Radius Rolling Out Point-Of-Sale Share-Shift Technology
Radius today announced new point-of-sale technology that it said ensures clients receive the lowest fares and rates offered by suppliers. The new tool, dubbed The Wheel, searches the Radius database for any lower negotiated fares or exclusive "share-shift" fares after a Radius-affiliated travel management company agent completes a booking on behalf of a corporate client. Within a few seconds, the tool displays to the agent any lower rates that match the criteria of the original booking and comply with the client's travel policy.
The tool also encompasses quality control and detailed reporting functions and can be used with any of the major global distribution systems. Radius said the tool was developed for affiliates at no additional cost beyond normal membership dues.
"We pre-qualify competitive products to match class of service, city pair, itinerary, etc.," said Jay Richmond, head of Radius information technologies. "The alternative offer should be no different to the traveler in terms of experience."
Radius said the system already is running at sites in North America, Europe and Latin America with a more comprehensive rollout in the works.
"We could not have done this ourselves," said Bill Tech, president and CEO of Radius affiliate Travel & Transport, a beta tester in North America. "Our agents are excited because of the speed, and it differentiates us from other travel management companies."
Bob Smyth, account manager at Radius-affiliate Gant Travel, cited easy implementation and the benefits for unmanaged travel spend. "It gives us reasonable alternatives in a nice, single source," he said, "and we can generate savings reports for the unmanaged spend of a client's business."
The alternative "share-shift" rates include those offered exclusively to Radius by suppliers targeting specific markets at specific times. Radius president and CEO Tony Hughes said roughly 80 percent of the share-shift fares will be pre-negotiated. The rest can be unique, reactive fares offered by suppliers when a booking goes to a competitor.
As such, the tool provides to suppliers a benefit conceptually similar to information gleaned from marketing information data tapes. Unlike with MIDT, however, unique, reactive offers through the Wheel are blind and presented as an alternative to any clients booking with competitors.
Since information on competitors' bookings are not shared with the supplier offering the lower rate, Tech, also Radius chairman, is comfortable with the process. "It is a very competitive industry, and we are happy to offer our clients special rates," he said.
On the hotel front, Radius executives said consortia rates and parity rules do not apply since alternative rates from suppliers are not available outside of the Radius network.
Radius executives said corporate clients can customize heavily the types of alternative offers available at the point of sale. The system also will direct agents to the distribution channel in which the alternative offer is available.