Expedia Corporate Travel is strengthening its European roots with ontinual investment in full service and leading technology.In recent years, Expedia Corporate Travel has established itself as an influential player in the global corporate travel market through a combination of its leading-edge technology, full service offering and broad supply inventory. The business has grown steadily and substantially, expanding into three new markets (Italy, Spain and China) in 2007 with plans for further expansion in Europe in 2008. Current areas of interest include Ireland, Switzerland and Scandinavia.

Expedia Corporate Travel President, Jean-Pierre Remy, says: “We continue to be at the forefront of business travel service innovation due to the strong combination of our best of breed technology and first class customer service. Additionally, our continued expansion into key European markets enables us to build the world’s most intelligent marketplace for corporate travel and to be in the markets where our customers need us most.”

ECT’s strength lies in the consistency of its worldwide offer and its ability to provide added value at every stage of the business trip, from the initial booking to servicing travellers en route to analysing cost savings following the trip. With booking services such as the recently enhanced hotel and rail booking capabilities and a global flight search platform combined with an extensive inventory of low cost carriers, ECT provides corporate travel managers and travellers with exceptional value along with globally consistent service tailored to each local market.

Expedia Corporate Travel’s UK Managing Director, Christophe Peymirat, comments: “By combining local market knowledge with our award winning technology and working closely with our customers, we consistently achieve high standards of customer service across our markets.”

When on the move, ECT supports customers with 24 hour customer service, a fully integrated traveller security tracking system, and online calendar access to travel itineraries.

ECT also assists customers with post-trip analysis with its global consolidated reporting tool, which provides travel managers with actionable information to help them refine, monitor and review travel policy compliance and cost savings at the touch of a button.  Customers have direct, real-time access to all travel data enabling them to make informed decisions on a global basis.

As a result of continued investment in full service and leading technology ECT has one of the highest online adoption rates in the industry - an average of over 70 per cent across their entire client base.  Through increasing online adoption rates, ECT customers achieve average travel cost savings of 20-25 per cent, as well as 30 per cent improvement in internal travel-related cost savings. ECT’s client Cancer Research UK reduced costs by 35 per cent over an eighteen month period.

Cancer Research UK Corporate Services Procurement Manager, Bradley Jones, comments: “As with all charitable organisations, Cancer Research UK’s procurement department is continually looking for ways to keep costs down.  We implemented our new travel policy in April 2006 and since then have worked with Expedia Corporate Travel whose strong travel offering including high touch customer service and leading technology has delivered an impressive 35 per cent cost savings for our organisation.”

ECT’s strength is also buoyed by a growing corporate blue-chip client base including Eversheds and McDonald’s Corporation. Before using Expedia Corporate Travel, McDonald’s used a wide variety of small local travel agencies.  McDonald’s Facilities Manager, Simon Morrison comments: “We have been working with Expedia Corporate Travel for 12 months now and during that time our corporate travel programme has transformed. We have gone from 23 per cent online adoption (with our previous agency) to 62 per cent with ECT, equating to a £26,000 cost saving.  Booking and managing McDonalds corporate travel is easier now, the transparency of ECT’s online portal has allowed greater travel policy compliance, ensuring effective cost management for our travel programme.”
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