BCD Travel this month will launch a super passenger name record platform that will enable it to create its own aggregation point for data and travel distribution content, allowing more independence from traditional global distribution systems. Meanwhile, HRG also has announced plans to develop similar capabilities later this year. While architecturally different than the American Express TravelBahn DS and Carlson Wagonlit Travel's Symphonie, the two new platforms apparently will offer some of the same functionality. Some buyers said that they are less concerned with the TMCs' abilities to bypass the GDS than they are about gaining improved reporting and data accuracy.
BCD Travel plans initially to deploy its Source Platform with a few U.S. customers this month and to make it generally available in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to BCD Travel executive vice president of products, technology and supplier relations Dee Runyan. The company has been testing its system with four agents in its Kansas City model office, as well as in its Belgian reservation center for one European-based client. The platform was developed internally over 30 months by BCD's 15-person emerging technology development team and third parties, including Pass Consulting and Business Logics for some workflow processes and Farelogix for travel content, according to Runyan.
"We have this stand-alone environment where we can go and access content, and show availability from a variety of sources," Runyan said. "If we choose to and if a particular supplier has a value proposition that both the corporate customer and the TMC can make a direct connect worthwhile, we can certainly use Farelogix, which has a variety of direct-connect options to do that."
As the industry prepares for the European Commission to issue its decision regarding GDS deregulation
(BTN, July 23), BCD's Belgian office is serving as a testing ground. "Because of some things that may or may not happen in Europe with distribution, there is just increased pressure to hurry up and get that done," Runyan said. "We have a very strict timeline. Germany will obviously be our biggest market. We will be testing that in the fall for deployment in the beginning of next year."
HRG is developing its own super-PNR platform, which it calls the Universal Super Platform and plans to roll out in Europe and North America in the coming year.
HRG is testing some elements of that platform in Australia, where it plans to initially roll it out later this year. "If we can get it all from one source, we'll take it from one source," said HRG business technology and distribution director Bill Brindle. "That's not the case today and that probably won't be the case going forward. It's how we make sure we have a flexible approach to offering our services to clients."
Using a super-PNR enables a travel management company to create its own record for each traveler's ticket, including name and contact information, separate from individual coding interfaces, freeing the TMC from relying on one GDS for full access to airline content.
For corporations, a super-PNR ideally could drive down costs because it would increase GDS independence and agent flexibility, lessening the need for agents to know various GDS codes and making it easier for buyers to change agencies.
"Over time, if you do have direct-connect capability, there is the potential for having an around-the-GDS distribution pipe and that could result in a certain amount of inventory or content or savings that could be passed along to the corporation, but I haven't seen that come to fruition," said travel technology consultant Steve Reynolds. "They are used more as leverage points to get a better deal."
Some buyers said the advantage of having a super-PNR is more about having accurate content and data via the travel management company as the aggregation point, rather than being able to bypass the GDS.
"We shouldn't have to worry about which GDS the content comes from or if it comes from any GDS at all. We should just get content. That's all we really care about at the end of the day," said a CT100 travel buyer. "You need the data aggregation, and it would be great if it was in one central point. Truly, you get spend data and that's good behavioral data and the real data that you need verified at the end of the day. That's the richest data that you can possibly have because it shows behavior and spend, so you've got the best of both worlds. Most of us can't get access to that kind of data yet. When we can, it becomes less incumbent on the agency to be the data provider as well."
"It's not that big a deal to have a super-PNR," said Lynn Brunner, director of travel and meetings for the Hospital Corp. of America, which has an annual $15 million air volume and is a BCD Travel client. "I'll take what we still get with the TMC because that's where we can track the savings. It's a nice concept but it wouldn't make or break a deal with me."
Fair Isaac Corp. director of procurement and American Express client Bob Steiner, who opted into TravelBahn DS, said that for him, the key component of super-PNR developments is having a central repository of data, as well as the ability for agents to better assist travelers.
"If you have a traveler who has all the information stored in the travel management company, with other stuff beyond just the GDS air, car and hotel information, the agent can assist a traveler with making changes even for restaurants, tee times, bed and breakfasts or anything else that is involved that they are picking up," said Steiner. "A caveat is the security side: How much information do you want to know about an individual that is stored in a centralized location that is secure?"
While American Express Business Travel has shielded clients who signed up for its TravelBahn Distribution Solution from GDS pass-through fees by negotiating its own airline and GDS agreements
(BTN, Dec. 4, 2006), the company, in declining to comment for this article, indicated to BTN that it has super-PNR projects in development.
In 2003, Carlson Wagonlit Travel offered to North American clients its CWT Symphonie platform (BTN, Aug. 7, 2003), which aggregates content from direct connections with such suppliers as Carlson Hotels, limousine companies and airlines via G2 SwitchWorks, as well as GDSs, according to CWT executive vice president of global supplier relations Mike Koetting. There are no committed plans for a global rollout of Symphonie, according to Koetting, who would not disclose the economic investment, but said millions of dollars are spent annually to upgrade and enhance the system, which consists of the proprietary Horizon online booking tool and the Harmony agent desktop interface.
"The role of the super-PNR is to take the place of what in most agencies is a GDS-only interface to the back office." Koetting said. "The key for the agency is to be able to have the flexibility to reevaluate the equation and make changes without having a big impact on travelers or consultants if you want to make a change in distribution channel."
CWT client National Semiconductor decided not to use Symphonie's super-PNR capabilities, said senior purchasing manager of travel services Mark Vilcsek. "The complete super-PNR as a fix-all-cure-all I don't think is worth going after, but certainly the major components of it are," Vilcsek said. "If you lock yourself into one TMC, then you lose the flexibility to go elsewhere, especially if you are going to be transferring any information from one to another. Right now for me, the GDS is where all the information I need resides."