Business Travel News - August 24, 2009 - (Page 1)

AUGUST 24, 2009 INSIDE U.S.Airlines Implementing Secure Flight. . . . . 3 CWT Forecasts 2010 Airfares To Rise. . . . . 4 Buyers Renegotiate Unexpired Contracts. . . . 8 Delta, US Airways Swap Slots . . . . . . . . . . 12 Concur Buys European Expense Firm . . . . . . 40 3 6 REARDEN HIRES OUTSOURCING BEV HEINRITZ PHILIPS TRAVEL Former GetThere exec to lead customer service. John Guarneri heads strategic global team overseeing agency. BTNonline.com Travel’s Trying Times: BTN’s 2009 Travel Manager Salary & Attitude Survey Received no raise Expect industry salaries to drop See industry opportunity decreasing 2008 2009 ACTE Changes Merger Tune BY JAY BOEHMER 16% 38% 4% 20% 33% 61% For more, see page 14. Buyers Redefining Dynamic Pricing BY MICHAEL B. BAKER Travel buyers and hoteliers, fatigued with repeated renegotiations to keep up with constantly falling hotel rates, are exploring dynamic pricing in hotel program negotiations this year, but largely coming to the table with disparate views of what such pricing would entail. During the seller’s market of the past few years, the push for dynamic pricing—negotiating a percentage off the best available rate rather than using a flat rate—came largely from hoteliers, while most buyers saw it as a budg- eting nightmare (BTNonline, July 31, 2006). This year, however, buyers have Continued on page 56 The Association of Corporate Travel Executives’ proposal this month to engage in merger discussions with the National Business Travel Association commenced a shaky prelude to direct negotiations. While NBTA this month said it would review the offer, president Kevin Maguire said the earliest formal negotiations could occur is at the NBTA International Convention and Exposition in San Diego. “Because of the timing, we really haven’t had a chance to spend any real qualACTE’S RICHARD CRUM ity time to go over the proposal,” he said. ACTE’s proposal reversed its stance on remaining a standalone organization, which the association has held since June, after a handful of board members from both associations produced a merger proposal that failed to gain the necessary ACTE board support. Continued on page 52 ONE-ON-ONE STARCITE CEO GREGORY DUKAT Cos. Increasing Travel StarCite Fights Mtg. Slump Operations Outsourcing BY SETH HARRIS Postmaster: Newspaper Handling/Periodicals Postaage Gregory Dukat, CEO of meetings management technology supplier StarCite, spoke this month to BTN editor Michael B. Baker about meetings management and StarCite’s strategy. Business Travel News: Are we past the worst of the so-called AIG effect? Gregory Dukat: Yes, our perception of that Continued on page 53 With resources spread thin, travel program footprints expanding and a fluid negotiating environment, many corporations are outsourcing more operational and tactical travel management activities to keep pace with supplier relationships, drive compliance, provide more scrutiny and, in the case of multinational programs, increase local support. Continued on page 54 COME SEE WHERE BUSINESS IS GOING AT BOOTH #827. http://www.BTNonline.com http://www.swabiz.com/corporatetravel/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Business Travel News - August 24, 2009

Business Travel News - August 24, 2009
Contents
Inside Track
Profiles In Travel Mgmt
2009 Travel Manager Salary & Attitude Survey
Forum
Aviation
Lodging
Payment & Expense
Meetings Today
Travel Management
Travel Management Tech
EuroBTN
Destinations

Business Travel News - August 24, 2009