A poll conducted this spring by the Global Business Travel Association and sponsored by SAP Concur had some unsurprising results: most organizations used an online booking tool, most travel managers wanted controls on how they worked and nearly all promoted preferred suppliers. What may be less well-known is that travel management companies often configure booking…
San Diego – In 2016, the Global Business Travel Association’s aviation committee produced a new airline RFP template. It introduced a standardized format for quantifying soft-dollar components, among other enhancements. Recognizing that a request for proposals is just the start, the committee this year is creating a more complete air program management toolkit. “We realized…
[UPDATE, May 8, 2019: British Airways and Iberia upped fees on bookings outside their preferred distribution channels to $14, 12.50 euros and £10.50, effective May 31.] British Airways and Iberia said that on Sept. 18 they would increase the surcharge applied to bookings that don’t go through “an NDC-based connection or through other low-cost channels,”…
San Diego – One of the hot topics at this month’s Global Business Travel Association convention was nothing new: booking channel noncompliance. Less elegantly called leakage or rogue booking, the problem remains unsolved and is growing, according to some industry pros. Perhaps unexpectedly, new GBTA research sponsored by SAP Concur found that most corporate travel…
San Diego – When growing fast and expecting success, new companies often hesitate to bog down the culture with bureaucracy. When in cost-control mode, firms tighten the screws on spending, and structure policies and processes with an eye on efficiency. Snap Inc. finds itself in both camps. What’s global travel manager Sean Parham to do?…
San Diego – Participants at last week’s Global Business Travel Association convention showed a stronger spirit of collaboration on alternative airline distribution than in years past. Notwithstanding mixed takes on the specifics, attendees and speakers reinforced the theme that corporate customers need the same sets of product and service options regardless of where they shop. New…
San Diego – Southwest Airlines is redesigning its approach to corporate relationships. No longer relying on individual salespeople to look after all of an account’s needs, the carrier is assembling teams to handle contract implementation, analytics and customer service. “We know we were not easy to do business with,” said Dave Harvey, recently promoted to…
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