Carlson Wagonlit Travel is rolling out Price Tracking worldwide, following a successful trial that delivered savings of up to two per cent of total travel spend.
The Price Tracking technology continually monitors prices for flights and hotel rooms, checking them against existing bookings. Whenever it identifies savings, CWT cancels and re-books for less, providing clients with the best possible deals – and delivering significant savings.
“This technology can save our clients up to two per cent – that’s a huge sum of money for any company with a sizeable travel programme,” Patrice Simon, CWT’s chief technology officer, strategy and new product development, said in a statement. “Best of all, it’s largely automated, running in the background 24/7, delivering savings every single day.”
The service is the result of a partnership between CWT and Yapta, a provider of airfare and hotel price-tracking services. Initial trials in the US were very successful, and the scope for savings across the rest of the world is even greater, given the fragmentation of offerings across Latin America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific.
Currently, CWT counsellors manually rebook approximately one in 20 itineraries with the same flight or hotel at a lower rate. Fully automating the process will further improve that rate.
Over the next 18 months, CWT will be expanding Price Tracking globally.
