This week in business travel – 28th August 2020

Marketing Team

August 28, 2020

Innovative travel tech startups remain on M&A agenda

On August 26th, Skift’s Sean O’Neill reported that banking and finance giant Capital One acquired Freebird. Freebird offers smarter flight insurance and disruption services. It is an exciting acquisition for a card provider to augment its existing insurance offerings and potentially includes ‘smart insurance’ for its credit card users. With credit card companies locked in a battle for new customers, is this string in Capital One’s bow an attempt at winning private and corporate clients from Citi, Amex, and other leading credit card providers?

Airline pricing is at its most volatile this year.

Oversee was in the news this week, announcing the publication of its new Airfare Volatility Index. Business Travel News reported the latest findings that between June and July, volatility jumped 152%, with airline prices swinging wildly as revenue management systems struggled with supply and demand.

Technology can’t supplant face-to-face.

In an Op-Ed piece by Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis talks about the value of face-to-face contact for business growth, “…make no mistake, business travel will come back, sooner for some than for others. Technology helps, but it will never satisfy the need to pick up the live visual cues that make for the most effective communication, to get deals done, and to solidify relationships that lead to long-term value.“

FCM increasing market share a ray of light

PhocusWire this week reported on the FCM announcement that despite increased losses, its business travel divisions have significantly outperformed, winning AU$390 million in new business for 2021.

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Press Release

FairFly Rebrands as Oversee Underpinning Travel Spend Optimization Leadership

The new brand builds on the company’s commitment to providing an all-in-one platform to optimize corporate travel spend and AI-powered automation tools for travel agencies.

The switch to a new company name comes during exponential growth for Oversee (formerly FairFly). Its outstanding customer base testifies to the business success of Oversee currently serving 29 of the Fortune 100, 86 of the Fortune 500, and 38 of BTN Corporate Travel 100 companies.

Time to rethink your static travel policy?

Times are changing and traditional, one-size-fits-all corporate travel policies are no longer meeting the diverse needs of businesses and employees. Many companies continue to use outdated, static travel policies rooted in historic pricing strategies that aren’t even used by carriers any longer.

How do I get the best negotiated airfares?

As securing discounted corporate airfares gets harder Negotiating the best corporate airfares can be tricky at the best of times. Many external factors are making the task even harder. Ever-tighter profit margins, fluctuating oil prices, and increased competition from smaller

Getting the best corporate airfares?

Be aware of poor advice Book on Wednesday. The book is just before midnight. Shop around to compare airlines—book 57 days in advance. There’s no shortage of statistics and questionable advice on how individuals can secure the best price on

Top 10 tips when negotiating with airlines

Dos and don’ts when negotiating corporate airfares Negotiating the best deal with airline suppliers is one of the most significant tasks for a travel management company – and it’s rarely easy. Airlines face tight profit margins, pushed further by fluctuating

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