In a Jan. 29 Business Travel News column, SAP Concur Travel president Charlie Sultan predicted that distribution changes would “disrupt” travel management company revenue streams and combine with tech investment pressures to prompt “further TMC consolidation.” He didn’t cover Concur’s role. Parent SAP considered buying CWT but decided against it last week, according to sources…
Keeping its chief commercial officer’s word on plans for more incentives on “internet” bookings, American Airlines on Tuesday announced new conditions for customers to earn miles and points beginning with tickets issued May 1. They’ll earn when they book directly with AA or certain partners, book anywhere as an AAdvantage Business member or contracted corporate…
Due out this spring, the Southwest Business TravelTrack service aims to mitigate a growing challenge for corporate travel programs — missing data from changed itineraries. Bookings originally made through online booking tools and global distribution systems, as supported by travel management companies, often end up getting changed directly with airlines when flights are disrupted. Those…
Southwest Airlines finished last year with roughly 12 percent of U.S. domestic managed corporate travel bookings, based on its analysis of ARC data, up from zero four years earlier. The jump resulted from a combination of market and Southwest-specific developments. Measured by passengers, the dataset encompassed global distribution system bookings through a few dozen of…
Reaction: Responding to Scott Gillespie’s Op Ed on how today’s corporate travel market demands “long-sighted travel policies” prioritizing value and sustainability over traditional cost-cutting, readers generally agreed with the need for change. Microsoft’s Eric Bailey echoed the goal of reducing emissions and minimizing low-value trips but suggested different methods. He recommended carbon taxes and budget…
With American Airlines’ 2023 passenger revenues 8.8 percent higher and selling expenses 1 percent lower, executives said on Thursday that corporate buyers and travel management companies could expect more of the same: more incentives for business travelers to book directly, more focus on co-branded cards and loyalty, more degradation in support for predominant corporate travel…
Thanks to apparently contradictory messaging from American Airlines, some travel managers said they were confused about how the line between airline small business programs and larger corporate discounts was blurring. Changes are underway at both American and United. AA stopped points accrual for the Business Extra program last month and encouraged enrollees to switch to…
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