THE REVIEW
T H E
L O W D O W N
AV I S U P D AT E
Travel managers benefit from connected tech too How can technological innovation in business travel be beneficial to travel managers as well as the end user? I was joined by fellow innovators on a panel discussion at the Business Travel Show to tackle this question. On the panel, we discussed how the customer experience could be improved by sharing data across the supply chain, particularly with travel managers and travel management companies. At Avis Budget Group, this is something we’re doing behind the scenes already, thanks to some strong and well-established relationships with TMCs, as well as new and innovative technologies we have introduced to facilitate this. For example, the Avis Rental Tool (ART) portal enables travel managers to view live rentals for their travellers at any time. It’s hard to think of a more pressing topic facing businesses today than cyber security. We strongly believe in the importance of using data responsibly and we have invested heavily in our API platform in order to facilitate this. The forthcoming GDPR legislation will simultaneously force people to think differently about data, while also offering an opportunity for organisations to break down silos and collaborate securely both
internally and externally. At Avis Budget Group, we continually seek to provide our customers – both end users and travel managers – with innovative solutions to offer the most convenient, streamlined and stress-free experience possible. We have invested in connected cars which provide real-time reporting information on a vehicle’s ready-state, service needs, mileage and fuel consumption. In fact, we will have 100,000 connected vehicles in our fleet later this year and have committed to a fully connected global fleet by 2020. We have also digitalised our range of service offerings – including those offered through Avis and Zipcar – with optimised mobile technology. My belief is that increased collaboration is key for the business travel industry if suppliers are to realise the full potential of modern technological capabilities. Only when we truly collaborate across the supply chain to create a seamless end-to-end experience can we confidently claim that business travel offers the personalised and flexible experience that the modern business traveller wants. This, by default, will offer a better experience to travel managers too.
neal Sunners Innovation & Emerging Technologies SVP at Avis Budget Group International
50
fello is the new face of merged TMCs TraveL management companies Sandy Row Travel and World Club Travel have joined together under a new brand and name, Fello. The new company is positioning itself as a “traveller-centric TMC offering a premium service”. Fello is targeting small and medium-sized companies and has particular expertise in the financial services, retail and entertainment sectors. Simone Buckley joined as CEO ahead of the merger of the two businesses which are both owned by their original founder Danny Shahaf. “We won’t bid for businesses looking only for the lowest transaction fee,” says Buckley. The TMC has an annual turnover of £24million and is weighing up acquisitions in the United States. “We need a US footprint,” says Shahaf.
[ TMC NEWS ] >> CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT (CTM) has introduced Lightning Lite, a package of tools and services for companies spending up to £750,000 per year on travel >> BCD TRAVEL has debuted SolutionSource, a one-stop shop of third party travel technology solutions for travel managers. Partners include Freebird, Rocketrip, Fairfly and Yapta, with more to be added over time >> CAPITA TRAVEL AND EVENTS has partnered with GlobalStar Travel Management, boosting international office locations and in-country travel and meetings solutions for its UK-based clients >> CLARITY has launched a fortnightly podcast called Absolute Clarity, tackling all things business travel
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
The Lowdown-v2.indd 50
3/23/18 03:31 PM