In corporate travel, sourcing is all about negotiating deals with airlines, hotels, car rental companies and other suppliers. Of course, organizations want to get the best value, but travel procurement is about more than price. It’s also about using data to monitor performance on both sides, working with intermediaries, building deeper relationships and exploring new technologies that improve processes.
San Diego – Southwest Airlines is redesigning its approach to corporate relationships. No longer relying on individual salespeople to look after all of an account’s needs, the carrier is assembling teams to handle contract implementation, analytics and customer service. “We know we were not easy to do business with,” said Dave Harvey, recently promoted to…
United Airlines named Jake Cefolia senior vice president of worldwide sales, taking over for the retiring Dave Hilfman. Hilfman will continue to advise United through the end of the year. Cefolia has been with United since 2007, most recently as VP of sales for the Americas. Before joining United, he held various sales leadership roles at Northwest…
Tripbam announced benchmarking and hotel performance assessment tools enabling clients to determine if they’re getting appropriate discounts, why negotiated rates aren’t being used and where they can improve their programs. The initiative aims to address problems that give travel buyers fits and have attracted other solutions, as well. In the works for well over a year,…
United Airlines established a new corporate discount program for midmarket companies that can earn those demonstrating an ability to shift share upwards of 19 percent off premium fares. Called United Propel, the program differs from other airline midmarket discount schemes in that it includes $2,000 to $10,000 in annual amenities and also will apply (as early…
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…
Sitting at the nexus of travel agencies and airlines, ARC is well-positioned to understand the needs of both sides. Today’s advisor, ARC president and CEO Mike Premo, advocates collaboration on the changes facilitated by IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC). That’s because while there’s a lot to sort out when it comes to air travel booking,…
Hyatt has negotiated rates for shared services provider KBB Partners’ financial and professional services members. KBB aggregates spending to secure favorable pricing and contract terms on areas including travel, insurance, information services, office supplies and teleconferencing. Best suited for firms without in-house resources, KBB looks to negotiate individual and group contracts with airlines, hotels and…
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