GTMC COLUMN PAUL WAIT Distribution dystopia
A multiple channel world needs investment if it is to deliver benefits to travel buyers
I
N TODAY’S MARKETPLACE, companies need to ensure their product can be bought across a variety of distribution channels so they can reach potential customers wherever they may be. And, if one of your key selling points is this ease of access, it stands to reason that what they’re buying from you should be the same price across all of these outlets. Marketers are always telling us that brand consistency is the key to building trust, improving satisfaction levels and developing long-term relationships with customers. Yet, despite this established wisdom, it’s not always easy to find one consistent price. Across airlines, hotels and rail operators, certain brands have seemingly adapted the tyrannical Animal Farm-style maxim of ‘all channels are equal but some are more equal than others’ to suit themselves and favour their direct
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Paul Wait is chief executive of the Guild of Travel Management Companies (
gtmc.org)
booking channels. And, with some companies known to have manipulated prices to suggest booking direct is cheaper, it appears the Orwellian dystopia still exists in many business areas today. Aside from wasting time hunting down the best price, it’s all too easy to be enticed to book via the channel that works well for the travel provider but is ultimately less suitable for the customer’s own business needs. Technology has evolved to bring us into an era of multiple channels, multiple devices and multiple touch points. But without price parity, this apparent progression often leaves customers struggling to work out how best to book. How, in today’s customer-centric economy, has the power shifted so significantly away from the end user?
At the GMTC, we believe it’s time to put the onus back on creating a level playing field. For this
MOVERS & SHAKERS
to succeed and confusion to be banished, the industry will need to move the focus away from price and back to delivering value. It’s time travel providers invest time and energy into creating an effective multi-channel strategy based on the platforms that will deliver genuine benefits and allow companies to best interact with potential business travellers. Most of all, it’s time to change this pricing disparity to ensure your customers are confident that they are getting the same great deal, as well as expert insight and business travel knowledge, when booking through a travel management company. This will mean a great deal on many levels to the very people we all need to keep on-side.
GAIL GRIMMETT Travel Leaders UK (comprised of Protravel International UK and Tzell UK) named Gail Grimmett the new president of the combined US operations for Protravel and Tzell. She has had 19 years’ previous executive experience with Delta Air Lines.
126 BBT September/October 2016
SIMON LAMKIN Brussels Airlines has appointed Simon Lamkin as head of technology and innovation. Lamkin has extensive experience in the aviation industry, having had a successful career at Easyjet, where he was head of IT operations systems.
PAULA LACEY Advantage Travel Partnership has appointed Paula Lacey as its new group commercial director. She previously held the role of global franchise director at Easyhotels, giving her extensive experience in large-workforce management.
DUONG TRI THANH SkyTeam member Vietnam Airlines has appointed Duong Tri Thanh as president and CEO. He was previously a member of the board of management with the airline, and was also chairman of the board of Jetstar Pacific Airlines.
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