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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[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”…
[UPDATE, April 19, 2017: Deem redesigned and rebranded its software suite as ‘Work Fource.’] [UPDATE, April 15, 2016: A Deem official indicated the company does not agree with the CrunchBase figure for total investment in Deem; the official did not provide a different figure.] With founder Patrick Grady out and new funding in, Deem anticipates layoffs and a…
[UPDATE, June 22, 2017: British Airways began offering branded fares to global distribution systems via the Airline Tariff Publishing Co. Using what BA called “an industry standard distribution method,” the functionality took effect for Travelport and Amadeus in early May and for Sabre on June 1. The airline told travel agencies that its aim is…
The fare combinability fracas isn’t over. American, Delta and United at the end of last week said their recent changes on one-way ticketing went further than intended. They are making revisions to bring back some normalcy. But live travel agents still seem to be the only ones capable of booking circle trips and some other…
Our ninth podcast episode features a discussion recorded this month with regulars Evan Konwiser of American Express Global Business Travel and Miriam Moscovici from BCD Travel. We spoke with them about the basics of travel management, new technology like virtual reality, risk management, open booking, concerns about online booking tools, Uber, what travel managers are missing and productivity tips.
A Lufthansa executive this month reportedly named American Express Global Business Travel and BCD Travel as potential partners for the airline’s direct-booking initiative. However, the travel management companies don’t sound interested. According to an Amex executive, Lufthansa’s proposed alternative would end up costing more than the airline’s 16 euro surcharge for traditional distribution. A BCD Travel…
Hilton Worldwide declined to comment, but several sources said it’s planning to reduce agency commissions on its new HHonors rates. Those are the discounted rates that Hilton revealed in February as part of its “Stop Clicking Around” marketing campaign, designed to compete with online travel agencies. Other travel agencies at first worried they also would…
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