Is it time to introduce online booking?

Making self-service reservations through a corporate online booking tool (OBT) is by far the most common way for business travellers to arrange their trips in Europe and North America. Self-booking is less common in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, where executives are much more likely to have a personal assistant to handle their travel needs.

But times are changing: the region is embracing a digital transformation, and younger employees now often prefer to arrange their own travel. It could be the moment to introduce an OBT in your company. But how do you choose the right one?

Step 1 – Work with your travel management company

Think of your relationship with your OBT as a three-way partnership that includes your TMC as well. Booking fulfilment will be handled by your TMC, which will also consolidate data from online and telephone reservations, so it is essential to check how compatibly the TMC and OBT can  work together. Often you will buy the OBT through your TMC acting as a re-seller, or, as is increasingly the case, you will sign up to your TMC’s own OBT developed in-house.

Step 2 – Analyse the content offering

There is a bigger difference in what OBTs offer than you might think. Check access to New Distribution Capability air fares, which are often lower. Check also for direct connections to suppliers, and which hotels can be booked, and at what price.

Step 3 – Understand policy configuration options

The ability to customise the tool to drive compliance with your travel policy is very important for meeting strategic goals like controlling cost and reducing carbon emissions. For example, can you highlight preferred suppliers at the top of search results, or prioritise flights with the lowest emissions? Other examples include only displaying the fare classes the traveller is allowed to fly, or hotel rates beneath the city rate cap if you have set one.

Step 4 – Assess user-friendliness

OBTs are not generally as attractive and easy to use as consumer booking apps because of policy filters, compliance checks and other necessary controls. However, the OBTs have been working hard to make themselves easier to navigate. Play with the OBTs yourself to see how well they work, and ideally put together a small group of your company’s frequent travellers to test the OBTs as well.

Step 5 – Investigate the cost

There are different ways to pay for an OBT, including a flat subscription fee or a charge per transaction. Factor in other costs such as tech set-up, including with your TMC, and internal training and communication.