The International Air Transport Association disallows travel agencies from using their own credit cards for purchasing airline tickets on clients’ behalf. If an IATA proposal to revise its rules gains approval from members, that prohibition will be history. Even if IATA members approve the amendment at a conference in November, though, Lufthansa Group seems to have no interest… Read More »
[UPDATE, Aug. 21, 2017: Concur plans in September to run virtual payment pilots with travel management companies that have gone through a “readiness” program. In an update for TMCs, Concur indicated that they must have a relationship with Conferma and support virtual payment for both Concur Travel and offline reservations. Concur also indicated that the next type of… Read More »
Amid a steady flow of announcements about virtual payment in corporate travel, American Express is putting on a different spin. It has created a model that combines the single-use concept of virtual account numbers with the centralized Business Travel Account setup. Amex’s “enhanced BTA” now is available in Australia and the United Kingdom, with additional markets under consideration,… Read More »
[UPDATE, Sept. 12, 2017: The U.S. General Services Administration announced Citibank and U.S. Bank as contractors for its SmartPay 3 program, covering purchasing, travel, fleet and integrated payment services. GSA indicated that the program would total $700 billion in transaction value during the contract term, which including extension options would run from November 2018 to 2031. The 560… Read More »
Hotel Buying Oct. 13, 2016 Thanks to all our attendees and speakers! The recording from this event may be purchased here or gifted here for $10. Here are the accompanying slides. On Teleconference 2, The Company Dime and expert guests examined the dynamics of the ongoing 2017 hotel rate negotiating season. ABC Global Services CEO Eric Altschul, Hilton executive director… Read More »
Denver – Despite its headaches, travel management pros who use virtual payment say it’s too beneficial to pass up. Speakers here during the Global Business Travel Association convention last month raised, and attempted to answer, the many questions. Virtual payment is a popular option for travelers without corporate cards. It cuts accounting reconciliation times and protects against fraud.… Read More »
Virtual payment remains a hot topic in managed business travel. The benefits for companies that employ non-cardholding travelers are clear. Not resolved, however, are the headaches associated with faxing card authorizations. Travel managers wonder why the hotel industry can’t get its act together. It’s not as easy as they would hope. Choice Hotels has received praise for one initiative it’s testing