T R AVEL MANAGE ME NT
travellers on an individual basis, and this is supported by our 24/7 global travel network, which can help travellers whenever and wherever they need assistance.” Jill Palmer, managing director of technology-focused Click Travel, advises that a key step to finding the right TMC is to check out its online booking tool before making any commitment.
“Is it a good tool? Does it have all the travel content you want? Does it allow you to book the providers you really want? Does it have live chat, because that can be really useful for travellers? If you’re looking for more of a comprehensive off line service, meet the team that’s going to be helping you. Getting to know them first makes a big difference, and you can gain an understanding of how they service their customers.”
Julie Oliver, managing director of UK-based Business Travel Direct, suggests meeting with three or four TMCs before making any decision. “Ensure you have an agenda that allows the TMC to tell you about themselves but also allows them to discuss how they could work with you and deliver on the things that are important to you,” she says.
“I would always suggest asking for pricing
after the meeting, as it will give the TMC a better idea of what they need to deliver and price accordingly. If price is really important, look for a company that offers an online tool for staff to use at reduced rates, but that also allows you to call an experienced travel consultant to make more complex bookings.”
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS Andy Hegley, UK general manager at Corporate Traveller, which is part of Flight Centre, says it is also worth asking about a TMC’s technology platforms and how these support an employer’s duty-of-care responsibilities. In addition, examples of success stories regarding existing clients can
bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om
also be useful – particularly if they are similar types of organisations.
Te importance of a TMC’s technology is paramount when choosing a provider – particularly when automated bookings and other processes incur a significantly lower cost for the client. But, on the other hand, a poor online booking tool will be counterproductive as travellers may simply decide not to use it. TMC booking tools have long been criticised for lagging behind consumer-orientated travel apps in terms of their customer experience and usability. However, they are slowly getting better and offering more “end-to-end” services.
TMCs claim they can get significantly lower rates than are available on the consumer market
booking travel. Most people don’t want to phone up to make a hotel reservation. “Users don’t pay a charge for the standard model of policies and implementation, as we recover costs through the supplier chain, such as
commission from certain hotels and other suppliers.” Tis kind of option means those who are nervous about getting locked into a contract with a TMC can get an idea of whether they can benefit from a TMC’s services. However, not all TMC developments
FCM Travel Solutions (FCM), one of Flight Centre’s TMC brands, has developed SAM (Smart Assistant for Mobile), which features elements of artificial intelligence to provide more personalised information to travellers’ mobile devices, as well as allowing them to connect to a human consultant when necessary.
SAM has just gone live on both the App Store and Google Play, with a free basic version that allows users to add trips manually and view traffic, weather and flight updates, as well as local ground transport services. The premium version of the app for FCM clients includes auto- synching of travel bookings, a self-booking tool and live chat.
Another way to dip a toe into travel management waters, without making any firm commitment, is to try a service such as Click Travel’s Travel Cloud platform. “It’s a completely self-service model,” says Click Travel’s Palmer. “It’s online and free – organisations can sign up to use Travel Cloud and can implement pre-approval of trips as well. We believe the automated online approach will be the future of
are fixated on technology and lowering transaction fees to gain new customers – service is still an important part of their message and pitch to would-be clients. Egencia, Expedia’s TMC brand, has launched Egencia Advantage offering a range of services to “support business travellers throughout their entire journey”. These include airport lounge access, traveller risk management, visa services and also help getting compensation for delayed or cancelled flights within the EU. In conclusion, there are a growing number of options available when choosing a TMC – from increasingly automated (and cheaper) booking systems right the way through to a VIP-style offline service with dedicated travel consultants looking after travellers. In between these extremes, plenty of
hybrid models exist offering elements of both types of service. TMCs hope these will tempt organisations which do not have a managed travel programme to give them a try and see if they can live up to their promises about the benefits they provide to both travellers and their employers. BT
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