travel booking online is one of the first business applications to come out of the explosion of the Internet and is clearly one of the most successful. There are so many options when it comes to booking travel online, it's a wonder how we can keep them all straight. There are new online booking tools coming all the time. What makes each one unique, and when should I use one against the other? There are two different types of travel, and two different types of sites to consider. leisure travel bookings have certainly done very well on the internet, but this article will focus on the many options for online corporate travel and what you should look for if given the task of finding the right solution for your company.
First of all, it is definitely a chance to go directly to an airline's website to complete the reservation. This is a great way to do it in certain circumstances. You may be familiar with the flight you need and know exactly what the price should be from previous experiences. Moreover, the sites at times of airlines offer mileage bonuses for on-line booking, and there is no cost in most cases for booking directly on the airline website. Sounds great, right? But in reality there are many gaps by going directly to the websites of airlines. Chances are getting the lowest fare available for that airline, but usually you have better options if you look at many airlines simultaneously. Going with a solution that looks to all airlines at once, you guard against a traveler with their preferred airline for mileage benefits without regard to price. What you pay for booking fees with one of these solutions will likely be more than offset by lower prices you will find on more airlines research. booking sites like Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia are examples of this type of travel search engine.
Most people are familiar with these web sites for pleasure trips, but there are also the travel business divisions of these companies with excellent alternative web sites specifically designed for use on a business trip . What you can expect from a business travel website that differs from the sites for leisure? You will get most of the traveler profile information stored on the site, as well as enterprise reporting capabilities. You will see the possibility for a travel coordinator to book travel for someone else, using a variety of credit cards. There will be some additional business options, including the ability to book a car and / or hotel along with the air supply. One of the best reasons to use an online system like this is that you can take care of all the business trip in one go, instead of visiting multiple sites or make additional phone calls. So what exactly should you be looking for an online system for corporate travel? Let me give you my thoughts on the larger issues.
Can it be customized? It is a must for any company that really wants to get a handle on the travel program. There should be the input capacitance of business contracts for airfare negotiated (with details down to the market or fare class level). This is also crucial for car contracts and individual contracts and level of hotel chains. The reason this is so important is twofold. First, your travelers need access to the lowest rates ever and possible rates. Equally important, but often overlooked, it is the fact that, in order to maintain the current contracts, you need to perform to certain standards. If you need to drive 35% of your business to American Airlines, for example, you must ensure that your online booking tool will help drive volume in the appropriate direction. This also applies to the number of overnight stays has been agreed with your partner hotel. Some of the latest online tools will guide you through the volume to the right place according to your input. Although many are not this sophisticated, there are still ways to remind travelers of their corporate obligations as they are booking through pop-up reminders, banners, titles etc.
Can be integrated and brand? For many companies this is an important way to promote the adoption of the instrument. If you can mark the site with your logo and other design options, your travelers will be more likely to use the product. brand identity is important both inside and outside the organization. Also, if you have a corporate intranet that travelers are accustomed to using on a daily basis, you should be able to integrate the system with a single sign-on application so that users can access the internal travel booking, without having remember another password to another system.
What type of report can be generated? If the idea of an online system to better track traveler activities and spending, you need to be sure that the available signaling matches your requirements. Many enterprise systems may offer some basic reporting, but probably will not be anything close to what you're used to, especially if you are working with a travel management company that customizes their reports to your specifications. Make sure you have access to the necessary information, as it has been generated.
What kind of backup support is offered? This is perhaps the most critical issue you come across. Most large online systems such as Travelocity and Expedia have call centers to back up in case of emergency. But you need a better level of service in these situations? There are many reasons to use an online system of Travel Management Company instead of going with a larger, better company on the market. If you partner with a TMC that offers an online system, you can get the support is not only necessary for reservations and complex emergency situations, but you'll also get better support in system programming. Which brings us to another important area.
Who is responsible for site programming? Program trip changes take place all the time. I'll travelers arriving and leaving the company. His contract, if you have them, will be renewed and canceled. Your company policy will change, and it is different for different levels of employees. In all these changes, the online booking system also change. When these changes occur, which it is responsible for updating the system? If it is left up to you, you have someone who is trained in how to make the necessary changes? If it is the responsibility of TMC, how quickly you can implement the changes? And remember, an online booking site is only as good as it is programmed, no matter which way you go. So who is responsible for programming errors?
that deals with user training? Just as a system is only as good as it is planned, travelers can only benefit from the system, as they are properly trained. Most of your travelers are probably familiar with online booking both for personal travel or in previous business trips, so it should not be difficult to train them at the grassroots level. However, each site you will investigate different strengths and weaknesses that travelers need to know. Online training can be effective, but personal training is even better. It is your representation to the local company or willing to send a coach to the position (s) for further training? This applies to both travelers of end users, reservation travel coordinators for the other, and all those who need to know the programming of your website.
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