2020 U.S.-Booked Air Volume: $14 million
Primary U.S. Payment Supplier: American Express
Primary U.S. Expense Supplier: SAP Employee Expense Management
Primary U.S. Travel Risk Management Supplier: ISOS
Consolidated Global TMC: Amex GBT
Pharmaceutical company Merck in 2020 as a result of the
pandemic instituted a new policy that all international travel requires the
approval of an executive at the vice president level or higher. That policy is
under review in 2021 to determine whether it will remain as the company
anticipates a return to business travel.
Merck in 2020 reduced its U.S.-booked air spending by nearly
90 percent, and 2021 likely will feature similar volume as 2020. The company in
2020 finalized a process to consolidate travel management services outside the
United States with American Express Global Business Travel.
The company has completed request-for-proposals processes
for airline and hotel contracts. Merck also deployed a travel app and has
partnered with user-review platform Tripism, offering travelers additional
vectors of trip planning information.