SAP Concur President Charlie Sultan writes that rising business travel demand, increasing costs, and NDC adoption are shifting power from TMCs and customers to suppliers. Citing GBTA, 59% of travel managers expect more business trips in 2024, and 67% expect higher travel spend.
SAP Concur announced its biggest update to Concur Travel in years. The Q4 2023 release will introduce a new end-to-end booking experience for customers whose TMCs use the Sabre GDS from the US point of sale. Updates include improved content and images, time savings, sustainability options, search capabilities, and Concur Expense integration. Some features are not yet available and will auto-redirect or require opt-out.
A SAP Concur blog video explains how Concur TripLink captures bookings made outside the managed travel platform. Users and experts say TripLink allows travelers to access the best content and rates, including NDC content. When employees book on airline or hotel websites, the information flows directly into SAP Concur. United Airlines was the first airline to implement Concur TripLink. The solution helps travel managers know where employees are going and how much they spend, and can push data to duty of care providers.
SAP Concur announced updates to Concur Travel and Concur Invoice at its Fusion conference. Concur Travel will introduce a new car rental booking experience, starting with customers whose TMCs connect to Concur via the Amadeus GDS, with a restricted release planned for Q1 2023, adding EV filtering and average emission ratings. A hotel booking experience is planned for restricted release by end of Q2 2023. Concur Invoice plans to introduce virtual card payments and Invoice Payment Manager's batch scheduling and manual payment release features by Q2 2023.
SAP Concur published a blog explaining how customers can access American Airlines NDC content via Concur Select Access or TripLink after the airline removes certain fares from traditional GDS channels. American plans to provide all publicly available fare content via ATPCO starting April 2023, but some content will not be ticketable; GDSs will filter NDC fares through ATPCO Category 15 sales restrictions. Customers without Select Access enabled will see only ticketable fares in Concur Travel.
SAP Concur announced that BlueSky will join Concur TripLink's network of corporate booking portal integrations to bring an end-to-end T&E experience to the China market. A new integration between TravelSky and Concur TripLink will allow companies with business travel in China to book air and hotel travel via BlueSky and have those bookings automatically sync with their SAP Concur solution. BlueSky owns all domestic air content in China, with over 400,000 domestic hotels and 100,000 foreign hotels in inventory. The integration provides an end-to-end view from shopping and booking to spend approval and expense reporting, and enhances visibility into travel program spending.
In an SAP Concur community AMA recap, Ralph Colunga discussed travel policy and new trends. On New Distribution Capability (NDC), he said Concur offers NDC connections through Travel Fusion to multiple carriers including the Lufthansa Group, United Airlines, and American Airlines, and supports hundreds of low-cost carriers and 42 NDC direct airlines. On sustainability, he noted corporations elevated it to a top-tier focus over the past two years, recommending training so employees understand the impact of individual actions and considering rail instead of flying where available. On supplier direct booking (SDB), he argued the key is not control but transparency, with TripLink feeding direct…
SAP Concur introduces a new partner category 'Endorsed Apps' for partner applications that have passed security review and proven customer success. The first five include CHOOOSE, Motus, Zylo, MedPro, and International SOS, aiming to extend solution capabilities.
SAP Concur announced a partnership with CHOOOSE to launch the CHOOOSE Climate App, now available on the SAP Concur App Center. The app integrates with Concur Travel and Concur TripLink to help organizations measure, reduce, and manage travel emissions. Travel managers can set carbon budgets and track performance via a live dashboard.
The article interviews blockchain expert Mark van Rijmenam on blockchain applications in travel, including decentralized booking, loyalty programs, identity services, baggage tracking, and travel insurance.
SAP Concur announced that British Airways has gone live with its integration of ba.com with Concur TripLink. Bookings made on ba.com by users who have linked their British Airways Executive Club and SAP Concur accounts will be captured automatically by SAP Concur; if a company has a negotiated discount with British Airways and has requested access on ba.com, the site will authenticate connected travelers and apply negotiated rates automatically. Travelers' plans are consolidated in Concur Travel, the Concur Mobile App and TripIt Pro. SAP Concur says the integration helps corporates meet duty of care for every trip, no matter where it was booked.
