Tag Archives: Casto Travel

Small Accounts Aren’t Worth The Effort, So Claire Chatbot Seeks TMC Users

By | April 2, 2018

Three unidentified travel management companies have enlisted 30SecondsToFly’s Claire chatbot, according to co-founder Felicia Schneiderhan. Claire’s parent is de-emphasizing direct client servicing in favor of powering other business travel entities due to the cost and limited return of maintaining small-business accounts. Claire uses the Facebook, Skype, Slack, SMS and web platforms to communicate with users about their bookings. “All… Read More »

After False Starts, Lyft And Uber Use TMC Partners For Deeper Corporate Travel Inroads

By | February 20, 2018
Amit Patel, Lyft

Lyft and Uber are feeling their way into the corporate market. Lyft had a rebate program. That’s done. Uber For Business had free and premium tiers. Now it’s all premium. Both fast-growing ride-hailing companies are aligning with corporate travel management companies but so far mostly for referrals. It’s clear these remain early days. Lyft has deals in place… Read More »

Sabre Commits To AA NDC Plan, Heralding Shift In Airline Distribution Economics

By | June 29, 2017

[UPDATE, June 29, 2017: Revises Travelport information.] Timing on global distribution system readiness to hook up New Distribution Capability connections for full functionality remains a mystery. Sabre, for one, has committed to achieving that goal with American Airlines. When GDSs do bring in the highest-level NDC functionality of, say, American Airlines, what will that mean for travel management… Read More »

ASTA, The Company Dime Partner To Study Transition From Unmanaged Business Travel

By | January 16, 2017

Last week the American Society of Travel Agents and The Company Dime announced a research partnership to learn more about the barriers and opportunities related to converting “unmanaged” business travel to managed travel. Why do businesses large and small implement travel management practices? What role do travel agencies play in that, and what other services are crucial to… Read More »

How Non-BSP Airlines Create Inefficiency For Travel Management

By | October 27, 2016

Informing clients of its new “high-cost” supplier expense recovery program, American Express Global Business Travel indicated $10 per transaction would apply not only to non-global distribution system participants, but also to airlines that are not in billing settlement plans like ARC. What’s ARC got to do with it? Booking managed corporate travel on airline websites is a drag… Read More »

Getting Past The Travel Agent Workforce Crunch

By | September 29, 2016

Adoption of online booking technology means corporate agencies can grow without a commensurate increase in headcount. But when new travel agents are needed, especially as the retirement bubble looms, how do they find them and what competencies are they looking for? For young people considering their careers, travel isn’t as glamorous as it used to be. There are… Read More »

Dearth Of Agents Draws Some In Travel Management To Offshoring

By | March 8, 2016

Gant Travel Management in 2015 issued a staggering 77 percent more airline tickets than it did just three years earlier. Clearly its value proposition is winning over clients. Facing a dearth of available corporate travel agents, however, Gant’s capacity can’t keep up. So the company is exploring offshore servicing, an option once considered taboo. The practice isn’t widespread.… Read More »