Use Of Travel Reports As Negotiating Aid Rises Steeply

<B>Use Of Travel Reports As Negotiating Aid Rises Steeply</B>

Travel managers increasingly are using travel reports to facilitate supplier negotiations and track costs. According to the newest Survey & Analysis of Business Travel Policies & Costs published by Runzheimer International of Rochester, Wis., travel managers also more often are using such reports--provided by agencies, charge card companies, automated expense reporting products or internally developed systems--to enforce and develop policy and benchmark their programs.

Seventy-two percent of respondents use travel reports to negotiate with airlines, up nearly 20 percent from two years ago. Negotiating with car rental companies (67 percent), hotels (64 percent) and agencies (39 percent) also are areas where travel report usage increased dramatically (see chart).

The survey, which polled 182 travel managers, also identified the benefits of automating travel management functions: Less paperwork, better travel information and reduced clerical time were the top three benefits. Respondents also ranked the importance of automation to certain responsibilities. Travel policy adherence, reimbursement processing and electronic expense reporting were most important.

Meanwhile, the report charted usage and acceptance of electronic ticketing. Four times as many respondents, 32 percent, said all their travelers use e-ticketing, compared with 8 percent in 1996. Only 5 percent said their travelers do not use e-ticketing at all.

While most (62 percent) reported their travelers like e-ticketing, 20 percent said their travelers wish it were simpler to process at the airport. Another 11 percent said there still is too much uncertainty. The uncertainty stems from a variety of inadequacies cited, including missed flights (29 percent), no record of reservation (20 percent) and upgrading difficulties (12 percent).