Corporates turn to self-booking tools to cut costs

Thursday, 08 Feb, 2002 0

Leading figures in the business travel industry have said that the use of self booking tools has increased since September 11 as companies seek to rein in travel costs.

The economic downturn has worsened since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington which has led many firms to seek further cost savings from their travel management companies.

American Express claims that in the US it recorded a 500% increase in reservations made via corporate online booking tools during 2001 compared to the previous year. At Business Travel 2002 it introduced the RezPort suite of online booking products for small and medium sized companies. It is designed to complement Corporate Travel Online, which is the company’s existing solution for large companies.

Andrew Pilkington, who has been appointed VP Interactive Travel Acquisition and Usage Europe said: “In the current economic downturn more corporations are looking to streamline their costs and we have a real opportunity to help them.”

Speaking during the Question Time session at Business Travel 2002, American Express head of corporate travel operations in Europe Pearse Reynolds said: “It certainly seems that the demand for self booking tools has been intensifying over the last few months.”

Fellow panelist TQ3 chief operating officer Toby Joseph agreed: “There has been a big focus on technology to take some of the costs out.”

Signing of Corporate.Res Meanwhile the European arm of Navigant International has become the first UK business travel agency to buy the Sabre Corporate.Res online booking tool.

Navigant managing director, Richard Furness (pictured with Hamish Broom (left in picture), Sabre’s e-commerce and business development manager) said: “Corporate travel management firms can help their customers save significant amounts of money simply by giving them the ability to make basic bookings and travel enquiries online.

“This frees us up to concentrate on the more complicated itineraries and on negotiating the very best fares and rates for them”.