In each issue of Business Travel Executive, the members of our Buyer Think Tank offer their individual thoughts on what’s hot, what’s cool and what’s coming next in managed travel. The Think Tank is a team of nine veteran travel managers from programs that run the gamut in size and complexity – but each member contributes a unique viewpoint.
Travel Buyer’s POV brings fresh perspectives and ideas to inspire innovation and thought leadership in the corporate travel industry.
This month’s points of view from the members of the Think Tank team cover topics that range from adopting virtual payments (and how to get the entire enterprise on board), managing the proliferation of airfares (and the accompanying policy bloat), and the rise of the machines in travel management (and what that means for the future). Then there’s the joy of winter travel (or not).
Bots vs Beings?
I am intrigued with all the chatter about bots and AI in the corporate travel space. I wonder how travel management companies that are delving into this space are managing it within their existing operational structure. It seems the more artificial intelligence can do, the less agents need to do and we all know there is still a struggle to staff agencies.
Agents are becoming more and more scarce. So I’m thinking that if I am a TMC, I should be keenly focused on how AI and chatbots can supplement my existing model. Could it be that someday the Bot will take over the Being? And is that sustainable in a service business?
Only time will tell.
– Jennifer Steinke
Winter Travel
Winter travel is not my favorite. As 2019 gets underway, we are seeing the effects of winter storms. From the West Coast to East Coast, every year the storms seem to be getting stronger and longer. Delays are occurring in more cities and impacting every airline. Passengers stranded at airports, flights canceled, connections missed, long TSA lines, etc.What makes winter travel pleasant?
Meeting new people at the airport. Everyone is in the same situation, so kindness and understanding does appear to be more evident more often. You are able to catch up on e-mails, phone calls and magazine reading.
The best part … Spring is just around the corner.
– Gloria Gonzalez
Ring of Fire
After I finished my weekly dose of manual data review, I paused and thought; “I hope that I am part of the 50 percent of the travel buyers who will use AI in three to five years” (per Johnny Thorsen’s prediction in Future Tense: A Brave New World…..of Bots in the January issue of Business Travel Executive).
In our roles as travel managers we repeatedly hear the words “be strategic, work smarter, be proactive.” OK, thanks for the motivational talk. But the truth is, most of my peers would gladly jump through a ring of fire to have the (affordable) tools we need to become more efficient. AI-powered solutions can’t come soon enough to our programs. That is when we will truly be able to work smarter and be more productive.
– Cheryl Benjamin
Get Real to Go Virtual
NetApp is just dipping its toe into the virtual payment arena. Increased demand from the sales organization to provide prepaid travel to customers and partners has nudged the NetApp program into the 21st century. That demand has necessitated a better, more secure process to pay for hotels and car rentals not only for our customers and partners, but also for the company’s recruiting efforts. Airline tickets are purchased using lodge cards.
While NetApp Global Travel Services wanted to test virtual payments quite a while ago, getting the Finance Department to make the process a priority was a struggle. They did not want to make the effort to implement a solution. Sales requests finally tipped the scale and the process is working after options with NetApp’s corporate card provider and travel management company were established.
– Mark Ziegler
Class Acts
How do you manage business travel with so many airfare classes? Last count, I had 18 various classes available on my airline contracts (and probably missed a few). In today’s age of simplifying channels and dynamic/directed marketing, why can’t it be simpler? This is complicated by concepts such as Basic Economy and Premium Economy. If a policy simply states “economy,” how are travelers supposed to interpret that?
The downstream effect of this on corporate travel is confusion and bloated travel policies as companies try to take into account everything available in a shifting marketplace. I understand airlines need to differentiate the seats in order to drive additional revenue but it would seem that there could be fewer classes, or a separation between what is loaded into a GDS as suitable for business travel versus traditional retail channels. Perhaps as a side benefit of incorporating NDC there will be simplification in fare classes, or at least a better way to distinguish between the grouping of fares, so businesses can create clear and effective policies to govern their travel.
– Kevin McDonald
