Service

Much of the rationale for a managed travel program is providing appropriate and satisfactory service to corporate travelers. That means working with airlines, hotels, ground transport firms, travel management companies, tech providers and others to optimize each step of a trip, from booking and planning through to post-trip reports and surveys.

Coverage areas include:
• Travel agents, both real and virtual
• Employee engagement
Mobile technologies for travelers
• Variability in hotel services
Personalizing travel
Visa processing travel

‘No Great Answer’ In Search For Corporate Agents

CCRA’s Dic Marxen sees corporate travel agent salaries rising by double-digit percentages because of the profession’s aging workforce and dearth of new labor. He wasn’t surprised to see Travel Leaders Group this month create a scholarship program for military veterans. Marxen had a similar idea three years ago that died at the feet of federal bureaucracy,…

HRS Tests Blockchain For Corporate Hotel Negotiations, Check-In Procedures

One of the first applications of blockchain to corporate travel is in the works at hotel distribution and contracting specialist HRS. Spurred in part by discussions with sourcing client Siemens, HRS is testing blockchain-powered smart contracts, allowing clients and hotels to negotiate rates that change based on environmental conditions. In another scenario, blockchain supports identity verification…

SAP Concur To Go Down For Upgrade

Corporate online booking and expense management market leader SAP Concur will take North America-hosted systems offline this Saturday to upgrade its network infrastructure, the company informed clients. Concur estimated that the work, beginning April 7 at 12 p.m. PDT, would last 10 hours. It said customers using Concur’s EMEA or China data centers would not be…

Small Accounts Aren’t Worth The Effort, So Claire Chatbot Seeks TMC Users

Three unidentified travel management companies have enlisted 30SecondsToFly’s Claire chatbot, according to co-founder Felicia Schneiderhan. Claire’s parent is de-emphasizing direct client servicing in favor of powering other business travel entities due to the cost and limited return of maintaining small-business accounts. Claire uses the Facebook, Skype, Slack, SMS and web platforms to communicate with users about…

HRG Buy Would Boost GBT’s Proprietary Network, Topple Some Partnerships

If it proceeds as planned, HRG’s acquisition by American Express Global Business Travel would give the latter new proprietary operations in Austria, Italy and Russia. As if integration of acquired companies isn’t difficult enough, GBT also would need to sort out a complicated array of relationships the two travel management companies hold in markets where…

Sabre, TSI USA Start Chatbot Pilot

Sabre said its previously announced chatbot has gone into pilot with Travel Services International USA. Using Microsoft technology, the chatbot can help travelers with self-service support requests, allowing agents focus on more complex needs, noted Sabre Studios director Chad Callaghan. TSI clients will reach a white-label version of the chatbot through Facebook Messenger or TSI’s…

After Pivot, Jay Walker’s Upside Travel Is Attempting To Play A Very Long Game

Online travel legend Jay Walker is putting his best spin on Upside Travel’s pivot, but it’s hard to envision which way the company will be facing when it stops. From any angle, Upside’s first idea failed. Too many business travelers want neither packages nor gift cards. While those stayed in the mix, Upside beginning in the summer…

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