GetThere, a Sabre-owned corporate-booking tool vendor, has today debuted GetThere Connect, a suite of tools to let road warriors make hotel, rail and airline purchases in accordance with the policies of corporate travel programs.
Corporations can use these GetThere products to connect to leading regional suppliers, such as European hotel reservation service HRS, along with the travel content that has previously been available through the Sabre travel marketplace and other GDSs to which GetThere has already connected.
The Rail Connect product integrates the rail content offered by SilverRail, which means users will be able to book a variety of classes and fares on Amtrak, ViaRail and Deutsche Bahn and other rail product in Spain, Belgium, and theNetherlands.
Plus, the Rail Connect shopping path supports all rail discount cards and corporate negotiated rates, change/cancel policies (varies by rail provider) and comparison of fares and rail classes. Customers will also be able to cancel bookings online. This content adds to the variety of rail carriers GetThere currently offers, including Eurostar, SNCF and SNCB.
GetThere's Hotel Connect offers bookings at tens of thousands of additional hotel properties. Additional hotel content providers that are integrated with Hotel Connect include Premier Inn, Booking.com, and Venere. The product can process corporate discounts and different payment options, including guaranteed (payment made at the property), pre-paid and direct bill.
Air Connect will supply, according to GetThere, "access to more than 80 regional low-cost carriers leading to greater flexibility and choice when booking air travel. This also enables application of corporate travel policy for a greater percentage of air purchases, using the GetThere Policy Engine. Ancillaries such as priority boarding and checked baggage are also supported."
GetThere says it books $9 billion a year in travel.
Corporate travel programs typically have the bulk of travel reservations made outside their policies, and so they're eager to encourage compliance by making it more appealing for employees to book within their corporate booking tools.
In an emailed statement, Paul Wiley, chief product and strategy officer at GetThere, revealed:
“Over time, travel managers will see reduced cost and less program leakage because it enables an even larger percentage of purchases to be made within the program, meaning greater policy compliance, increased usage of negotiated rates, and better visibility into total program spend.”