Star Alliance To Offer Payment, Reporting System

The Star Alliance early next year will roll out a new payment and reporting system for corporate clients, Graham Atkinson, senior vice president of worldwide sales and alliances for United Airlines and chairman of the Star Alliance management board, told Business Travel News today.

While he would not provide details of the new system, which will include consolidated travel management reporting features, "The primary breakthrough is in data collection," Atkinson said. "We will use software to calculate relevant payments due across the alliance." Star is developing the system internally, but such third parties as Prism Group or TRX Inc. could be used "for certain aspects that may plug into the process." A handful of corporate clients already have asked Star to bid on their business, based on the new system.

Atkinson acknowledged that alliancewide contracting "is a very mixed picture around the world" but added that an increasing number of Fortune 500 companies on both sides of the Atlantic are requesting Star Alliance bids.

Aside from corporate account management systems, Star is progressing on a number of fronts, including co-location at various airports, a standardized inflight entertainment system and a joint aircraft order for at least 100 regional jets.