Megas Differ On Preference

The wide array of choices for self-booking systems, particularly for smaller and midsize companies, casts travel management firms in the dual principal roles of both evaluator and integrator. Because they can charge for such services, mega travel agencies generally have resisted the temptation to set up proprietary or exclusive relationships with self-booking vendors.

But are so-called "preferred" relationships muddying the agencies' objectivity?

The booking engines inside of American Express' preferred corporate travel self-booking services for clients of all sizes are provided by Sabre-owned GetThere.

Rosenbluth International in recent months has announced three preferred relationships, with Frankfurt-based I:FAO for Europe, GetThere for the North American midmarket and Galileo International's Highwire for North American clients of all sizes.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Navigant International and TQ3 Maritz Travel Solutions are redistributors for GetThere MidMarket. For larger corporate clients, CWT prefers its Symphonie suite, and TQ3 Maritz last week announced an alliance with I:FAO. WorldTravel BTI, meanwhile, has announced no preferred relationships, partly owing to its desire to position itself apart from agency automation and self-booking provider TRX Inc., despite the two companies' common ownership. "We pray in all churches," said a WorldTravel spokesperson.

Beyond such things as CWT's owned product or WorldTravel and TRX's shared parents, the incentive for an agency to offer a certain tool may or may not include a financial reward; what it typically includes is the experience of and infrastructure for working with a given tool.

In general, if a buyer wants an agency to support a tool it has never before worked with, the agency will do so, but at a moderately higher price.

Does this mean agencies cannot be objective evaluators of technology? The answer to that question comes down to the intangible but vital element of trust.

Asked whether he could understand a customer not feeling comfortable with American Express' objectivity as an evaluator of different products, given its multi-faceted relationship with Sabre and GetThere, Amex vice president and general manager of the interactive travel group Rich Miller said, "I can understand that but I also would say that when we sit with customers, we're making our view very clear. GetThere's price points, if you deal with them directly or if you deal with us, are not significantly different. If you elect another system, that's fine and we'll still provide centralized fulfillment. We're not going to fall on our sword on the opinion that the best piece of technology for corporate self-bookings is GetThere."

Miller said his interactive travel group handles integration and fulfillment for a number of different tools, including the relatively new Highwire and Yatra systems.

At Navigant, a redistributor relationship with GetThere does not mean customers cannot use other systems. In fact, said president and COO Thom Nolte, customers generally do not pay much more to have the agency integrate new tools. Similar to American Express, Navigant has customers using a handful of different tools, Nolte said, and if customers use more of one than another, that's their choice. TQ3 Maritz officials agreed.

CWT and Rosenbluth International were unable to elaborate by press time.