In the news: MakeMyTrip’s new self-booking corporate travel booking tool, tours and activities aggregator Livn’s integration with Amadeus, Thai Lion Air’s partnership with Travelport
CORPORATE TRAVEL: MakeMyTrip targets corporate travel segment with new self-booking tool
MMT MyBusiness helps SMEs to book travel seamlessly
MakeMyTrip, the largest online travel agency (OTA) in India, is tapping the country’s fast growing business travel market with its newly launched product, MMT MyBusiness.
The OTA says the self-booking tool will be helpful for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) that cannot afford to set up a travel desk in office. Using the tool these businesses can move complex offline processes –approval matrices, travel policies, payment options – online, making travel booking efficient and experience seamless.
MyBusiness also features a new corporate wallet to reduce payment inefficiencies, liabilities and potential corporate card abuse. This is supported via dedicated corporate help desks, which operate round the clock daily.
Key benefits of MyBusiness include:
For the employees
- Free cancellation and modifications in flights and hotel bookings
- Complimentary in-flight meals and seat selection
- Complimentary hotel upgrades and other add-ons
- Easy and simple expense reporting
For the corporates
- GST credit benefits
- Benefits of discounted corporate rates directly leading to savings in travel and expenses budgets
- Free cancellation and modifications in flights and hotel bookings
- Seamless redressal with 24×7 helpdesks
Other benefits
- Intelligent reporting system with financial controls
- Digitised approval workflows
- Easy travel policy enforcement
- One-click payment from company’s ‘Travel Wallet’
Speaking at the launch late last month Rajesh Magow, co-founder and CEO-India, MakeMyTrip said: “MakeMyTrip has always been an enabler of change in the way Indians travel, our focus and investment in MyBusiness underlines our sense of purpose in changing the way corporate India moves.”
“We have an aggressive plan in place to tap into this fast-growing business travel market by moving complex offline processes to a convenient and efficient online booking experience for employees and employers alike.”
Added the company’s chief business officer, Ranjeet Oak: “For most organisations, business travel spending is the second largest expense, and the entire process allows certain amount of discrepancies and reimbursement issues later on.
“SME corporates are contributing to 70 per cent of the flourishing Indian corporate travel business, and with MyBusiness we are empowering the entire ecosystem, by establishing the ‘Choice’ with the traveller, ‘Control’ with the company and ‘Benefits and Savings’ for all.”
TRAVEL AGENTS: Livn’s global tours and activities now live on Amadeus
Amadeus and Livn’s integration gives agents more products to sell
Tours and activities aggregator Livn has integrated with Amadeus, allowing (Amadeus) travel agents to now seamlessly book its 19,000 global tour products and activities.
The integration initially covers the Australia and New Zealand markets.
With the connection between the Livn tours and activities database and Amadeus Selling Platform Connect agents can instantly book a wide selection of tours and activities from hundreds of leading suppliers like Intrepid Group, G Adventures, Disney, Gray Line, Pro-Dive and Tourism Holdings
The technology provides the agents with a completely integrated tours and activities booking solution through the Amadeus platform. They can easily incorporate tours and activities into any booking with real-time availability, confirmation and pricing through Livn.
Livn co-founder Steve Martinez said the partnership with Amadeus expanded its travel agency distribution footprint.
“We have managed to automate the entire tours and activities booking process within the existing Amadeus workflow with instant confirmations and ticketing being returned in seconds.”
Tony Carter, managing director at Amadeus IT Pacific, said the Livn integration represents a major opportunity for agents to satisfy client demand for in-destination experiences while earning additional commissions.
“Until now the fragmented nature of the tour and activity business has always made it difficult for travel agents to book these products.”
The integration with Livn changed that, he added,
“It’s part of a seamless booking process that gives agents the products and tools to not only cross-sell and upsell, but also give consumers what they want when they want it without the hassle of trying to book the trip by themselves.”
PARTNERSHIP: Thai Lion Air chooses Travelport’s merchandising solution to market its products
Thai Lion Air: Travelport’s new partner
Bangkok-based low cost carrier Thai Lion Air has inked a new content agreement with Travelport to display its branded fares and ancillary content on the latter’s Rich Content and Branding platform.
With this partnership, Travelport-connected agencies worldwide now have real-time access to the airline’s fares and inventory, providing even more content and choice for travellers to Thailand.
Damian Hickey, vice president, Asia Pacific and global sales strategy, air commerce at Travelport said the deal “marks our ongoing commitment and investment, in the Thai domestic travel market.”
For Thai Lion Air the partnership is part of its ongoing growth strategy, as well as to boost its brand presence especially to the international market, said its managing director, Captain Darsito Hendroseputro
Thai Lion Air is the third largest LCC fleet operating from Thailand. It currently flies to 20 destinations in seven Southeast Asian countries. The carrier is the second member of the Indonesia’s Lion Air Group to sign with Travelport, following the partnership with its Malaysian-based sister airline, Malindo Air.
• Featured image credit: scyther5/iStock
