13 November 2008

Amex business on the move in China

SHANGHAI - American Express Business Travel launched a series of innovations for its Chinese customers during the recent China Business Travel Forum.

In a first for Chinese corporations, customers of American Express Business Travel will receive exclusive access to pre-trip data.

This means that for the first time travel managers and procurement professionals can view booked and scheduled travel before it actually takes place which will help companies better enforce travel policy compliance and act more proactively to manage travel budgets.

Furthermore, China Ticket TRAX has been launched to ensure companies donÃ¢â¬â¢t lose money on unused tickets.

Globally, American Express Business Travel has identified US$85 million for clients by identifying unused e-tickets that would otherwise have been lost to the airlines.

In addition, American Express Business Travel will be launching an enhanced version of Trackpoint in China and across the entire Asia Pacific region.

Trackpoint 2 helps corporations quickly and easily locate their travellers that could potentially be impacted by an unexpected event or crisis, such as severe weather or terrorist acts, wherever they may be in the world.

Travel managers, risk managers and security personnel alike can use this internet application and quickly drill down to the country, state and city level to view an individual travellers itinerary and take the necessary actions to ensure their safety and security.

Charles Petruccelli, president, Global Travel Services, American Express said, Ã¢â¬ÅâœIn todayÃ¢â¬â¢s volatile environment it is absolutely critical for us to give our customers the tools they need to not only keep their budgets in check but to also ensure the safety and security of their travelling employees.Ã¢â¬~

By way of example, within just two hours of the ill-fated Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-400 crashing in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on 7 March 2007, the employers of the travellers whose bookings had been made through American Express Business Travel had been given precise details regarding their employeesÃ¢â¬â¢ safety and whereabouts thanks to the Trackpoint tool.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœOur customers in China realise that American Express Business Travel can deliver more than just an air ticket to their business. It is important to manage the entire travel process right from the booking process, during the trip and post trip reconciliation,Ã¢â¬~ Petruccelli said.