The Global Business Travel Association on Wednesday welcomed back its Media Day event at the start of the annual convention. More series of presentations than press conference, the event requires presenters — companies that sponsor or exhibit at the convention and pay extra to be involved — to agree to withhold their announcements until the…
On Monday, Israel-based airfare reshopping tech firm FairFly announced it would roll out a hotel price assurance service to clients beginning next quarter. This follows a pandemic expansion by the U.K.’s HotelHub, which powers booking services like CWT Roomit, into lodging price reshopping. FairFly’s move came in response to “many client requests,” according to CEO…
Hotel executives say they are reconsidering and reinstating brand standards, potentially impacting business traveler expectations and corporate sourcing. Brand standards govern the responsibilities of property owners and operators. Ranging from design, maintenance and renovations to operations, amenities and customer services, they support consistent experiences and define brands. Prominent among them are specifications for food and…
As it and several other hotel companies did last year, Marriott International told corporate accounts it would roll over current-year negotiated rates to next year and bypass the request for proposals process. Some companies last year agreed to that approach but others held out and insisted on negotiating new rates. The hotel company is getting…
Remember the good old days when corporate travel professionals would see 50 percent compliance to preferred booking channels for lodging as a big challenge? Nowadays, 50 percent of anything would be everything. Still, duty of care calls for companies that expect to travel again to address this issue, ensuring relevance for the question of whether…
In January and February of last year, Tripbam clients made about 80 percent more bookings with Marriott properties than they did with Hilton brands. In April, Hilton surpassed Marriott as the top hospitality company booked in the United States by corporations that use Tripbam, and it’s been that way ever since. During January 2021, Tripbam…
Twenty-five years ago in Palo Alto, Calif., Internet Travel Network made the first online airline reservation. Founders Al Whaley, Dan Whaley and Bruce Yoxsimer took the company public with a new name, GetThere, and in 2000 sold it to Sabre for more than $750 million. It’s 2021, and Bruce and Dan are back, targeting one…
