American Society of Travel Advisors

Notebook: Empathy On Fumes As Airfare Fragmentation Bears Down In America

Boston – With its plan to phase out traditional, EDIFACT-based indirect sales by the end of 2025, Finnair’s alternative distribution vision is among the world’s most ambitious. During a panel discussion at a UATP event here last week, its head of strategy admitted to a lack of familiarity with corporate needs in terms of duty…

Dispatch 2

Before the pandemic, American Airlines crowed about adding to its sales force and growing market share in corporate travel. Conditions have changed. Both corporate travel and airline capacity growth are depressed. Improving profitability and paying down debt are top priorities. After cutting back last year on customer benefits including perks and discounts, now AA is saying goodbye to its…

Corporate Travel Rebound May Have Plateaued, Suppliers Still Have Pricing Power

Travel demand remains strong but there are some signs of a cool-off in corporate travel. Nevertheless, buyers should not expect the sting to come out of travel prices anytime soon as supply and demand remain out of whack. According to American Express Company, after domestic U.S. consumer travel surpassed its pre-pandemic level in the first…

Travel Again Gathers 19 Groups To Unify Business Travel’s Voice

The Travel Again initiative is gaining steam as travel industry associations endorse its framework for recovery. Meeting Professionals International in February and the National Limousine Association this month announced support for the framework’s priorities and recommendations. On Tuesday, leaders from Travel Again and 18 other industry groups including GBTA held a roundtable discussion to keep…

Questions For GBTA’s Next Executive Director

The corporate travel profession’s only U.S.-based, dues-generating membership association is hoping to announce its new executive director soon. Filling the role on an interim basis, initially through the end of 2020, Dave Hilfman now likely will stay on the job through the end of this month. The new full-time, professional leader of GBTA’s paid staff…

Expensify, Kayak Embark On Latest Of So Many Attempts To Reach Small To Medium-Sized Businesses

The pandemic stopped most business travel, but it did not end the relentless and historically futile quest for an online-first intermediary that attracts and keeps loads of small-to-midsized business clients. While many such companies use local corporate travel agencies and some use global ones, a lot of them book with suppliers or consumer-oriented online travel…

Corporate Travel Buyers On What They Need From TMCs, How They’re Working With Suppliers And Why Policies Changed

According to a pair of travel managers who recently completed RFPs for travel management company services, the traveler experience was a bigger priority than ever before. That stands to reason during a pandemic that is focusing organizations’ attention on their people. Other components of a TMC’s offering that always were important to buyers, like content…

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