Scroll down to review The Company Dime‘s coverage of travel distribution.
The travel industry thrives on a complex network of channels connecting travelers with desired experiences. The Company Dime‘s travel distribution category delves into this intricate system, offering subscribers invaluable knowledge and insights. Our in-depth articles explore the various channels that constitute corporate travel distribution, both traditional and emerging.
Getting all the relevant, bookable inventory in front of business travelers is a never-ending challenge. Airlines, hotels and other suppliers constantly tinker with their products and pricing, and often favor direct distribution over third-party channels. That creates complexity in business travel technology.
Readers can expect thorough coverage of the relationships and dynamics between airlines, hotels, travel management companies, global distribution systems and other suppliers and intermediaries. We closely examine developments associated with the New Distribution Capability (NDC), direct booking initiatives and the rise of new entrants looking to disrupt legacy models.
Subscribers benefit from our scrutiny of the often-opaque world of distribution costs and revenue streams, including incentive payments, agency commissions and booking fees. We shed light on these essential commercial arrangements.
We also track the technological forces reshaping distribution, from the positioning of online booking tools to the potential of emerging solutions like artificial intelligence, blockchain and virtual payment. Readers stay informed on innovations that could unlock efficiencies and improve the traveler experience.
Our coverage clarifies major industry debates, such as the relative merits of GDS and NDC content, and our Op Eds deliver provocative thought leadership from all corners of the industry. Contributor insights on timely issues — like rethinking travel management company commercial models — make for essential reading.
With a critical eye and a healthy dose of skepticism, The Company Dime delivers must-have intelligence for anyone seeking to understand the present and future of travel distribution.
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You get what you pay for, and most travel industry business news is free. We sell insight. Our mission is quality journalism for those interested in business travel services, expense management practices and travel industry change. Our features, exclusives and analysis equip business travel professionals with vital info for top performance.
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American Express Global Business Travel in an August letter indicated customers would pay a $10 surcharge on transactions booked with airlines deemed “high cost.” “This additional $10 fee applies to any transaction booked with a supplier that is booked outside a GDS; does not settle its accounts through industry-standard methods; has limited or no participation…
Amadeus and Sabre are taking a new approach to developing corporate booking tools for small and medium businesses. In some smaller markets around the globe, they’re hooking up with tech partners. Sabre in August announced a deal with Serko to serve SMEs Down Under. The New Zealand-based company will replace proprietary booking software in the Sabre…
One of the issues tripping up Concur’s TripLink in beta with United Airlines and several customers is how to capture the value of unused tickets. When travelers cancel or change a booking made on United’s website using their TripLink account, sometimes there is residual value to be used. At the moment there’s no way for that credit to be added to…
New York — Buying a corporate booking tool isn’t at the top of the to-do list for Carlson Wagonlit Travel. As rival American Express Global Business Travel works to close by year-end its acquisition of KDS, CWT will leverage its CWT To Go mobile app. Speaking here last week at the Business Meetings Travel and…
Concur last week agreed to buy consumer travel search company Hipmunk. This will help it “deliver consumer-grade products to corporate customers,” according to Concur. Beyond that, the firm’s execs are saying very little. Here’s some educated speculation. Hipmunk wasn’t going far in the consumer space. For months it has been talking to potential strategic investors…
Airline distribution generates more than its fair share of controversy. Battles over financial flows, technology and content often underlie potential disruption to the status quo. Yet so far, it’s all talk. The split between airline direct and indirect volumes has barely changed. In corporate travel, the indirect global distribution system/travel management company channel remains dominant. American…
[UPDATE, Feb. 8, 2017: Sabre CFO Rick Simonson on Feb. 7 told investors that the Flight Centre contract would add $80 million in incremental revenue for a total run rate of $100 million expected during 2018.] Sabre expects meaningful share gains starting next year from a new contract with a big Asia/Pacific travel agency. It appears to…
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