Category Archives: Travel Suppliers

Top 5 Posts in 2015; What should I write about in 2016?

Posted on 01/05/2016 by

Let’s start 2016 off in the right direction.. Please tell me what you’d like me to write about. To make things quick, easy and anonymous, here’s a 1-question survey of possible topics: Tell Gillespie what to write about If you’re … Continue reading →

Image | Posted on 01/05/2016 by | 1 Comment

AA-US Merger Implications for Gov and Biz Travel

Posted on 04/11/2013 by

This morning I pointed out some new frontiers in managed travel to the Society of Government Travel Professionals.  Things like traveler friction, trip tailoring, edit rights, Managed Travel 2.0 and traveler dashboards, along with their implications for the government travel … Continue reading →

Posted in Airlines, Spend Categories, Travel Industry, Travel Procurement, Travel Suppliers | Tagged , | 4 Comments

De-Commoditizing Airlines – A Long Road Ahead

Posted on 10/18/2011 by

Last week in Beijing I made the case for de-commoditizing the airlines.  Even though it was a friendly audience at the CASMA Fall Global Conference, there was some sharp discussion during Q&A.  Fair enough, as I skewered American’s handling of … Continue reading →

Posted in Airlines, Distribution, Innovation, Travel Industry, Travel Suppliers | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Buyers Right to be Crabby About LH’s Demands

Posted on 03/03/2011 by

Lufthansa (LH) has drawn a deep line in the corporate contracting sand this year. It is demanding financial clawbacks and access to detailed, perhaps unprecedented, corporate travel data in return for providing corporate discounted fares. More on this here. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in Airlines, Travel Procurement, Travel Suppliers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Innovation and Patents: Pros and Cons for Procurement

Posted on 01/20/2011 by

Are patents good or bad for the end consumer?  OK, that’s pretty broad…how about this specific example concerning Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines: Virgin recently filed this patent infringement case against Delta over Delta’s use of a herringbone-style seating … Continue reading →

Posted in Airlines, Innovation, Travel Procurement, Travel Suppliers | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Catching Up at NBTA?

Posted on 08/03/2010 by

If you’re going to NBTA’s Convention in Houston next week, and you’d like to catch up – let me know!  I’ll arrive on Saturday afternoon, and leave on Wednesday afternoon.  No firm plans yet for dinner on Sunday or Monday, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Innovation, Travel Industry, Travel Suppliers, Travel Technology | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Airline RFP Mysteries 1, 2, and 3

Posted on 06/15/2010 by

Last week I delivered an NBTA training course to Delta Air Lines.  The workshop was geared to Delta’s global corporate sales team, and naturally we had some good give and take about trends in airline RFPs.  Three things puzzled me, … Continue reading →

Posted in Airlines, Travel Procurement, Travel Suppliers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Job and Flight Roulette, Courtesy of D.O.T.

Posted on 03/22/2010 by

If Jeff Smisek, Continental Airline’s CEO, was a gambler, he probably wouldn’t play roulette.  Why not?  The odds are stacked too far in favor of the house. Mr. Smisek’s risk tolerances came to light at an investors’ conference earlier this … Continue reading →

Posted in Airlines, Travel Suppliers | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Airlines and Hotels: Two Sides of the Same Coin?

Posted on 02/10/2010 by

When it comes to buying airlines and hotels, there are some big differences. That may not be the case in the near future.  I think we’re beginning to see a shift – the beginning of a shift – away from … Continue reading →

Posted in Airlines, Hotels, Travel Procurement, Travel Suppliers | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Service Standards for Travel Suppliers?

Posted on 01/13/2010 by

A travel manager in Canada recently asked me for a set of standards that she might use in her Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with her contracted travel suppliers.  I had to admit that not only did I not have any … Continue reading →

Posted in Metrics and KPIs, Travel Management, Travel Procurement, Travel Suppliers | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment