Forecasters See More Than 20 Percent Of Bookings Online In 2003

Reservations processed through online booking tools rose to 6 percent of American Express' total in 2001, up from 0.5 percent the previous year, executives told reporters at a press briefing today in New York.

American Express expects that figure to double in 2002 and then again in 2003, putting its clients slightly ahead of a new, industrywide estimate issued by Sherman, Conn.-based PhoCusWright.

According to the Internet travel research firm, 20 percent of eligible corporate travel transactions will be processed online in 2003, up from 9.5 percent last year. For American Express, nearly 85 percent of online transactions require no human intervention.