It’s not hard to identify potential winners from American Express Global Business Travel’s proposed deal to acquire CWT, besides GBT itself, starting with the largest remaining competitors. Nor is it hard to see some of the losers, firstly global companies that manage travel and would have one fewer option next time they look for a…
[CORRECTION: When published, this article incorrectly stated the effective date on which new rules will apply for AA tickets to earn miles. It is May 1.] For some travel management companies and their corporate clients, the American Airlines program restricting the conditions under which business travelers earn miles, announced on Feb. 20, sparked more frenzy…
Starting with automating email routing and responses, World Travel Inc. is using artificial intelligence from startup Acai Travel to restructure its customer support operation. Reduced average handling time means faster service for clients. The travel management company estimated a 4 percent increase in productivity “off the bat,” said new WTI president Erika Moore. Acai Travel…
American Express Global Business Travel announced Monday it agreed to pay about $570 million to buy CWT using stock and cash on hand. The companies expect the deal to close in the second half of this year, subject to regulatory approvals in multiple jurisdictions and the satisfaction of other closing conditions. If it does, GBT’s…
AmTrav CEO Jeff Klee caused a stir with a Jan. 29 column in which he relayed an anecdote about a customer of a large travel management company hearing from a travel advisor that their “booking tool withholds some flight options on purpose in order to drive more revenue from phone calls.” Reactions from multiple executive-level…
American Express Global Business Travel’s executives get quarterly updates on cyber risks monitored by the company, according to a new section in its annual report, filed Wednesday. The company regularly tests its systems for vulnerabilities and provides all employees with cybersecurity awareness training, including information on company policies and procedures for reporting incidents. GBT also…
Artificial intelligence promises efficiency gains and better, quicker corporate travel service. Use cases include email automation, swift answers to simple questions, and chatbot bookings and changes. For corporate travel management companies, though, achieving tantalizing outcomes requires extreme care. “Move fast and break things” this is not. Machine learning and predictive artificial intelligence are not new…
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