The next generation of booking solutions can enable travel buyers to rebuild standout programs
By Mark Rowh
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit a giant reset button for business travel, giving the industry a chance to take a second look at platforms and technologies that will be vital as volumes ramp back up and travelers return to the road. One such mission critical system for a corporate travel program is its booking tool – a technology which, prior to 2020, was progressing in ways that could described as uneven, at best. But this time around may be different.
Whether provided to corporate travelers by the travel management company or directly by the travel program, booking tools offer attractive features to employers. Not only can businesses impose policy restrictions that are important in controlling costs, but these tools also provide additional traveler information – which may be more important than ever given the demand for details about travel restrictions, health requirements and other protocols.
Yet despite the potential value to all involved, travel managers still face challenges ranging from choosing the right tools to getting travelers to use them. At the same time, platforms vary widely in the level of currency and overall usefulness. In fact there appear to be two camps, says Nick Whitehead, CMO of Serko. While some are investing ahead of the curve, bringing innovative technology to solve the new paradigm of business travel challenges, others seem to be operating in survival mode and are not keeping up. “These legacy platforms risk becoming redundant as travel buyers look at other ways to solve their problems,” he says.
Those at forefront, on the other hand, are readily becoming first adopters and pursuing new opportunities such as NDC, says Dale Eastlund, vice president, supply chain partners for CWT. “It provides them the opportunity to be a differentiator, where there are others that prefer to sit back and see how it evolves before jumping on the bandwagon.” As unlocking airline content through new distribution capabilities begins to develop further, he says, it will be important for booking tools to have a robust solution to facilitate this opportunity.
Bigger Thinking Certainly for those willing to pursue it, the potential for continuing progress seems solid. “Like any technology field there is always opportunity for additional growth and innovation,” notes Hannah Kahn, director, product marketing for BCD Travel. “Today you see more and more curated content and personalized options for travelers. But there is plenty of room for even bigger thinking.”
Whitehead sees booking tools as central to a move forward. He identifies the emerging post-pandemic business travel priorities as risk management, cost management and change management. “As travel programs evolve, smart booking tools support the return to travel with real-time, consistent information on airline and hotel safety measures, travel restriction information, and the ability to make changes and deal with disruption on the move.”
Michael Schlesinger, head of retailing sales for ATPCO, cites the rapid integration of broad health and safety content such as reassurance, testing and vaccines that did not exist prior to 2020, which will be expected by anyone looking to travel by air for the foreseeable future. ATPCO has created its own set of standardized data called Structured UPAs that sales channels and airlines can integrate. “We also launched testing and vaccination data that many channels like Expedia are already integrating,” Schlesinger says. “This content is certainly here to stay in the long term.”
Kahn points to change on a number of fronts. “Payment and reconciliation options are no longer afterthoughts,” she says, “T&E spend management is becoming a seamless experience baked into the booking platform. And pre-booking considerations are now being given almost as much attention as the actual booking process.” Too, travel approval, safety and risk information, sustainability practices and peer evaluation all play important roles in the booking decision. While cost is still important, price is no longer the only way a booking is evaluated.
For Booking.com, which offers a popular no-fee model, providing greater breadth of supply all in one place is the key. “Having the flexibility to book apartments, hotels and other accommodation types in a unified booking experience all on one platform allows companies to save money while also improving their travelers' overall satisfaction,” says Joshua Wood, director and head of Booking.com for Business.
The Search for Value Given the range of options, how can travel managers identify the best options? A good first step, according to Kahn, is to assess if a booking platform has a digital communication component that supports quickly reaching travelers with timely and relevant updates.
For example, BCD’s TripSource messaging program enables clients to have a clear communication strategy in place for traveling employees, using push notifications, SMS messaging and in-app updates to keeps travelers connected throughout their journey. Kahn also advises that it’s best for the travel manager to look at the booking experience from an omni-channel perspective. “Travelers use different tools at different times based on unique preferences or even circumstances,” she says. “Booking may be done on their laptop, trip management on an app, and urgent support needs might need a live agent.”
