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Delta Air Lines Goes Live with Concur TripLink Integration

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.

How to Reclaim More VAT on Corporate Travel Expenses

SAP Concur blog post discusses VAT recovery on corporate travel expenses. It cites GBTA data that over 480 million business trips are taken annually and notes a €137 billion VAT gap in the EU. The article recommends using automation and digitalization to improve VAT compliance and recovery efficiency, citing examples of Electrolux and Citrix Systems achieving significant VAT recovery increases through automation.

GBTA and SAP Concur Poll: Travel Managers Shift Toward Technology Oversight

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…

Are Companies Doing What They Can to Safeguard Female Travelers?

A SAP Concur blog post discusses safety threats faced by female business travelers, including assault, theft, and sexual harassment. Citing research from AIG Travel and GBTA, only 44% of travel managers said their companies book women into rooms with additional safety features like double locks and 24-hour security, and three out of five said they 'rarely' or 'never' offer chauffeured transportation at destinations. The article recommends companies strengthen duty of care through pre-trip preparation, destination safety information, emergency travel service resources, and behavioral safety tips.

Impact and considerations

Safety risks faced by female business travelers can impact employee well-being and corporate compliance obligations. Companies need to assess whether their current travel risk management policies adequately cover the specific needs of female employees, including accommodation safety, transportation arrangements, and p…

Female Business Travelers: Is Your Safety Protected for Bleisure?

This SAP Concur blog post addresses safety concerns for female business travelers, especially during bleisure travel. A report found that 37% of North American business travelers extended a work trip for leisure, with Millennials at 48%. The article emphasizes understanding company policies, insurance coverage, and sharing itineraries, and suggests purchasing additional insurance if the leisure portion is not covered.

Impact and considerations

Companies need clear duty of care policies for bleisure travel to ensure employee safety and attract talent.

SAP Concur Expands TripLink and TripIt Innovations

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.

GBTA: How and Why the Role of Travel Manager Is Changing

A SAP Concur blog post cites a GBTA survey saying the travel manager role has evolved over the past five years to deliver more value. Travel managers with at least 15 years of experience spend more time on new responsibilities: 65% more time managing data, analysis, and reporting, 70% more time evaluating new technologies, and 64% more time managing traveler safety and communications. The GBTA report Lost in Translation cites drivers including: two out of five hotel bookings are made outside corporate channels, identical between companies with strict and flexible travel policies; in an emergency employees expect companies to reach out quickly, sometimes in under an hour; and companies react…

Two Business Trends Driving Change in Spend

The article highlights two trends disrupting spend management: increased employee purchasing power and stricter tax/compliance regulations. Direct employee bookings lead to invisible spend, while governments demand comprehensive tracking. Companies need modern technology to integrate data for control and compliance.

GBTA Study: Lack of Travel Safety Visibility Challenges Corporate Duty of Care

A recent GBTA Foundation study reveals that while employers care about traveler safety, there is often a lack of programs to ensure it. More than half of business travelers in Germany, France, and the UK book outside their corporate tool, and fewer than two in five employers have systems to capture travel plans, leaving them unaware of traveler whereabouts. Additionally, a third of respondents say their employers do not provide an assistance hotline, and there is a need for more specific safety training.

How to Gain Visibility and Control of Employee Spend

Employee-initiated spend includes not only travel and expense but also other operational spend. Timely expense recognition is critical for financial health. According to GBTA, 37% of hotel reservations and 15% of air bookings are made outside corporate channels, creating 'invisible spend.' SAP Concur's Triplink tool helps capture this spend, improving visibility and control.

Duty of Care and Travel Risk Management for Female Business Travelers

A SAP Concur blog post states that employers have a duty of care toward business travelers and expatriates, described as the moral, social and legal responsibility to do everything reasonable to safeguard their health and wellbeing. It notes different groups face different travel challenges and previews an HX Global panel at the GBTA Convention in Boston on global traveler risk for females. It recommends a travel risk management program covering security, medical and travel advice, and tools such as Concur Risk Messaging and Active Monitoring to locate people and maintain two-way communication.

Impact and considerations

The post links duty of care to travel risk management tools, suggesting companies consider differentiated risks for different employee groups in travel policy, relevant to travel and security managers.

Challenges of Modern Business Travel and How to Solve Them

SAP Concur blog discusses challenges in modern business travel management. It cites GBTA predicting global business travel spend will reach $1.7 trillion by 2022. A 2018 GBTA report shows travel managers spend as much as 66% more time on data analysis, evaluating technology, and traveler safety. The article says traditional travel solutions cannot keep up with modern demands and recommends connecting data from suppliers, corporate cards, ERP, GDS, and TMC partners for near-real-time sharing.

Hyatt's Integration with Concur TripLink Now Available on Hyatt.com and Mobile Apps

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.

SAP Concur Terminates GBTA Relationship and Announces Industry Summit

SAP Concur announced it has terminated its relationship with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) at national and international levels, citing allegations of misogyny in its workplace, incendiary comments by its CEO, and reports of a hostile work environment. SAP Concur also announced it will host its inaugural SAP Concur Travel Industry Summit on September 17, 2020, free to attend.

