An airline industry first took place this week. An airline, United, sent out a communique asking travelers if they really wanted to buy their lowest fare. The email began with “Basic Economy fares, which were created for our customers who may be more price-sensitive and come with some important restrictions, may not be for everyone…”.…
Chronic overbooking and other controversies may have rocked the airline industry this year, but that doesn’t mean that flight attendants or desk agents deserve to bear the brunt of your travel frustrations. As we all know, flights get delayed, delayed again, stuck on the runway or straight-up canceled. There are only so many things you…
Airlines haven’t been offering great news about upgrades recently—at least not free ones. Having lowered upfront fares, carriers are now selling more seats for actual money, thus offering fewer upgrades for points. That makes airlines more money, but doesn’t make travelers with status happy. The silver lining here, of course, has been surprisingly low-cost business…
We are in the midst of an international travel boom this summer. And that means one thing is certain: much longer lines at airport customs and immigration on both ends of your trip. Are you prepared? Have you built the possibility of immigration delays into your schedule? By now, every frequent international traveler should have Global…
The numbers are in, and they don’t look great. The Global Business Travel Association recently released a new study that indicates a gap in communication when it comes to travel policies. Travelers want to do the right thing, but they often don’t know or completely understand what the rules are. When travelers and employers aren’t…
An increase in business travel is often a sign that a company is doing well and growing in the local or global marketplace. However, without a clear travel and expense management system, you’ll soon find that business travel is more of a burden to your bottom line than an advantage for future growth. In order…
Airbnb listings soon will appear alongside traditional hotel properties in accommodation search results on the Concur desktop platform, but only for travelers from companies that have chosen to work with Airbnb. A hotel search in Chicago, for instance, will bring up not only branded properties from hoteliers like Hilton and Marriott International but also Airbnb…
Last Room Availability rates (LRA) can often be “over-valued” and could be costing some companies up to $1 million each year in their hotel program. Research from Hotel Solutions (a CWT consulting arm) has shown a 5 per cent gap between the perceived and actual value of LRA – for a company that spends $20m…
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has launched a new Search Smarter consumer awareness campaign aimed to put a halt to what it describes as misleading marketing strategies by online travel agencies and travel search sites, as well as to fight rampant bookings fraud. The group particularly focuses on Expedia and Priceline’s dominant control…
Managing travel programs is a complex, time consuming process that involves ensuring travelers have a safe, pleasant travel experience while managing the variable finances associated with business travel. Today, with more and more travelers self-booking or going outside of pre-set policies, measuring travel spend becomes increasingly difficult. Expense reporting systems are giving travel managers vital…