Discover the Advantages of Utilising Contemporary Business Travel Reservation Platforms
In the not-so-distant past, business travellers were limited in their options for booking flights or hotel rooms. Their only choice was to directly contact an agent at their company’s travel management company (TMC) via phone. Any changes to their plans would also require a phone call.
The landscape shifted with the introduction of the initial self-booking corporate travel platforms in the 1990s. The option to independently make travel arrangements gained popularity, leading to the emergence of similar platforms. Although they were groundbreaking at the time, these travel booking platforms have remained relatively stagnant in terms of technological advancements. outdated technology and outdated user interfaces have prevented them from keeping up with the advancements made by consumer-focused online travel agencies (OTAs).
Modern technology has revolutionised corporate travel booking platforms, introducing a new infrastructure that brings forth numerous advantages. These advanced platforms offer improved booking experiences, unparalleled self-service capabilities, cost-saving opportunities through optimal travel choices, and more. In the following sections, we will explore the top five benefits of these Modern corporate travel booking platforms and highlight how they outshine their predecessors.
Enhancing Adherence to Travel Policies
Having a comprehensive travel policy is crucial in order to optimise time management, uphold financial constraints, and prioritise the safety of travellers. Nevertheless, a policy will merely serve as a written document if an organisation fails to efficiently convey and enforce it.
Corporate travel booking platforms have completely revolutionised travel programs, providing invaluable benefits and transforming the way business travel is managed.
By using a contemporary platform, your organisation can seamlessly integrate its travel policy into the booking system. This feature guarantees that every time a traveller plans a trip, they will adhere to the company’s policy. Look for a platform that provides support for flexible travel policies, which can be customised to define what is considered compliant or non-compliant based on specific search results. This eliminates the hassle of constantly modifying policies due to temporary fluctuations in prices or available inventory for booking.
By using a travel platform, administrators have the ability to set policies that deactivate certain travel options so that they can be viewed but not reserved. This allows for the implementation of effective controls while also ensuring that travellers trust the corporate online booking platform due to its wide range of available inventory.
Modern data architecture simplifies the process of setting up non-compliant booking codes and personalised queries that gather information while making a travel reservation. This information provides valuable insights into the reasons, methods, and timing of your employees’ business travel.
By utilising a centralised corporate travel platform, travel managers can effectively streamline their travel processes. This not only enables them to adapt their travel policies according to the preferences and actions of travellers, but it also provides Access to real-time data, which aids in resolving disruptions, facilitating negotiations with preferred suppliers, and ensuring the well-being of travellers.
This allows company administrators to reclaim valuable time as they no longer need to perform the tedious task of retracing expenses or corporate card data to determine the details of employee travel.
Better Traveller Experience
Travel administrators frequently characterise outdated corporate booking systems as prone to technical issues, sluggish in functionality, and challenging to navigate.
Cutting-edge corporate travel booking platforms offer a contemporary user interface and incorporate personalised features, allowing travellers to utilise their loyalty perks while choosing their flight seats.
Travel bookers provide a user-friendly change management system, which allows travellers to independently adjust or cancel their travel plans without the need for assistance from a travel agent.
Travel agents have the capability to provide quick and personalised assistance when customers require support. This is made possible because these agents utilise the same platform as the travellers and possess real-time access to their profiles, policies, and trip history.
Modern platforms for booking corporate travel offer business travellers the convenience and user-friendly experience commonly found on consumer travel websites. These platforms provide a comprehensive range of options and resources, allowing business travellers to independently organise and oversee their trips. Gone are the days of scouring multiple suppliers or online travel agency (OTA) websites to find suitable options or ensure the best possible deals.
Exceptional Travel-related Articles
In order for an online booking platform to be effective, the content it offers plays a crucial role. Unfortunately, legacy platforms have faced challenges in this aspect. These outdated corporate travel booking platforms are not equipped to integrate content from diverse sources. Additionally, they sometimes conceal certain options, leading travellers to choose alternate platforms for booking and disregarding their company’s corporate travel policy.
Choosing a contemporary platform for booking corporate travel that offers a wide range of travel options worldwide, all at competitive prices is recommended. You will find the interfaces are sleek and user-friendly and can gather travel content from various sources such as GDSs, OTAs, aggregators, direct NDC integrations with major airlines, and direct connections with suppliers.
NDC-enabled platforms also offer companies the opportunity to negotiate tailor-made deals and benefits for travellers, reducing the likelihood of travellers booking flights through platforms other than their company’s designated booking system.
Simplified Travel Management
Numerous outdated corporate travel booking systems do not grant travel managers the autonomy to handle essential administrative tasks independently. Instead, they are compelled to rely on a TMC partner for submitting requests, and the process of implementing necessary changes can extend to several weeks or even months.
Travel management platforms provide travel managers with the tools and capabilities to efficiently oversee their corporate travel program independently. Platforms can offer various features, such as advanced policy customization, the ability to create personalised data fields, options to prioritise preferred suppliers in search results, support for multiple payment methods, and additional functionalities. Thai functionality enables travel managers to effectively manage every aspect of their corporate travel program.
Enhanced Cost Efficiencies in Travel Expenditure
For many travel programs, effectively managing travel expenses is of utmost importance. Regrettably, outdated corporate travel booking systems frequently lead to inflated costs as they force travellers to seek alternative options to find unavailable or concealed inventory.
Many corporate travel booking platforms do not have comprehensive self-service features and instead compel travellers to seek costly assistance from agents.
Modern travel platforms enhance adherence to policies by addressing the factors that drive travellers to book through consumer and supplier websites. These platforms empower travellers by offering a centralised hub where they can access comprehensive content, avail of competitive prices, utilise their loyalty benefits during the booking procedure, and independently manage changes and cancellations.
Knowledgeable travellers have the option to utilise their unused tickets when making a booking, resulting in potential savings of up to 5% on corporate travel expenses.
Making a transition can be challenging, but the potential negative consequences of sticking with an obsolete system, which restricts content accessibility, hinders travellers’ self-service capabilities, and incurs costly support calls, far outweigh the difficulties associated with making a change. Ultimately, adopting a contemporary corporate travel booking platform not only saves your company money but also improves traveller satisfaction.