Airbnb last month announced that “business demand” surged and more than 1,000 companies had “formally” made it “part of their corporate travel programs.” The statement garnered press about corporate executives clamoring for the service, but it overreached. After our queries, Airbnb deleted the word “formally” from its announcement. [UPDATE, Sept. 21: Oddly, Airbnb has since reinserted the…
It’s bad enough that hotel sourcing is so frustrating. What makes it worse is when some of the effort is wasted. Understanding why a corporate rate program isn’t as effective as it could be and figuring out what to do about it isn’t seasonal. It’s never-ending. “We actually buy travel twice,” said Susan Savy, a…
Germany’s largest travel management company is not happy with the country’s dominant airline. BCD Travel has been discussing with clients how to react to Lufthansa’s decision to levy a 16 euro fee on bookings through GDS channels. There a few options, none particularly good. That’s according to BCD Travel executive vice president Rose Stratford. She…
BCD Travel on Friday acquired Knoxville, Tenn.,-based World Travel Service Inc., which the companies said is the 13th-largest U.S. corporate travel agency. BCD Travel CEO John Snyder said the market can expect the company to make “many” more corporate travel and meetings deals this year and next. Addressing rumors of consolidation discussions between the largest travel management companies, Snyder also…
There are fewer big U.S. airlines, they negotiate with fewer companies, and their generosity on discounts has diminished. But airline contracting is still complicated. The market offers several tools to help buyers at large travel programs optimize airline combinations. Sabre last month revealed plans to refresh the Prism Avion corporate data platform in use by…
When asked what mobile apps they suggest company travelers use, travel managers invariably name apps from their risk management and tech providers. They also name their TMC, if it offers one. A TMC app’s standard feature is itinerary management, also core to popular apps like TripCase, TripIt and WorldMate. TMC apps grab information on bookings made by a travel agent or through a corporate booking tool, and update when there are changes. Another common feature…
IJet International released apps in December on Android and January on iOS that can track travelers using global positioning system capabilities. The app brings to the everyday smartphone a level of realtime tracking traditionally available only through expensive satellite-based devices. Typically only used in high-risk environments, the Critical Trac app still is not a “mass-market…
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