Traditional travel management companies slowly are picking their mobile itinerary-management partners so, like teens at a prom, it's starting to become clear who is going with whom to the after-party.
In a two-pronged deal, Carlson Wagonlit Travel signed nonexclusive referral agreements with WorldMate and conTgo.
CWT clients using Blackberrys and iPhones will be able to get synchronized itineraries and flight-related alerts from WorldMate, and they can also choose to receive itineraries from conTgo's SMS platform, CWT says.
CWT argues that these mobile-travel assistants help corporations achieve compliance with corporate travel policies.
So, if CWT has opted to use WorldMate and conTgo, here's at least a partial lineup of other traditional TMC-itinerary management partnerships.
And, the travel management company's strategy is to give road warriors a choice of which itinerary-management solution they prefer.
- American Express Business Travel is offering platforms from Rearden Commerce and WorldMate. For now, as a precursor to a formal announcement, Amex is being coy about how it will handle the two offerings. Amex spokeswoman Tracy Paurowski says: "With the mobile platform we are offering, we will work with clients to understand their needs and objectives and offer a solution that matches. Geography will be a consideration and capabilities/availability of the services that make up our mobile solution will also factor."
- Sabre's TripCase has signed on Omega World Travel, which will give its business and government travelers the option of using the mobile assistant.
- And, TripIt landed one of the first -- if not the first -- deal with a travel management company last year when it announced a partnership with BCD Travel.
These agreements poentially are huge for WorldMate, conTgo, TripCase and TripIt because a lot of business travelers will be using them as corporate travel bounces back.