Sometimes news stories don't sound special.
Seat selection in economy on Emirates, previously available only on its website, is now available through Travelport. Hotelzon has announced roll-out of its enhanced app which was previously only in limited test. It is focused on enabling travellers "to easily search, book, amend and cancel hotels whilst on the move and within their corporate travel policy".
Seat selection in economy class and a slicker, more mobile friendly app in themselves probably don't deserve much attention but the trend they're both illustrating certainly does.
Consumerisation is driving innovation in corporate travel management and something known as Sam is the one which encapsulates the effects on corporate travel management.
FCM Travel Solutions officially launched Sam (Smart Assistant Mobile) in the US last summer. Yesterday, at this year's Business Travel Show it introduced it to the UK market.
Sam is a travel-intelligent chatbot combined with a travel consultant in a mobile app. In other words it mixes AI (artificial intelligence) and human expertise to deliver relevant information and live assistance to users' mobiles 24 hours a day. Like the Hotelzon app, the settings are also corporate-friendly as they can be customised to accommodate a company's travel policy. For example, Sam can send a reminder to use taxis if that is what company policy dictates.
The chatbot provides the travel information and alerts that can be obtained elsewhere — itineraries, gate changes, driving directions, weather, restaurant recommendations — but there is also a "call or SMS my consultant" option.
Travellers can speak to Sam on whichever platform (eg Facebook Messenger) they prefer. As Sam is a bot it retains traveller-specific data such as frequent trips and traveller preferences and can personalise its service accordingly. For example, if it is a traveller's first visit to a city, they will receive more information and recommendations than if it were a standing monthly trip.
Travellers are increasingly willing to share data and have their preferences known if it means they get something — a better service, say — in return. They increasingly run their personal lives — from travel directions to booking cinema tickets to banking — while away from their desk via mobile devices. An IdeaWorks CarTrawler report released earlier this week points out the universality of mobile: "The United Nations believes we share the planet with 7.4 billion fellow humans. The UN also estimates there are nearly 7.4 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide."
Mobile is second nature to everyone in their personal lives. It is how they want to operate when they travel for work.
It is also where they go for information and that information comes from sources other than the 'official' or traditional source. A document on a company intranet is no longer the standard way to distribute travel policy just as travel alerts come in via Twitter faster than a TMC advisory email.
In both their private lives and work lives people receive information from many sources and channels. Travel managers must work out how to adapt communications if travellers are to hear their messages.