AA Follows UA To ARC’s Corporate Contracting Tool As Sabre Upgrades Prism
Washington, D.C. — American Airlines agreed to use the ARC Corporate Intelligence tool for contract management. ARC CI launched with United Airlines in 2020 as an alternative to the market-leading Prism platform, owned by Sabre. An AA official did not comment on whether the airline would continue using…
Retro Rebates Hang On As Post-Pandemic Legacy For Southwest Customers
GBT-CWT: Implications For Customers
It’s not hard to identify potential winners from American Express Global Business Travel’s proposed deal to acquire CWT, besides GBT itself, starting with the largest remaining competitors. Nor is it hard to see some of the losers, firstly global companies that manage travel and would have one fewer…
Travel Management Companies Race To Meet AA’s NDC Targets, Sort Out Client Fees
The Future Of Airline Contracting: Engagement And Marketing Edge Out Discounts
World Travel Inc. Gets Productivity Boost From New AI Firm Acai Travel
Starting with automating email routing and responses, World Travel Inc. is using artificial intelligence from startup Acai Travel to restructure its customer support operation. Reduced average handling time means faster service for clients. The travel management company estimated a 4 percent increase in productivity “off the bat,” said…
British Airways Adjusts To AA’s Stance On Corporate Deals
American Airlines cares less for conventional corporate travel dealmaking, but that’s not working for partner British Airways. As AA cancels corporate deals or allows them to lapse — including agreements struck jointly with its key Oneworld partner — BA wants to hang onto some. It has broken from…
Bizly Gets Cash For AI-Backed Meetings Mgmt. From JetBlue Ventures, Other Investors
Corporate meetings tech provider Bizly this month entered what its founder called a new chapter with funding of an undisclosed amount anchored by existing shareholder JetBlue Ventures. Fermont Capital, Frontier Ventures and H. Barton Asset Management also participated. They’re buying into a vision for artificial intelligence-powered meetings management…
American Express GBT CEO Abbott: CWT Acqusition Targets Non-Customer Costs
American Express Global Business Travel announced Monday it agreed to pay about $570 million to buy CWT using stock and cash on hand. The companies expect the deal to close in the second half of this year, subject to regulatory approvals in multiple jurisdictions and the satisfaction of…