Tag Archives: American Express Global Business Travel

GBT, HRG Take Amadeus Deal To Avoid British Airways, Iberia Nov. 1 GDS Surcharge

There are three weeks to go before a surcharge takes effect on global distribution system bookings with British Airways and Iberia. Big travel management companies are revealing that they’re avoiding the fee on bookings through Amadeus thanks to the GDS company’s agreements with the airlines. Following a related Hogg Robinson Group announcement last week, American Express Global Business Travel… Read More »

TMCs Seek Rejiggered Hotel Revenue, Drawing ‘Shell Game’ Accusation

TMC-hotel revenue

Big travel management companies are beefing up their hotel programs. They say it’s a content play. Aggregating inventory, special prices and perks counteracts fragmentation. It gives their clients’ travelers less reason to stray from managed programs. That improves reporting and risk management. All good stuff. But, wait. Follow the money. First, a bit of history. U.S. airlines chipped… Read More »

American Express Global Business Travel Makes Ground Transport Play With Mozio

subway

American Express Global Business Travel will use ground transportation platform Mozio to offer clients a range of options through an agent portal, the KDS booking tool and the GBT mobile app. Mozio also works with Carlson Wagonlit Travel, which owns a piece of the five-year-old marketplace of roughly 3,000 transport providers. Inventory includes public transit systems, black cars and… Read More »

CWT Using Points, New Rate System To Capture More Hotel Bookings

Many travel management companies and tech firms are working to process more of their clients’ hotel bookings. Continuing its push, Carlson Wagonlit Travel is rolling out a simplified rate aggregation system and using loyalty points as incentives. During a Wednesday interview, CWT president of hotels Scott Brennan said some clients in Europe that use the KDS and Traveldoo… Read More »

American Express Global Business Travel Redesigns Midmarket Offering

American Express Global Business Travel last month started offering a bundled platform for new U.S. clients spending less than $20 million annually on air travel. In partnership with Jigsaw Research and design consultancy Livework Studio, GBT crafted the program based on several guiding principles for the client experience: personalization, proactive servicing, consistency, value, local expertise and ease and clarity of… Read More »

Still Looking For The All-In-One Business Travel App? What’s That?

Corporations are looking for an all-in-one business travel app that doesn’t, and won’t, exist. Developers think messaging, natural language and “deep linking” between apps bring the notion as close to reality as possible. A single mobile app that does everything sounds great. Why? Simplicity. It’s natural for procurement pros to seek fewer suppliers. It’s easiest to point travelers… Read More »

‘Laptop Ban’ Prompts Review Of Travel, IT Policies

[UPDATE, July 20, 2017: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security no longer bans large electronic devices in airplane passenger cabins for flights coming in from overseas. The last of the 10 airports affected by the restrictions had the ban removed this week.] [UPDATE, April 19, 2017: Emirates cited revised U.S. government policies for its decision to reduce flight… Read More »

Variety, Practicality Mark Newest Travel Management Company App Features

[UPDATE, April 6, 2017: World Travel Inc. last month enabled fingerprint ID for logins and an option for users to remain signed in even as they switch to other apps.] Like other travel management companies, World Travel Inc. enabled email parsing and off-channel booking data capture in its mobile experience. Technology from Traxo powers itinerary data aggregation in… Read More »

Microsoft Maximizes Travel Management Resources By Getting Them From American Express GBT

Microsoft has avoided “significant disruptions to stakeholders” since deploying in May 2016 a travel management outsource model that pushes the frontier of process over people. While the client continues to “own” strategy and sourcing, American Express Global Business Travel handles day-to-day travel manager tasks previously assigned mainly to travel department contractors. The setup freed Microsoft’s own travel professionals… Read More »

Big Four Got About One-Third Of Total Sabre Incentives

New York — Sabre in 2011 paid a total of $647 million in travel agency incentives, according to evidence in the US Airways v. Sabre trial here. About one-third of that went to four big corporate agencies — American Express Global Business Travel, BCD Travel, Carlson Wagonlit Travel and HRG. Newly revealed evidence shows specific totals for CWT and… Read More »