[CORRECTION, May 4, 2018: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described Traxo’s email filtering solution. It doesn’t scan traveler inboxes. Instead, it enables clients to flag travel confirmation emails when they hit company servers and forward them to Traxo for processing.] Leakage is the bane of a travel manager’s existence. When travelers don’t book through designated channels,… Read More »
Big travel management companies are seeking new sources of data even as they work to improve the quality of info from more traditional inputs. American Express Global Business Travel on a “case by case” basis works with clients to incorporate data on sales performance and employee attrition. After completing an upgrade last year of its AnalytIQs platform, Carlson Wagonlit Travel… Read More »
BCD Travel last month alerted clients to a formalized program that charges them extra for supplier bookings which are more costly to support, joining rivals American Express Global Business Travel and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. According to multiple sources, BCD Travel identifies such reservations as including those that must be booked or serviced outside global distribution systems. Also covered by the… Read More »
If it proceeds as planned, HRG’s acquisition by American Express Global Business Travel would give the latter new proprietary operations in Austria, Italy and Russia. As if integration of acquired companies isn’t difficult enough, GBT also would need to sort out a complicated array of relationships the two travel management companies hold in markets where they don’t own… Read More »
Carlson Wagonlit Travel on March 1 will add new fees for “non-GDS” airline bookings. They are a $10 charge for transactions via online booking tools and $15 for agent-assisted transactions. These fees won’t apply to existing clients, at least until current contracts are up for renewal, according to a Feb. 22 client letter from CWT chief customer officer… Read More »
Achieving economies of scale is a big part of the proposed American Express Global Business Travel acquisition of HRG. More influence on airline distribution evolution is a bonus. GBT also might gain pricing power on some client bids. Another big driver? Greater clout to generate more revenue from suppliers. While that’s always a motivator for TMCs to get bigger, is that all… Read More »
There will be winners and losers if the proposed acquisition of Hogg Robinson Group’s travel management company unit by American Express Global Business Travel happens. One of the wounded is neither person nor company. It’s a program: the New Distribution Capability. Don’t blame NDC. It’s just a messaging standard. The real loser is the method in which certain… Read More »