A SAP Concur blog post features Julie Deppe, VP of Enterprise Technology at World Travel, Inc., discussing best practices for online booking tool (OBT) configurations in global travel programs. When using SAP Concur Travel, there is always one Concur site regardless of international travel volume, but multiple configurations (including subsites) can be set up based on program needs. Multi-agency configurations are used in multi-agency service setups: a global reseller can access all configurations for a global view of travel, while local fulfillment agencies see only travel booked through them. This setup supports localized service while maintaining data security, risk management, and conso…
SAP Concur announced that Concur TripLink customers can now connect their SAP Concur account with HRS' corporate booking portal and mobile apps at an enterprise level via company-level linkage on the HRS App Center. Bookings made on HRS mobile apps or the HRS Corporate Booking Portal sync directly to Concur Travel, the Concur mobile app, and TripIt Pro without emailing, providing immediate visibility into traveler spend and policy monitoring. TripLink users benefit from HRS exclusive rates. More than 8.5 million travelers have access to Concur TripLink, and the global TripLink network includes 28 partners.
SAP Concur notes that employees now book directly through dozens of travel sites and suppliers, often bypassing corporate booking tools, leaving companies unaware of where staff are, where they are going, how they travel, or what they spend. It suggests checking three things: whether the travel solution connects to existing systems, to supplier data, and to third-party applications. Combining travel and expense programs gives a more accurate spend view and supports supplier negotiations, policy enforcement, and more effective duty of care.
SAP Concur announces that Delta Air Lines integration with Concur TripLink is now live, allowing flights booked via delta.com and the Fly Delta App to be included in managed travel programs. SAP Concur is connecting nearly 500,000 SkyMiles member accounts with Concur Travel and Concur Expense. A GBTA and SAP Concur survey found 34% of travel managers currently incorporate supplier-direct bookings, and 37% plan to integrate within the next year.
SAP Concur announced that its TripLink partnership now integrates with the United Airlines mobile app. Previously available only on United.com, the integration now also supports the United Airlines mobile app on iOS and Android. Companies can capture corporate bookings made on both the United Airlines website and mobile app, which are automatically synced with Concur without users needing to email, providing immediate visibility into traveler spend and policy compliance monitoring. The integration also delivers further traveler flexibility through e-receipts.
SAP Concur's TripIt Pro launched a Carbon Footprint feature that shows travelers the carbon emissions for their flights, tracks annual flight emissions, and provides ways to offset environmental impact. Carbon emissions are calculated using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the same methodology used by European government agencies, taking into account distance, flight class, and environmental factors. Travelers can view carbon footprint on the flight detail screen in the TripIt Pro app and view annual emissions in the Travel Stats section. TripIt Pro, part of Concur TripLink, helps companies gain visibility into employee travel and fulfill duty of care responsibilities.
The article says disconnected systems cause fragmented data, weak spend visibility and workflow inefficiencies, and SAP Concur integration can connect travel, expense and invoice processes with the existing tech stack. Concur offers four approaches: on-demand integration, SFTP integration, pre-built connectors and managed integration services, with over 330 prebuilt connectors and a network of more than 1,200 solution and service partners.
At the GBTA Conference, SAP Concur announced TripLink network expansion with more than 400 hotel properties joining through integrations with Accor, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriott. 8.9 million TripLink eligible users and more than 13,000 companies can capture hotel bookings made outside Concur Travel. A poll with the GBTA Foundation found 71% of travel buyers will own technology that captures direct bookings within the next year. TripLink has more than 28 major partners worldwide. TripIt will add an AM/PM view for neighborhood safety scores and an LGBTQ safety score category.
SAP Concur announced an integration between Concur TripLink and AccorHotels' Le Club loyalty program. Travelers can book on AccorHotels' website and mobile app, receive company negotiated rates where available, and have booking data automatically returned to their Concur account without emailing itineraries. AccorHotels has over 4,200 hotels in 95 countries with more than 20 brands.
The integration of Lufthansa with SAP Concur TripLink has been activated. Corporate bookings made directly on Lufthansa.com or via the Lufthansa App are automatically synced with SAP Concur, enhancing corporate travel visibility and cost management. Travelers need to link their Miles & More and SAP Concur accounts, and employers or TMCs must first activate TripLink and load the company rate code.
At GBTA 2018, SAP Concur announced that Delta Air Lines joined the Concur TripLink network. With TripLink, companies can automatically capture bookings made directly with Delta outside Concur Travel, enabling spend visibility, policy application, and duty of care. This collaboration aims to enhance transparency and choice for corporate customers.
SAP announced the appointment of Charlie Sultan as President of Concur Travel, responsible for travel solution management, supplier merchandising and customer needs, market awareness and market growth for SAP travel solutions. Sultan most recently served as COO and SVP of Strategic Planning at SAP Concur, and over eight years held senior leadership roles overseeing supplier relations and content strategy for Concur Travel, including Concur TripLink. He previously spent 15 years at American Airlines, bringing a deep travel and distribution background.
