learning is an AI…
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Notebook: ExxonMobil Saves Half A Mil With Engagement Campaign
Atlanta – ExxonMobil’s internal “Do The Math” campaign aims to optimize four aspects of traveler booking behavior: online booking adoption, lowest logical fare use, advance ticket purchasing and preferred hotel utilization. The company’s communications strategy, featuring extensive use of banner ads, was one of three engagement case studies presented here during a panel discussion at GBTA’s convention in July.Potential savings…
Swiss Re’s Internal Carbon Levy Helped Slash Emissions, Halve Travel Spending
From a 2018 baseline, Swiss Re last year cut business air travel spending in half and slashed associated greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60 percent. A lot went into those reductions, including an internal carbon price coupled with carbon budgets.A $50 billion Zurich-based provider of reinsurance and insurance, Swiss Re committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by…
Notebook: ‘Am I Fired?’ Buyers Share Executive Engagement Takeaways From AA Episode
Atlanta — With almost no exceptions, corporate travel managers do not have fond memories of their experiences with the New Distribution Capability. Amy Hunke, senior manager of travel and meetings at Ametek and president of GBTA Michigan, described her experience as “quite horrific.”Addressing buyers during a GBTA convention panel about NDC here last month, she said, “If you ever wake up…
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Is There Money Hiding In Your Email?
BCD Travel is working with undisclosed partners to help clients process compensation claims when airlines fail to meet regulatory standards for service. European Commission Regulation 261/2004 calls for varying payouts on cancellations, long delays or involuntary denied boarding. The new BCD program applies to travel to, within and (on EU carriers) from Europe. It’s available to clients there but the company also…
Riot Games Coping With Corporate Travel’s Virtual Card Adolescence
Virtual cards are still a work in progress, but Riot Games travel wizard Sean Parham isn’t ready to give up on them. He’s now on his second try. The intended benefits — reduced fraud, easier reconciliation and a seamless traveler experience including an easier expense process — are just too tempting. Last year Parham pulled the plug on a program through…