GetThere Automates Preferred Supplier Data Entry

Corporate clients of Sabre corporate self-booking subsidiary GetThere, based in Menlo Park, Calif., now can take advantage of a new feature in which supplier preferences automatically are uploaded into the booking system.

The data can come from a corporation's spreadsheet file or from such offerings as American Express DealPower and Eclipse Advisors' Dacoda, which are used to create and manage their supplier contracts. While GetThere already has tested those two systems, a company spokesperson said the standard upload should work with other systems provided by such vendors as Cleveland-based Travel Analytics and Atlanta-based WorldTravel BTI's Travel Procurement Solutions.

The spokesperson said standard uploads are a built-in part of the product, but any required development for third-party connections may require a fee. Once as many as 2,000 supplier preferences are loaded, the GetThere self-booking tool can dynamically shift the options employees see in order to help the company meet its purchasing commitments with suppliers.

"To show preferencing by different airlines, we now have to go and type in the city pairs with the primary, secondary and tertiary carriers," said Valerie Dickson, assistant vice president of global travel with GetThere client Credit Suisse First Boston in New York. Noting that such large companies as CSFB can have hundreds of entries, she said, "It is a daunting task, so I am definitely looking forward to using the new enhancement."