Amex Introduces Automated Visa, Passport Products

American Express Business Travel last week introduced two new services aimed at providing increased security and convenience for international business travelers: an enhanced visa and passport acquisition program and a portfolio of travel insurance products.

Through its continued partnership with CIBT Inc. and Travisa Visa Service Inc., independent processors of global travel documents, Amex now will automate the passenger name record review process and push personalized travel documentation materials directly to business travelers who have made international trip reservations.

"Historically, we've already provided the level of service that says to the traveler, 'if you need support, please work with our partner,' " said Jiten Bhalgat, manager of product development at Amex Business Travel. "Now, when travelers make an international reservation, we're proactively sending them information based on things like their destination and citizenship. We go into a lot more detail scrutinizing the traveler's itinerary and doing the due diligence to determine if they need a visa or passport."

American Express is keeping the technology behind its new offering under wraps, said Bhalgat, but "what really makes it unique is that it's an automated and integrated process."

Jeff Fine, president of CIBT, the largest U.S. visa and passport processing company, said a number of travel agencies, including American Express, have for years granted CIBT PNR review capabilities. "It's not the norm, though, it's more of the exception," he said, noting that the seamless integration and transmission of data makes Amex's product distinctive. "I would say that American Express probably is a little further ahead with its customers in having us do that."

While PNR review capabilities allow document processors to be more proactive and interactive with travelers, CIBT's Fine said agencies employing such functionality risk relying too heavily on highly changeable information. "Unless the information is accurately confirmed by the traveler, it's dangerous for the passport company to rely on the PNR because some visas are date-specific," he said. "If they call back to change reservations, there has to be some direct contact with the agency or traveler."

To address such issues, said Amex's Bhalgat, the enhanced offering also will help to ensure the accuracy of materials provided to travelers by monitoring the entire documentation process from start to finish. "The process or the service expectation is that when the booking is made, our providers will hear about any changes to the reservation within two business hours. The PNR will be responded to within four business hours," Bhalgat said.

Business travelers at Westinghouse Electric Co. are among the first Amex customers to receive time-specific visa information and applications automatically after making international reservations. "This service will save numerous phone calls when travelers are finalizing their plans and will reduce their anxiety when leaving for their trip," said travel program manager Cindy Keating in a statement. "Most importantly, our travelers are starting their trips confident they have the correct and necessary travel documents to proceed to their destination countries without incident."

Though enthusiastic about such a program's merits, American Express customer Caro Cook, senior transportation officer for the International Monetary Fund, said the service may not be suitable for every corporate travel program. Cook will not opt into the service enhancement, as it likely will increase labor costs, she said, and leave the visa-expediting process in the hands of IMF travelers. "Almost every person on every trip requires some sort of visa and, bearing that in mind, it's a natural process that you would check every time what visas you require," she said. "If you have several hundred domestic trips and then a few international ones, it makes sense to download those PNRs and then check them. With the complexity of visas, it's an excellent idea."

Amex also rolled out the Global Travel Shield, insurance products clients can purchase individually or as a complete package. Coverage, previously unavailable to companies, includes emergency medical evacuation and repatriation, baggage loss and delay, and trip cancellation and interruption.