Trip savings and incentivizing tool Rocketrip has achieved integrations
that span the business travel workflow. Building on previously announced
partnerships with major players like Concur and Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the
app provider has just announced application programming interface integrations
with Deem's booking tool; additional TMC partners Casto Travel, Luxe Travel
Management, Ovation and Travel Leaders Corporate; and global distribution systems Sabre
and Travelport.
The integrations, according to Rocketrip CEO Dan Ruch, change
how companies can direct corporate traveler behaviors toward savings. In the
new Rocketrip "ecosystem," he said, that becomes "an accurate
and seamless workflow" for the employee. That's a different approach from
"giving the employee a gold star for booking early."
Here's how it works: When travelers initiate a booking in a
partner tool, that tool, through Web-enabled extensions, presents Rocketrip's
budget to beat. Previously, users had to go to Rocketrip's platform to get a
budget to beat and then return to the booking tool to book travel.
Rocketrip accesses a TMC client's negotiated rates when the
TMC is also partnered Rocketrip's GDS partners. Rocketrip's
expense integrations ensure that rewards are granted accurately. "When we
pull the expense information, we can see, for example, that a traveler booked
an itinerary flying coach but then upgraded to business class at the
gate," said Ruch. "With that information, we can adjust the point
balance before activating the reward."
Rocketrip has established an internal "ecosystem
team" to manage its growing partnerships. It has created training
materials, webinars, co-branding and reselling and referral programs with the
belief that more traditional suppliers are jumping on board with traveler-centric
models that include behavior incentives. The difference between Rocketrip and, TripActions,
which also offers a price to beat, is that Rocketrip is working to fit into
established managed travel workflows rather than offering an alternative.
"There's a tidal wave of change happening in corporate
travel," said Ruch, and Rocketrip wants to ride that wave on partnerships.
"Most mega TMCs, midmarket TMCs, online booking tools and other players
are embracing these concepts."
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Clarification, April 20, 12:10 p.m.,: A previous version of this article listed Travel Leaders as a Rocketrip partner. More specifically, the partnership is with Travel Leaders Corporate, as noted in the current version.