occasions, if they see a
good deal, the traveller has to point the travel
manager in the right direction. We then go to our TMC with the research someone has done and they try
and match or find the fare.” The issue is that more than a handful
of business travellers are going direct to websites, such as
Booking.com or Expedia, to make comparisons. When this was put to Amex GBT, it highlighted the fact that all TMCs and agents must increasingly engage heavily in the booking process and the need to win over each transaction justified to the travel manager every time. “If you try long and hard enough some
travellers can always find something that’s lower, even if it’s not like-for-like, such is the efficiency of online systems these days,” says Amex GBT’s Hurst. “If we don’t have credibility or satisfaction
at the traveller level, there’s an issue,” he continues. “You don’t want bad noises at
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
this level. What we have to ensure is that executives have access to all the correct and most up-to-date content. We run fare and price audits, and controls all the time; you also need visible metrics.”
A LACK OF COMMUNICATION There was agreement that at the heart of this issue is a lack of communication with those who book, whether it’s with the exec- utive making the decisions, or the personal assistant clicking online. It’s crucial to let people know that booking in policy and through corporate tools has other benefits, too, not just traveller and expense tracking, but also in holistic management of the travel programme. “The issue is, are you going to get on
the phone to
Booking.com or Expedia at 2.30am in Addis Ababa with an issue you want solved right away? Of course you aren’t. You will have no luck, whereas calling a dedicated TMC won’t be an issue,” explains DAI Europe’s Marshall. “In-policy bookings also save a lot more
because they are booked within a system that’s integrated into finances, accounts,
EXPENSE
REPORTING Percentage agreeing that putting together expense reports from business travel is overly complicated
72% INDIA 66% UK 61% FRANCE 59% SINGAPORE 55% AUSTRALIA 50% GERMANY 35% US
Source: GFK / American Express Global Business Travel
BBT May/June 2018 63
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