After nearly completing a consolidation of its European corporate travel program, General Electric Co. now has designs on expanding the global effort to the Middle East. Among the largest global spenders on corporate travel, GE initially plans to cultivate regional standardization from Dubai by integrating a preferred online booking tool and global distribution system with its local travel management company.
"We could have looked to put the United Arab Emirates into the European sector, but that would be like chalk and cheese. That would have been a bridge too far," said Keith Mullineux, EMEA travel manager for GE Global Business Services. "We recognize that there are unique things about that region."
GE in Dubai works with Airlink International, an affiliate of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, which handles much of GE's global corporate travel. GE also uses CWT affiliates rather than direct services in such other countries as Ireland, Norway and Finland. But deeper integration with Airlink will require transitioning from Cendant Corp.'s Galileo GDS to Sabre Travel Network, which is GE's preferred system. STN is "strong in the region," Mullineux explained, "but not with that particular agent."
The GE project team also is working with Sabre's GetThere online booking system, which the company uses extensively on multiple continents. In addition to deployment within the United States, Mullineux said GE has achieved 50 percent GetThere adoption across Europe, ranging from roughly 30 percent in Italy and Spain to more than 60 percent in Scandinavian and other northern European locations. However, the Middle East still is relatively new territory for corporate online booking tools.
"Our strategy in going global is to follow our multinationals. They take us into new regions," said Bev Heinritz, GetThere general manager. "There are lots of security requirements [in the Middle East], so [GE and at least one other client] are very structured on the carriers they fly and the properties they stay in. It is actually a really nice model for a structured managed travel program. Going into that market is not as complicated as one would think."
GE's transition in Dubai will build on the existing relationship with Airlink and local travel management program, which includes pre-existing corporate policies, local relationships with global travel suppliers and global back-office connectivity through CWT's WorldOne, a data consolidation system CWT said is used by more than 120 multinational companies.
"It is all a question of how robust the management information system is," Mullineux said. "We already have been rolling up into WorldOne, and we have been seeing [travel management data from Dubai] for two or three years now. There should be no surprises. Indeed, when we first went out there, there were very few surprises. Having said that, there are a few things that should improve as we bring them closer into the fold." He added that GE would be "more proactive" in loading regional information into a data aggregation and decision-support system furnished by The Prism Group of New Mexico.
Mullineux also cited progressive business processes in booming Dubai--which serves as a gateway to Africa for many GE employees--and noted how credit card usage, for example, is more common than it is in certain European locales.
"As we look at these new markets, rather than just be scared of them, if you take a methodical approach, make sure you have all the pieces and see what this program looks like, its pretty reasonable," Heinritz said. "Our corporations are there. For us, if you can get access to the Internet, we are there."
GE said it fields 1,000 employees in the Middle East, spread across several countries and various industries. After the consolidated UAE component is up and running with Airlink--on track for July--GE will "see if we can make that a sort of hub for the region," Mullineux explained. "Assuming that is working and stable, we'll look at Qatar, Saudi Arabia and eventually get to Egypt and Turkey. Turkey can go into Europe or the Middle East, but we don't need to make that decision yet."