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.
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…
The corporate travel world’s opinion of Marriott is bipolar. Travelers love the loyalty program, but that can work against corporate program compliance. Many industry professionals respect the company’s success but get discouraged when it takes a hard line on various issues. Travel buyers like the idea of a consistent, high-quality product from a world-renowned brand…
[UPDATE, Dec. 19, 2016: Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines as of May 1, 2017, no longer will share codes. The carriers also will cease frequent flyer program reciprocity. An interlining deal for ticketing and baggage connectivity will continue.] Alaska Air Lines’ relationship with Delta seems about over as one with American is ramping up….
It’s tough to know if you got the cheapest hotel rate. A lot of that has to do with timing. Published hotel rates, like airfares, fluctuate. Availability changes based on occupancy. Corporate rates aren’t always as accessible as many program managers would like. Some big chains also are more actively favoring direct bookers. They offer various enticements,…
It’s another tough negotiating cycle for corporate hotel buyers. Healthy demand and tight availability mean some hotels are even declining to bid. But it’s not the same story in all markets and there are several ways clients can attempt to mitigate rate hikes. Buyers should have more leverage in markets that are adding lots of new rooms. New York still is…
At the beginning of the year, this publication laid out reasons why airfares may not follow dropping fuel costs. Nine months on, it’s clear they have, but it’s not all because of oil prices. Demand growth this year isn’t as robust as expected, dragged down by sharply reduced volumes from the energy sector. There’s been some pick-up in overall capacity led by…
Purchasing consortia are big in the higher education space. Some have been around for a while and others are relatively new. When dabbling in travel, car rental contracts seem to be an entry point. Now, there are agreements covering hotels, travel agencies, T&E software and visa processing services. There’s even a rare consortium air contract in play….
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