Travel Buyer’s POV — 3

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. For business travelers and their companies, flight delays and cancellations – what airlines euphemistically refer to as ‘irregular operations’ – erode confidence in the managed travel program and hurt productivity. This month, our Think Tank’s point of view looks into the costs and the cures for these troublesome IROPS.

By: Travel Buyers Think Tank

2019-03-14T20:36:26-04:00

The Human Touch
Trip disruptions are the bane of business travelers. The cost in time, lost productivity, and potential loss of business is always a major topic when discussing travel management. To assist corporations with the easing of pain when traveling, here are some items on NetApp’s wish list. These are not rocket science and are not necessarily practical when taking into consideration cost:
• True twenty-four hour service whether that means having a ‘sun never sets’ call center network or teams of dedicated agents that rotate schedules.
• Recognition of airline status by TMC service personnel to help speed their ability to provide acceptable travel alternatives with less cost and hassle.
• Useful mobile apps that have chat capabilities that really work.Since technology cannot always solve major disruptions, my wish list revolves around the human touch.
– Mark Ziegler