A major UK company is in danger of losing its airline deal because so many of its staff are booking flights on the web.
Up to 20% of the company's travellers are making their booking on the airline's website but outside travel policy.
Loss of the deal would cost the company £100,000 in savings on air fares.
The story was told by Mike Platt, BTI UK's managing director at the one day forum on Corporate Travel and Expense Management conference in London.
Mr Platt told the 65 delegates at the event organised by Management Solutions (UK) that the company faced with losing its deal was “not unique.”
“There is a huge mis-connect between travel managers and the travellers. It is the biggest problem facing business travel management.
“Either we bring these travellers under control or it is goodbye to travel management,” he said.
He said the problem arose because many travellers did not understand or fully appreciate the role of the travel management company.
He said in a survey BTI had conducted, 93% of travellers could not give a clear answer of the value the TMC provided or were aware of what they were paying for.
“The traveller is asked to pay a £80 fee for booking an easyJet flight to Glasgow and he thinks this is insane,” Mr Platt said..
“Ba.com will charge nothing so you know that most people are going to go there.”
But the fee was not just for the booking but for support, IT, MI, billing, compliance, ancillary services, account management, security, procurement assistance and administration.
He said companies were now sending Requests For Proposals (RFPs) running up to 150 pages to TMCs for the services they required from them.
He said TMCS and corporates needed to get the point of compliance to travel policy across to the travellers.
“What is the point of negotiating deals when you have lost control of 10% of your business. It is a key decision that corporates have to make. Do you want price or value?” he said.