SAP Concur announced it will make United Airlines NDC content available to all customers through Select Access. United's NDC APIs will display its bundles of ancillary services, configurable in Concur Travel and uniquely available through the NDC channel. The post notes that since 2019, all customers have had access to NDC content from British Airways and the Lufthansa Group through Select Access (Travelfusion), making Concur Travel the first corporate online booking tool (OBT) to provide NDC access. It also notes United has been a North American pioneer in multi-channel distribution and was the first airline to connect to Concur TripLink. In the future, Concur Travel plans to obtain NDC co…
An SAP Concur blog post citing a GBTA report notes that 37% of hotel reservations and 15% of air reservations are invisible—made directly with suppliers or through online travel agencies. These percentages remain the same between companies with flexible and strict travel policies. Currently, 80% of travel programs do not use technology to capture supplier-direct bookings. Drivers include convenience, low-cost carriers and discounts, and the sharing economy. The article recommends bringing direct bookings under management by automatically capturing bookings from connected suppliers or encouraging employees to send booking information, to improve policy compliance, duty of care, savings, and…
SAP Concur announced that the Concur TripLink integration with American Airlines is now available. Customers can connect their SAP Concur account via the American Airlines App Center or by enrolling their AAdvantage number. SAP Concur will connect more than 400,000 AAdvantage accounts via TripLink, allowing travel managers to capture data from bookings made on AA.com. Bookings automatically appear in the SAP Concur account without email, providing immediate spend visibility and policy monitoring. The TripLink network now includes 28 partners across airlines, hotels, rail, and car rental.
SAP Concur announces that NDC content from Lufthansa Group airlines and British Airways is now available to all Concur Travel customers and their TMCs. Clients can enable NDC content through their Concur Travel configuration, avoiding GDS distribution cost charges and accessing the most competitive fares and exclusive ancillary services. Additionally, Concur TripLink captures direct bookings.
The article notes that as employees book directly through hotels, airline websites, and dozens of travel sites, corporate travel data becomes increasingly fragmented, leaving companies unaware of where employees are, how they are traveling, or what they are spending. It suggests evaluating travel system connectivity in three areas: connection to existing systems to capture every itinerary; connection to supplier data to manage bookings made outside the booking tool; and connection to third-party applications to improve compliance and find savings. A unified expense and travel solution sends every itinerary and purchase straight to the system and addresses duty of care.
SAP Concur announced that Concur TripLink customers can now connect their SAP Concur account with Hyatt via the Hyatt App Center or by enrolling their World of Hyatt loyalty account. Over 120,000 World of Hyatt member accounts are connected, allowing travel managers to capture booking data from Hyatt.com or mobile apps, providing spend visibility and policy monitoring.
A GBTA and SAP Concur poll of 226 travel managers and buyers examined how digital transformation is reshaping corporate travel management. The findings show travel managers' responsibilities shifting from managing people and policies toward overseeing the technology that enables modern business travel management. 72% expect bookings through their online booking tool (OBT) to increase over the next three years, while only 4% expect a decrease; four in ten expect bookings made directly through airline (40%) or hotel (38) websites to decline. 58% of travel managers either already include or expect to include NDC bookings within the next year. Facing airline fees on TMC and GDS channel bookings…
A SAP Concur blog post discusses in detail the adoption of IATA's New Distribution Capability (NDC) in the corporate travel space. It notes that Concur Travel customers rely on TMCs, and most prefer to wait for NDC to be available via the GDS. For customers who want NDC content sooner, SAP Concur has been piloting with early adopter TMCs and customers, leveraging its existing Select Access infrastructure to deliver content from Lufthansa Group and British Airways. These pilots are close to completion, and pilots with American Airlines and United Airlines are in the queue. UK-based TMCs Business Travel Direct and Travel & Transport Stateman have successfully tested BA NDC. The article also d…
Travelport released release notes for major versions 25.11.x of its TripServices Flights APIs, covering NDC and GDS functionality. Updates include Air Canada NDC flight pass as a form of payment, NDC bundled offers, standard NDC disruption handling flows, ATPCO Cat 31/33 penalty disclosure, Premium Flex Search with additional origins and destinations, mixed cabins per leg, a unique identifier for split ticketing, fare quote per passenger/segment, LCC ancillary support, and GDS exchange features.
Travelport released release notes for major versions 25.11.x of its TripServices Flights APIs, covering NDC and GDS functionality. Updates include Air Canada NDC flight pass as a form of payment, NDC bundled offers, standard NDC disruption handling flows, ATPCO Cat 31/33 penalty disclosure, Premium Flex Search with additional origins and destinations, mixed cabins per leg, a unique identifier for split ticketing, fare quote per passenger/segment, LCC ancillary support, and GDS exchange features.