Traditionally, those who manage travel for their organization have had to navigate fragmented technology, closed systems, and decades-old infrastructure in an attempt to deliver delightful experiences for their travelers.

Although some existing solutions on the market promise cutting-edge tech, they may lack the team of knowledgeable travel agents needed to provide adequate support. Others might focus on service but have not necessarily invested in modern technology upgrades.

Striking the right balance has historically been a challenge for even the most successful travel programs, but now the corporate travel industry has reached a highly anticipated turning point. Let’s take a closer look at how a tech-forward solution backed by high-touch service can reimagine business travel.

Remove Traveler Frustrations

Travel comes with unique challenges, and technology alone cannot supersede the value travelers place on being taken care of when they are on the road. Relying on a team of skilled travel experts can help lessen frustrations by delivering a fully integrated, end-to-end experience. For example, consider what perks, add-ons, and recommendations can be made for travelers based on their unique circumstances:

• Does your international traveler need a specific visa or authorization?
• Will this flight give your traveler enough time to arrive before their meeting?
• How can you use real-time risk monitoring to check in on your traveler and support their well-being?

The best fit for travel management is a solution that automatically anticipates traveler questions such as these, suggests solutions that account for individual preferences, and gives travelers a choice.

Provide a Personalized Experience

Offering an unbiased shopping experience with a broad range of content available in real time is no longer a “perk,” it is expected. In fact, 63% of travelers say they are seeking a wider array of options for content. Travelers also want to be able to pick and choose between self-service control and 24/7 live expert support.

Travel managers should ensure all tech solutions are streamlined so travelers can make their own changes, cancellations, and booking updates without jumping from platform to platform. However, it is equally critical to keep a high level of customer care in place so that if an issue arises, travelers are automatically directed to a human agent and are not stuck waiting for support.

Our own EVP Dave Breslin summarized this concept of service-backed tech at a recent client forum, saying:

“As business travelers, we know that hiccups can happen outside of our control. Flights can be cancelled, itineraries might update – that’s a reality of travel. It’s Direct Travel’s job to anticipate these changes and provide service to you as quickly and as thoughtfully as we can. When you think of The Perfect Trip, you’re not worrying about how you might have to get ahold of someone for support. Rather, you’re appreciating how your trip is being handled smoothly throughout. That’s precisely our goal with Avenir.”

– Dave Breslin, EVP, Customer Experience & New Tech Stack, Direct Travel

Unite Next-Gen Tech & Service

Looking forward, the new standard of care is one in which cutting-edge technology is backed by best-in-class, 24/7 global customer service. That’s why Direct Travel has introduced Avenir, our intuitive and connected experience for travel, expense, and meetings management.

Avenir is a next-generation travel platform designed to transform the corporate travel experience, and each partner powering it plays a critical role. In our recent blog series focused on introducing Avenir’s capabilities, we shared more on each of these key innovators behind our new tech stack:

• Meet Spotnana, the infrastructure providing Avenir’s cutting-edge travel management. This cloud-based platform elevates the traveler experience with powerful tools to increase cost savings and compliance. Plus, Spotnana’s modern interface gives users access to the widest range of content sources.
• Meet TROOP, the efficient meetings and events planning behind Avenir. It’s an intelligent platform with the ability to plan and manage group meetings effortlessly. Travel arrangements can be integrated directly within TROOP’s planning tool, which optimizes logistics and reduces overhead costs.
• Meet Center, the card-centric tool that supplies Avenir with its advanced expense management capabilities. Their simplified accounting process improves compliance and eliminates the need for traditional expense reports. Center unifies data and enables visibility into all employee spending.

With Avenir, Direct Travel builds on top of all three platforms with our best-in-class service to deliver a seamless solution for business travel, expense, and group meeting needs.

The Perfect Trip is Within Reach with Avenir

Avenir provides a consistent user experience with personalized service, complex booking support, and faster issue resolution times. Agents, managers, and travelers are all brought together on the same open platform.

Not only does this simplify the booking process, it encourages industry-wide collaboration. Since others can build and extend on its open architecture, Avenir will only continue to innovate from here – transforming the travel experience in a way that’s never been done before.

It is the beginning of a new era for the corporate travel industry, and Avenir aims to be the premier solution needed to bring #ThePerfectTrip to life. To learn more about how this travel technology backed by Direct Travel’s world-class service can elevate the traveler experience for your own organization, sign up for our Avenir newsletter.