Press Releases
Travelocity Business Clients Optimize Business Travel Spend and Avoid Costs Using Automated Tools and Creative Procurement Practices
SOUTHLAKE, Texas – July 25, 2008 – Travelocity Business(R) clients are setting a new standard for business travel programs in 2008, driving online adoption in conjunction with using other technology to optimize travel spend. With air fares rising and options decreasing for business travelers, companies using TBiz(R) are developing creative solutions to get travelers where they need to be - and minimize costs at the same time.
At the conclusion of the second quarter, TBiz clients cumulatively set a new standard with 85 percent of bookings made via the GetThere(R) online booking solution, up from 80 percent at the close of 2007. In North America, cumulative TBiz online adoption stands at 88 percent, significantly higher than the 71 percent figure shared by GetThere in its 2007 Benchmark Survey of all GetThere users.
Travelocity Business continuously enhances its proprietary mid-office automation technology to squeeze out cost for corporations. Creatively maximizing Sabre technology and the expertise of its veteran staff, TBiz has driven cumulative post-booking touchless rates beyond 90 percent for its client base.
Savings from air, car and hotel suppliers represent a core component of travel management, but companies that prevent unnecessary trips before they happen are recording significant value from their overall program. TBiz helps clients facilitate better demand management practices via dynamic messaging that appears onscreen to travelers and travel arrangers. Companies use the messaging to alert employees of new policies regarding internal meetings, use of Web technologies, altered advance purchase guidelines, etc.
One client has altered its travel home page by requiring employees to select the reason for the trip before viewing travel options, with any employee or internal meetings triggering a dynamic message detailing the corporation’s 14-day advance purchase policy requirement for internal-focused journeys.
Beyond the savings generated at the point-of-sale and in the mid-office, TBiz is making headway in driving savings in historically challenging niches of corporate travel spend. For example, using GetThere in tandem with a new automated process, one large corporate client has job candidates securely using travel technology to book air and hotel. The applicant accesses negotiated rates, with the company able to track the candidate’s travel. The corporation is saving as much as $65 per air ticket, with the applicant already having a sense of the company’s approach to technology and travel policies and procedures.
Travelocity Business is now in the process of rolling out recruit travel automation across its entire client base.
“While travel technologies clearly open the door, our everyday collaboration with clients is the critical element in driving savings and value for business travel programs,” said Lesley Harris, president of Travelocity Business. “We strive to proactively address travel trends with our client base, helping them meet core business objectives as they redefine the best practices playbook with automation and service advancements.”
About Travelocity Business
Southlake, Texas-based Travelocity Business is a full-service corporate travel management company. TBiz(R) is one of the business travel industry’s fastest-growing agencies with more than $800 million in annual travel spend under management. Travelocity Business combines the expertise, service and travel choices of Travelocity with corporate experience gained from serving more than half of the Fortune 200 companies. For more information, companies can visit www.travelocitybusiness.com.
Sabre Holdings Corporation is a world leader in travel commerce, retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.