June 30 Approaches: Have You Filed to Reclaim VAT?

A SAP Concur blog post reminds companies that travel and expense is the second largest annual budget item after payroll, and a significant portion may be recoverable through Value Added Tax (VAT) reclaims. VAT recovery is possible in more than 40 countries, but the process is complex and time-consuming. An OECD survey found that over 70% of businesses found reclaim procedures difficult to navigate, and 20% were unable to recover any VAT. The article recommends simplifying the process through integrated solutions in the SAP Concur App Center.

Concur TripLink and HRS Integration Now Available, Offering Corporate Hotel Rates

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: Managing a Corporate Travel Program is Getting More Complex. Here's How to Simplify

SAP Concur blog notes that travel managers are spending 60% more time on data analysis, technology evaluation, and traveler safety. However, a 2018 GBTA Foundation survey shows 80% of travel programs don't use technology to capture outside bookings, and 86% don't use tools for suppliers to send reservations directly to TMCs. Automated connected travel solutions can help simplify processes.

How Travel Managers Can Adapt to Global Growth

A SAP Concur blog post says travel managers are shifting from 'command and control' to 'enlightenment and empowerment' in response to changing employee expectations, emerging technologies and rising global mobility. It recommends five priorities: data and analytics, evaluating new technology, traveler safety, employee satisfaction, and driving value. It cites data that some 37% of hotel reservations and 15% of air bookings are made by employees outside corporate channels, and that supplier-direct bookings can increase costs and keep travel managers from optimizing programs. It also notes that once 5G becomes common, bandwidth speeds will be 10 to 20 times faster, unleashing a new wave of in…

GBTA and SAP Concur Research Reveals Business Travel Booking and Duty of Care Trends

The latest European study by GBTA and SAP Concur reveals key findings on business traveler booking behavior, duty of care, and the role of technology. More than two-thirds of business travelers said they had used an OTA or booked directly with suppliers for airfares and hotel reservations; nearly half (47%) expect to use their online booking tool more often next year. On duty of care, less than half (47%) say their organization has a system to capture travel plans when booking directly with a supplier; 45% say the only way their organization knows where they traveled is through their expense claim. 82% think it's important for their organization to have visibility of their travel plans; 73%…

SAP Concur: Three Tips to Save on Business Travel

SAP Concur published three tips to save on business travel. GBTA reported 514 million business trips were taken in 2016. The article recommends booking at least three weeks in advance, as tickets booked fewer than seven days before departure are on average 44% more expensive than the same ticket booked 15 days in advance; considering ridesharing instead of renting a car for short trips; and researching meal options ahead of time to control costs. It also suggests companies set booking guidelines and approval processes and use expense systems to simplify reporting.

Controlling Business Travel Costs with a Travel Expense Policy

The article argues that as business travel rises, cost control requires more than low-cost airfare and rideshare programs; documenting a travel expense policy has a major impact on the bottom line. A policy should cover standard categories such as accommodations, travel, food and entertainment with clear rules, simplifying reporting and approvals, lowering per-trip costs and reducing fraud opportunities. A GBTA Foundation and Sabre study found 59% of respondents say a company's travel policy is an important factor when considering a new employer, and 84% say the quality of their business travel experience affects business results.

Tackling Three Top Challenges for Travel Managers: GBTA Survey and SAP Concur Solutions

A SAP Concur blog post cites a GBTA survey to identify three top challenges for travel managers: policy compliance and invisible spend, traveler experience, and employee well-being and safety. The survey shows an average of 37% of hotel bookings and 15% of air bookings occur outside corporate booking channels; 34% of travel managers spend more time communicating with travelers; and one-third still don't know how long it would take to confirm every employee's safety in an incident. The article describes how tools like TripLink, TripIt, and Concur Locate can help address these challenges.

Rubber Stamping: It Could be Saving You Time, but Costing you Money

The article points out that rubber-stamping expense reports can lead to errors and waste. According to GBTA, 19% of expense reports have errors, and it takes an average of 18 minutes and $52 to fix one. Recommendations include digital receipts, streamlined approval workflows, and audits to reduce errors and improve compliance.

How Corporate Travel Can Meet Both Business and Traveler Needs

A SAP Concur blog post discusses how technology is changing traveler behavior in corporate travel and the relationship between booking channels and safety. Citing a GBTA study, it notes that 80% of travel buyers do not use technology to capture outside bookings, and nearly half of business travelers say their organization only knows where they traveled through expense reporting. Technology can enhance traveler safety in four areas: reporting, awareness, behavior guidance, and direct contributions.

GBTA Study Finds Gaps in Travel Risk Management

A GBTA Foundation study of 148 travel managers found gaps in many organizations' ability to manage traveler safety. Only one in five used technology to capture out-of-program bookings; 40% of North America-based travelers preferred booking directly with suppliers; and only 31% of employees would book through their company's program even when traveling to places they considered unsafe. Integrated systems can help locate travelers, with 68% able to merge data in under two hours.