Some corporations are taking new approaches to managed
travel programs by "starting to think of innovative ways to make our
travelers happy," according to Miriam Moscovici, BCD Travel director of
emerging technology and global strategic marketing. "We talk a lot about
customer experience, customer satisfaction and doing crazy things like letting
travelers download apps and use them."
Speaking at an Association of Corporate Travel Executives
meeting in November in Vancouver, B.C., Moscovici highlighted mobile
applications that travel buyers might want to recommend to travelers or, if the
company prohibits individual downloads, to their corporate telecom departments
as tools for saving money and enhancing productivity.
Additional information from app providers' websites follows
She encouraged buyers to explore BCD Travel's "Mobile App Index for the
Business Traveler" on its website.
Communications
Boingo Wireless:
Provides Wi-Fi access at more than 600,000 hotspots in more than 100 countries,
including at 60 major airports in North America and Europe.
Gogo: Provides
inflight Internet access on more than 1,800 aircraft operated by nine carriers.
Skype: Provides
voice, text and video over Internet protocol. Skype has "corporate
programs that allow companies to purchase packages to provide travelers with a
dedicated number or forward existing numbers to their Skype account to make
international calls for a fraction of what they would have cost,"
Moscovici said. The company operates as a division of Microsoft following its
2011 purchase.
Truphone: Provides
"voice over Internet protocol on 3G phones," Moscovici said, via a
SIM card in an unlocked phone or apps for Android, BlackBerry and Apple iOS
devices. Instead of calling long distance, the company said it allows travelers
to use the Internet, local satellites and, in some instances, local phone
networks for calls, text and data in 220 countries. Founded in the United
Kingdom in 2006, Truphone opened offices in the United States last year.
Ground Transportation
Cabforce: Offers
an online booking engine for flat-rate, pre-booked taxis, executive cars and
minibuses in 50 cities across Europe. The website and iPhone apps calculate
rates at the time of booking. Through a partnership with Amadeus announced in
February, the technology will be integrated with the e-Travel online booking
tool and an Amadeus web interface used by travel agents in the United Kingdom
and Finland.
Car2Go: A
subsidiary of Daimler AG, the firm has a fleet of more than 6,000 Smart cars
and provides car-sharing services in 17 European and North American cities.
Nearly 2,000 of those are available in Austin; Miami; Portland, Ore.; San
Diego; Seattle and Washington, D.C. The company also operates in Canada,
Germany and the United Kingdom.
Limos.com: The
self-described online marketplace for "private car procurement" is
designed to simplify bookings for more than 41,000 limos, sedans and other
vehicles located in more than 370 destinations across 62 countries. With $10 million in venture capital secured in 2011, the company updated its Android and
Apple iOS apps and integrated with corporate travel management systems.
Taxi Magic: Formerly
called RideCharge, the company offers on-demand taxi ordering and payment for
85 fleets in 45 U.S. cities via Android and Apple iOS apps, text messaging and
online. The technology also can be used to order one of more than 1,500 sedans
in the New York City area.
Zipcar: The
car-sharing network offers more than 10,000 vehicles in the United States,
Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain and Austria. Registered users may locate,
book and unlock cars and pay rental fees via Android or iPhone mobile phone apps
provided they scan a unique Zipcard to their phones. Gas, insurance and 180
miles per day are included in the hourly rental rates. Avis Budget Group in
January announced plans to purchase the firm.
Dining
Delivery.com: The
nine-year-old firm offers apps that allow users to order from nearby
restaurants, caterers and grocery stores. More than 10,000 establishments in
50-plus cities offer deliveries. The company has its own loyalty program in
which earned points can be donated to charities or redeemed for gift cards and
merchandise.
This report originally
appeared in the February 2013 issue of Travel
Procurement.