Dakota Software finance director Nick Lay canceled his Concur Expense implementation two months ago, but he still gets monthly bills. This, he said, is a sign of a provider that’s too big for a small enterprise like his. On the other hand, new supplier ExpenseBot takes his phone calls and emails. ExpenseBot’s founders consider its technology a differentiator, but their…
On average, how much are you paying for airfares? It’s probably one the easiest travel metrics to understand and a seemingly simple approach to benchmarking. The problem is, average ticket price is a flawed measurement. Many travel management pros know it doesn’t account for several important variables, though C-suite leaders may not. So what’s better? Some procurement people like cost…
Our tenth podcast episode features the first installment of a panel discussion recorded this week on hotel pricing and distribution strategies. The expert guests are new Miraval Group SVP and CMO Tom Botts, Yapta president and CEO James Filsinger, Navesink Advisory Group’s Flo Lugli and industry veteran Chris Vukelich. They talked with Jay Campbell and David…
On-demand ground transportation company Lyft is gaining momentum in corporate travel and is open to negotiated benefits based on volume. Sources said the company is proving easier to work with than bigger rival Uber. Uber declined to comment on whether it works with negotiated benefits. Its website indicates it does not offer corporate discounts. “We’re taking a different approach,” said…
Policy compliance remains one of the biggest challenges for corporate travel buyers. There are lots of old and new reasons, from the practical to the psychological. Most notable is the complexity of business travel. Throw in various other factors and the notion of leakage is becoming ambiguous. If your company neither endorses nor prohibits Uber, is using the service noncompliant…
[UPDATE, May 9 2016: Hyatt reversed course on GDS participation for member rates.] Like two of its rivals before, Hyatt Hotels on Monday announced a marketing and rate program specifically for loyalty program members. The companies are attempting to neutralize online travel agencies. However, unlike Hilton and Marriott, Hyatt’s discounted rates of “up to 10 percent” off for Gold Passport members…
[UPDATE, June 28, 2017: United Airlines next month will make available through an online portal a new set of features for corporate clients and travel agencies. A key addition is detailed data on ancillary spending. United managing director of sales resources Karen Catlin said such reports have been in beta tests with a few big customers but otherwise “don’t exist…
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