Similar to the traditional soft dollars made available for consulting support and the like, travel management company “tech credits” help clients adopt new technologies, customize products and services, and connect with third-party providers. They let TMCs tailor proposals, compete without offering significant rebates and strengthen client ties. Industry consultants questioned how transparently TMCs establish and…
About 34 percent of 326 travel buyers polled last month by GBTA said their companies had begun implementing NDC-enabled channels, with varying degrees of success, up from 18 percent a year earlier. But half of respondents said they had not started to implement NDC — essentially unchanged from polls in April and October last year….
[UPDATE, April 23, 2024: American Airlines delayed new restrictions on how travelers can earn loyalty program points, to July 11 from May 1. The rules will affect some bookings through agencies AA does not qualify as “preferred.” According to a spokesperson, “This extension gives an opportunity for those agencies to complete the transition. We’ll continue…
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 Airlines is retreating from the managed corporate travel market and erasing its tracks. According to a World Travel Inc. newsletter, the airline from April 1 will stop providing discounts to companies with less than $1.5 million in annual AA spending. Also as of that date, AA’s corporate accounts “will be provided with points for…
On airline tickets using corporate negotiated airfares, travel agents and booking tools typically include tour codes to identify bookings as coming from a particular travel agency, corporate TMC or airline corporate client. When these codes are wrong or missing, there may be financial ramifications or an impact on traveler benefits. Corporate travel buyers speaking during…
“The pandemic has had a huge impact across the payments space,” according to Visa Business Solutions senior director Ryan Grabau. “People want to be more digital, for sustainability or because everyone is working remotely. They want to pay contactless. Organizations want more control in managing expenditures and cash flow.” Grabau spoke here last month during…
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