BTN Expert Q&A

TravelBank's recent reseller deal with Adelman Travel was the latest step in the travel and expense management provider's strategic push into the partnership distribution channel, which began last year. The effort is part of TravelBank's larger goal of advancing its offerings for a corporate travel ecosystem that had been... Keep Reading

The sudden outbreak of Covid-19 a year ago laid bare weak spots and inefficiencies in traditional travel and expense management service structures, while the subsequent shutdown of travel gave corporate buyers the opportunity to step back and re-evaluate foundational aspects of their T&E programs. One service... Keep Reading

Sonesta International Hotels Corp. has had a transformative year, but not necessarily in the same way as other hotel companies have during the Covid-19 pandemic. The company grew from 58 properties at the start of 2020 to nearly 300 today, with conversions from InterContinental Hotels Group and Marriott International when... Keep Reading

New York- and Houston-based Frosch International Travel this week announced that EagleTree Capital had taken an undisclosed minority stake in the agency. Frosch has been bullish on acquisitions during the pandemic, purchasing CorpTrav and Luxe Travel last year and taking a majority stake in Plaza Travel. Frosch CEO Bryan... Keep Reading

When Alex Zoghlin first was asked whether he was interested in taking the leadership reins at ATPCO, "I actually laughed out loud," he said. As he looked at what ATPCO has been up to in recent years, however, the perception changed. "It's really amazing how transformational the company has been over the last few... Keep Reading

2020 has been a busy year for American Airlines in terms of partnerships. The carrier announced a new "West Coast International Alliance" with Alaska Airlines as well as a rebooted codesharing agreement with Qatar Airways even before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down air travel. Later in the year, the carrier also announced an... Keep Reading

InterContinental Hotels Group in 2018 introduced its Business Edge product, geared toward small and midsize companies, and the company says it has quickly grown, even during the pandemic. BTN senior lodging editor Donna M. Airoldi spoke with IHG SVP of global sales Derek DeCross about the program and developments in the... Keep Reading

When Hip CEO Amiad Solomon launched his company two years ago, he envisioned creating a platform similar to Uber and Lyft targeting intercity commuters—"the 100 million people who travel more than an hour to work by subway, train, bus or driving a car," he said. Since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, Hip has turned its focus... Keep Reading

The Global Business Travel Association has completed an organizational diagnostic with association consultancy MCI USA. The three-month process delivered recommendations to the association that included increasing its value proposition with supplier members, providing greater transparency to all members and stimulating... Keep Reading

India-based hotel company Oyo Hotels in September promoted Kasra Moshkani to country head of the United States. Prior to joining Oyo in 2019 as region head for its Eastern U.S. division, he was the South and Southeast regional general manager for Uber. Moshkani in October spoke with BTN lodging editor Donna M. Airoldi about... Keep Reading