Brad Seitz @ Topaz

Encore: Are Internet Audit Comparisons still relevant?

One of the biggest concerns still being brought to travel managers today is the claim that the internet has lower fares than what your travel agency or online booking system is offering.  Topaz International will work with both corporations and agencies to compare your booked fares with specific internet site(s) that you select.  This unique service cannot be done by just anyone because you must have the expertise and access to booked trips via the various GDS platforms and the expertise to replicate those trips using online tools.  As part of the results, Topaz International will provide you with a report that displays each itinerary, booked fare, and the lowest fare found on the internet site(s).  By reviewing the reports, you are able to quickly analyze the performance of your managed travel program in comparison to internet results, and use these results to drive improvement or advocate the use of your travel program. 

Studies can be conducted using one of the following options:

• Re-price the actual booked itinerary on designated internet sites for a side-by-side comparison of fares
• Allow the internet to search for the lowest fare using the lowest documented itinerary or booked itinerary as the requested search option. 

In order to set up an internet comparison, the following information must be established:

• Length of study
• Parameters for comparison
• Electronic link to agency/queues
• Internet sites for comparison

Typical Internet Sites used in past studies:

• Airline Specific Sites
• Orbitz
• Travelocity
• Expedia

In addition, TOPAZ can provide an unbiased third party review of corporate sites and Computer Reservation Systems to ensure that travelers are booking trips within policy and the systems are working as they are intended.  Some of the newer corporate sites like Orbitz for Business and Travelocity Business require working agreements between the corporations and the owners of these sites.  This additional service provides travel managers and industry executives with the assurance that they are getting what is being paid for and advertised.  www.etopaz.com

A comparison between traditional travel agencies and internet travel agencies

This is an announcement we just made a couple of days ago and I thought I would share it with my readers here.  My apologies if you have seen it already!

Topaz International understands that Traditional Travel Agencies need outside help when assessing their performance of obtaining the lowest airfares.  The constant uphill battle to prove that they not only provide high levels of service but that they can also deliver on the promise of the best price can be daunting, but with this new service offering from Topaz International, it has become just a little bit easier.

Topaz International will no longer be posting general statistics on the performance of traditional travel agencies compared to internet websites.   "The past annual summary of statistics was so generalized, that it did not represent a fair assessment of the performance of individual travel programs.  The averages that were published did not represent the true performance of individual operations fairly.  Our goal is to be completely unbiased, fair and independent in our assessment; we believe this new service would meet those objectives" noted Brad Seitz, President and CEO of Topaz International.

By focusing on specific travel programs, call centers, locations or agents, the results will give something for travel agencies to boast about in the marketplace.  While we will customize the study to meet the needs of the travel agency or corporate travel department, the results that are shared can only speak to the specific parameters that were undertaken.  "What we do not want to happen is a large agency doing this study on one small call center, and then claims the results for their entire company.  Topaz International will be keeping track of those agencies that have used this service on their website so that the public can always see what companies and what specific areas were audited.  Transparency is of the utmost importance to us"

What are the benefits to Travel Management Companies and Travel Agencies?  When you go to existing and potential clients with an independent report that outlines the results achieved when you compared your airfares to internet sites, the outcome can be very convincing.  What you have done is put faith in your operations and your process to undergo an independent study of the performance of obtaining the lowest airfares when compared to public internet booking sites.

This new service will electronically obtain existing reservations from the agency and will replicate this reservation on multiple internet sites to validate the agency has found the lowest airfares.  A report will be developed and provided to the agency for their use.  This comparison is not a replacement for an audit as it does not determine if the agency applied correctly policy, discounts or lowest airfares within any GDS.  This only compares existing reservations to public internet sites and should not be used as a replacement for any comprehensive audit program for the corporate travel program.

Booking Business Travel on the Internet vs a Traditional Travel Agency

Since 2001 Topaz International has been doing comparative studies between business travel airfares booked via traditional travel agencies and the public online travel websites.  Each time, traditional agencies have performed better than their online competitors.  This review and release will be sent out on Friday, but I thought I would preview it here on my blog for my loyal readers.

Portland Oregon, May 1, 2009 - For the past eight years, Topaz International has done comparison reviews of booking business travel on public Internet websites versus booking via the traditional travel agencies.  "Year after year, the results are similar, which might indicate nothing is really changing" suggested Bradley J Seitz, President and CEO of Topaz International "however value to companies and their travel management suppliers year after year is to better understand how their managed travel programs are performing and what opportunities exist for ongoing improvement."

"Even while agency airfares are higher only 8.44% of the time, for every $10 million of air spend, this represents a lost savings of over $100,000 each year.  Not only does this add up very quickly, it provides great opportunity for improvement to your travel program by eliminating this leakage."

"The challenge of travel management professionals during these difficult economic times is to ensure their travelers are spending precious resources wisely, and airfare in one of the highest controllable expense in most corporations."

The full press release will be released on Friday May 1st, and can be viewed at our website www.etopaz.com.