Inside Track: Citi, Two TMCs Testing Traveler-Tracking Tool

Card issuer Citi has started a pilot with two travel management companies and a small number of clients to supply them with management information for traveler-tracking purposes. "We can find out from a TMC which airport the traveler was booked to fly to, but not whether they actually flew in there, or whether they checked into a hotel 100 miles away," said Vincent Eavis, U.K.-based managing director of cards for Citi. "Actioned rather than booked data is much more powerful, and we can register their hotel stay even before they check out, because we receive an authorization message when they check in. The information comes in pretty much real time."

SEPA To Lower European Corporate Card Costs
Administering multinational corporate card programs in Europe should become cheaper and easier thanks to the establishment of a 31-country Single European Payments Area, according to AirPlus. Introduced earlier this year on a voluntary basis, all electronic payments within SEPA will be considered domestic transactions by the end of 2010, and all countries will use the same banking formats and charges. AirPlus treasury associate director Thomas Staerkel told BTN that corporate clients are likely to consolidate from country-by-country settlement with their card providers to a single account—at least, for euro-currency countries. "In the future, clients will have one euro account and the customer will receive one currency and make one payment," he said. "This will require less manpower to handle, and there will be less interest to pay and better control."

Amadeus To Nix Paper Car Rental Vouchers In Europe
Global distribution system Amadeus by the end of this year plans to eliminate paper vouchers for car rentals, citing time savings and problems with printing paper vouchers in Europe. "E-vouchers are easier to use, they save time for both customers and travel agents," said Pablo Alcala, account manager for Amadeus Cars. The company rolled out the e-voucher system in 2004 and deployed it worldwide last year. The company has eight car rental brands as customers, including Avis Budget Group, Hertz and Europcar. Sabre late last month became the latest GDS to introduce a car rental e-voucher system.

Wyndham Acquiring Microtel, Hawthorn
Wyndham Worldwide expects by the end of July to close the acquisition of U.S. Franchise Systems' 292 economy Microtel Inns & Suites properties and 91 extended stay Hawthorn Suites properties—Wyndham's first entry in that tier—from Global Hyatt Corp. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Travelport To Shield Users From European Surcharge
Travelport GDS late last month announced full-content agreements with Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines that safeguard the Galileo- and Worldspan-connected agencies in Austria, Germany, Lichtenstein and Switzerland that participate in the carriers' Preferred Fares programs against carrier assessment of GDS surcharges. The agreements are effective July 1 and run until the end of 2011. Sabre Travel Network earlier last month struck a similar agreement to shield subscribers from the €4.90 per-way surcharge plus value-added tax on fares booked through indirect channels for some markets beginning July 1 and others later this year (BTNonline, May 19), while Amadeus and Lufthansa seek to strike an agreement before July 1.