Notebook: Government Travel Pros Treated To Latest On Innovation, Sustainability

Alexandria, Va. – Amid a federal government solicitation process putting the management of upwards of $4 billion in annual travel spending up for grabs, the National Defense Transportation Association’s GovTravels conference attracted a record 1,100 attendees here last month.  The U.S. General Services Administration has begun collecting information…

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data privacy

Amex GBT Describes Cybersecurity Practices, Takes On Binding Corporate Rules For Data Transfers

American Express Global Business Travel’s executives get quarterly updates on cyber risks monitored by the company, according to a new section in its annual report, filed Wednesday. The company regularly tests its systems for vulnerabilities and provides all employees with cybersecurity awareness training, including information on company policies…

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For Big Corporate Travel Management Companies Using Artificial Intelligence, Risk Mitigation Is Job No. 1 

Artificial intelligence promises efficiency gains and better, quicker corporate travel service. Use cases include email automation, swift answers to simple questions, and chatbot bookings and changes. For corporate travel management companies, though, achieving tantalizing outcomes requires extreme care. “Move fast and break things” this is not. Machine learning…
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Panelists speaking during a webinar conducted by Cerebri discussed booking channel policy leakage challenges stemming from airline NDC.

Notebook: Two Buyers Say Policies Fail In The Face Of Distribution Fragmentation

Regardless of the allure, direct bookings with suppliers are out of bounds for most employee groups at two companies represented on a March 6 webinar hosted by Cerebri AI. Both firms mandate that bookings go through their designated travel management companies via counselors or the SAP Concur Travel…

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Karen Williams, American Express Global Business Travel

With A Stronger Balance Sheet, Amex GBT Expects To Grow By Outcompeting, Acquiring

American Express Global Business Travel expects to improve margins thanks to productivity gains, lower restructuring and debt costs, and a continued shift to proprietary online booking tools. It’s also looking for acquisition opportunities that executives and company documents released Tuesday called “accretive,” “incremental,” and “strategic.”  Speaking under the…

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airline disruption TMC role

With Airlines Pushing Self-Service For Disruptions, What’s The TMC’s Role?

As some airlines build programs to offer trip data to corporate clients on re-accommodated travelers after flight disruptions, travel management company leaders want the market to know they have a lot to offer here. Christopherson Business Travel has not seen a change in its disruption management role. “The…
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Squeezed By Some Airlines, Flight Centre Tweaks Tech To Support Others

How much more can a travel management company make when corporate customers use its proprietary booking technology? Flight Centre Travel Group’s head of corporate travel wouldn’t specifically say, but his answer during a Tuesday evening conference call with equities analysts was instructive. With its own tools, the TMC…
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United States Courthouse, Seattle

Lawsuit Alleges Anticompetitive Acts By Business Hotels Using STR Data

Several big lodging chains and a data intermediary face allegations of unreasonable restraint of trade regarding hotel rates, in violation of antitrust regulations. A set of seven plaintiffs, seeking class-action status for untold numbers of others, accused CoStar, which owns Smith Travel Research, along with Accor, Hilton, Hyatt,…

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