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 usually favor direct distribution over more costly third-party channels. That creates complexity in business travel technology.
Our seventh podcast episode features an interview Jay Campbell conducted in November with Judy Bauer, a longtime travel management practitioner recently retired from Marsh & McLennan Companies. Judy is keeping her hand in the business, taking the occasional project, but she has turned over MMC’s large travel program to her team members including Greg Wilczek and…
[UPDATE, Feb. 4: Sabre announced that AA’s Preferred and Main Cabin Extra Seat now are available in the Sabre global distribution system. A Sabre official said a “phased rollout” will wrap up in mid-February.] Sabre at U.S. points of sale on Feb. 2 will start facilitating American Airlines’ paid seats, according to a Sabre memo…
As they work for advantage, clients, suppliers and those in between keep business travel management interesting. Changes to underlying and consumer-facing technology make it a dynamic business function. The personal and geopolitical elements of business travel offer points of note from the micro to macro levels. As one of our featured practitioners noted, this job is about economics, geography, psychology and then some….
New York — Delta Air Lines is offering corporate fare bundles to Boise, Idaho-based Micron Technology through Travelport in the first publicly disclosed realization of a long-held airline hope. Using Travelport’s Smartpoint interface, Micron’s BCD Travel agents next year will begin testing use of a special fare bundle including not only Micron’s Delta rate, but also certain ancillaries. Delta and…
Our sixth podcast episode features a panel discussion on business travel technology hosted by the Meetings Technology Expo in New York City on Nov. 10. Jay Campbell moderated the conversation with Brand New Matter managing director (and former Priceline exec) Brian Harniman, nuTravel chief strategy officer Rich Miller, Atlas Travel & Technology Group COO Lea Cahill and soon-to-be-former Travelport chief commercial officer Kurt Ekert. Jay…
Global education company EF Education First in March installed the KDS Neo door-to-door booking product for U.S. travelers. During the past year, the organization brought Neo to various markets in the Americas, Asia and Europe. It’s now moving into Canada. EF vice president Dennis Behnsen said the firm has used corporate booking tools in the past. But its in-house…
New research by the Global Business Travel Association, sponsored by Concur, affirms that business travelers think online booking tools are merely satisfactory. Nevertheless, few surveyed travel managers said their employers are ready to allow for alternative booking options. Among 710 American, Australian and British business travelers working for companies with managed travel programs, 85 percent were satisfied when booking directly with airlines…
End of content
End of content
