[UPDATE, Jan. 9, 2019: The airline working with ARC and Blockskye is United Airlines. Find more information here.] Blockchain startup Blockskye is running a proof of concept with the Airlines Reporting Corp. and also working with an unnamed airline and Fortune 100 corporate account to build a robust direct-booking and payment program. Blockchain would not enable…
Southwest Airlines is using new revenue management tools in a fight against lower-cost competition. For travel buyers, the impact could be fewer low airfares from Southwest and, in turn, its big three U.S. rivals. Already there are signs pointing to fare hikes during the second half of this year. Fuel prices are up, prompting some airlines…
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,…
Though it claims more than 75 consolidated or shared clients including Dropbox, Iconiq Capital, Soros Fund Management and Spotify, New York-based WTMC is something of a corporate travel secret. Considering the trail it’s blazing for alternative airline distribution, it will be hard to stay quiet. WTMC is the first agency in the United States testing…
Collecting hotel commissions always has been arduous. Helping agencies and corporations with it is the reason companies like Onyx CenterSource and CTS Systems exist. For their clients, hotel compensation strategies that reallocate monies from the traditional commission bucket to so-called marketing fees exacerbate the challenge. The apparent step-up in such activity has led to more bemoaning…
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…
Travel management’s top priority for a long time was cost control. Now, duty of care and traveler safety are front and center. Traveler satisfaction continues to rank a bit lower (1, 2). Nevertheless, corporate travelers seem to be a pretty satisfied bunch, at least according to 2017 industry research. It sounds counter-intuitive. Business travel is grueling. The list…
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