Schlesinger suggests keeping in mind that all companies, and their travelers, have their own distinct needs. Since there is no one-size-fits-all, a selected platform should be flexible and capable of providing travelers with the information they value most. “For some, that could mean the ability to easily search for an in-policy lie-flat seat because they’re on an overnight transcontinental and will be straight off to a meeting,” he says. “For someone else, it might mean the ability to filter only for options that include lounge access because they can take that earlier flight home by taking a call from the lounge.”
Eastlund believes that in identifying the best options for taking control of the booking experience, travel managers need to determine exactly what the priorities are within the travel program, and which critical features are needed. “Some OBTs score good as all-round global platforms, while others perform better regionally with the best overall content or a seamless integration with specific expense tools,” he says. “The travel manager really needs to have a clear notion of what is on top of the priority list to achieve. This will help narrow down the best options.”
Any evaluation should go beyond just the basics. “Choose a booking tool that meets a broader range of your company's needs and provides the best possible experience for your employees, independent of just expense tooling and functionality,” Wood says. He notes that with smart integrations that are easy to implement between platforms and various tools, there is no need to restrict your choice to a single provider, based on only one feature.
It’s also advisable to seek out a platform that is committed to continually improving the booking experience, according to Schlesinger. “If it’s been years since your booking tool has updated or improved its features, or user interface and experience, it may be time to consider a move to one of the many new tools out there,” he says. “Supplier directs and consumer-facing tools will continue to innovate to capture their share of the recovery, so it's important your tool is continually updated as well to keep those travelers, and bookings, on your platform.” Hit the Reset Whitehead believes that given recent pandemic-related interruptions on what had been normal business, this is may be an especially a good time to move forward with an improved booking experience. “Any crisis brings opportunity, and this is a key moment that travel executives can seize to reset their technology stack and empower people with the tools that deliver a safer, leaner and smarter travel program,” he says. “By forging direct relationships with innovative booking platforms, they can ensure there is ongoing alignment between product development and their evolving needs.”
At the same time, a measure of caution is called for. Eastlund acknowledges that it might be tempting to move from a tried-and-true OBT in a region to a “shiny new toy.” But if it doesn’t have the same level of content, it will not result in satisfied travelers.
In any decisions regarding booking tools, user satisfaction should never be overlooked. “For years, it has been apparent that travelers were shopping outside their managed channels to get the choice, convenience and user experience that they were used to from leisure travel,” Whitehead says. He notes that making sure the tools you’re asking your people to use are as good as, or better, than any of the leisure or direct options is vital to taking control of the booking experience and ensuring an effective travel program.
Kahn suggests looking at booking tools holistically, from pre- to post-trip. Efficiency is important but consideration and curating will add value to potential information overload. “Personalization is a term that’s been around for years and with the democratization of AI it will become a reality,” she says. “Tools that use AI to help distribute relevant information will be the big winners.”
Whitehead adds that many of the pre-pandemic problem statements about booking platforms, such as high leakage, poor adoption and hotel attachment, still exist and in fact are actually worse for many travel managers as their programs move into a post-pandemic environment.
“If there was one thing the travel shutdown showed it was that travel managers have a critical role to play in keeping their people safe and mitigating the loss of canceled bookings,” he says. “This is the time for travel managers to shine, and there is an emerging generation of booking platforms that can help them do just that.”
Wood notes that employees often choose to leave their company's travel platform and go rogue because they prefer more consumer-focused booking experiences and a wider variety of choices. But with the right a focus on the traveler experience, that should change. “I see a future where travelers choose to stay within their company's travel program not because it's mandated, but because they actually want to,” he says. That means it’s a program that offers them the very best experience – smooth and easy from beginning to end – as well as including all the choice and flexibility they need.
Business travel is now more than just about getting from here to there, Kahn says. What happens when you’re ‘there’ must be clear in the traveler’s mind. “Booking tools that are quicker to adopt and implement the innovations that add value to the traveler experience will have a better chance to grow business and expand their footprint.”