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What is a travel management company (TMC)?

What is a travel management company and why should you use one? Learn about what a TMC is and how it can help your business.

With corporate travel ramping up as we enter “post-pandemic” times and an increased return to travel , the greater the need for travel management solutions. If you’ve noticed the uptick in corporate travel within your own business, you understand just how complicated it can be for you or your employees to coordinate itineraries. That’s where a travel management company, or TMC for short, can add great value to your business, regardless of size, and save you and your employees time, money, and headaches.

What is a TMC and what do they do?

On the most basic level, a travel management company (TMC) is a travel agency that specializes in arranging corporate travel for businesses of all shapes, sizes and needs. TMCs can take care of all the details involved with business travel, including booking flights, handling hotel reservations, supporting with duty of care, and taking care of car rentals, among other services. Through advanced technology and online booking tools (OBT), travel management companies can help your employees find the best deals while also adhering to your company’s corporate travel policy. TMCs can even help your business create a travel expense policy if you don’t have one already. [1]

Is there a difference between an OBT and a TMC? [2]

Yes, there is a difference between an Online Booking Tool and a Travel Management Company. An online booking tool allows employees to track and manage their own business travel. Travel management companies offer more robust support on top of providing their own online booking tool. While OBTs allow your employees to individually search for their own corporate travel options and deals, TMCs typically offer support from experienced travel consultants who specialize in finding the best rates for business travel, while also allowing your employees the flexibility to choose their own flights, hotels, and car rentals .

TMCs like Egencia are experts in handling the ins and outs of corporate travel. They are equipped to handle everything from gathering all the necessary travel paperwork, to providing live support during unforeseen circumstances, like missed flights, to notifying travelers of last-minute updates of travel regulations. With the backing of a TMC, your employees are supported every step of their travel, while helping your business save money and offering deeper travel insights.

Are travel management companies and travel agencies the same thing? [3]

No. Travel Management Companies and Travel Agencies are not the same thing, although they may share some similarities. While travel agencies can help clients book corporate travel, and occasionally offer lower rates through a limited number of vendors, TMCs focus on exclusively servicing businesses, helping create and adhere to a company’s corporate travel programs, and finding the best rates for maximum savings .

TMCs also provide a wider array of services than traditional travel agencies, like centralization and automation of the travel booking process, data-reporting options, and travel policy creation. Additionally, TMCs have cultivated years-long relationships with vendors and can negotiate lower fares for maximum savings.

7 benefits of using a travel management company

As business travel continues to ramp up, TMCs can offer travel solutions for your employees while keeping the bottom line of your business goals top of mind. Some of the most significant benefits of utilizing a TMC include:

1. TMCs help streamline your travel booking process

By automating the different travel components like lodging, flights, and ground transportation into one online booking platform, it allows the booking process to become more efficient and easier to manage and saves your employees valuable time.

2. Makes it easier to gather data for more informed decision-making

Through partner integrations and APIs, TMCs can offer real-time data gathering that can help analyze travel trends, assess risk management, as well as control budget spending . In turn, this data can help your organization make better, more educated business decisions.

3. TMCs provide travel assistance 24/7

One of the biggest benefits of using a TMC is that you can rely on reaching a travel consultant any time—day or night. Instead of having to keep track of several different vendors, your employees enjoy one point of contact that is reachable through a variety of different channels.

4. Enjoy the perks of concierge service

From handling the most minute details that can range from seat preferences to making sure travel reward points are applied accordingly and everything in between, TMCs elevate the traveler experience of your employees by taking care of all their travel needs.

5. Can help reduce corporate travel costs

Because TMCs specialize in finding and negotiating the best travel deals with enterprise providers and partners, they have access to lower rates on flights, hotel rooms, and transportation—cutting down on overall business travel costs while still offering competitive name-brand selections.

6. Provide traveler safety assistance

Whether unexpected security concerns arise, or travel regulations are updated at the last minute, TMCs keep travelers informed with real-time notifications.

7. Integrate your company’s corporate travel policy for greater compliance

TMCs bridge the gap between employee travel booking best practices and your company’s corporate travel policy . A TMC can filter an employee’s search results to be automatically compliant to your business’ travel policy guidelines, saving them time and providing ease of use. If for whatever reason an itinerary isn’t compliant, it’ll get flagged for further approval.

Choosing a TMC that’s right for your business

While there are a number of different travel management companies to choose from, the right TMC will depend on your business needs and goals. Some must-haves to take into consideration as you shop for a TMC to partner with include: [4]

• Responsiveness
• Comprehensiveness

Choose a TMC that is aligned with your company’s culture . Since you’ll work closely with them to create and organize your employee’s corporate travel, they should align with and uphold your company’s values.

Egencia provides you with corporate travel solutions

Whether you’re just starting a new corporate travel program or are looking to make yours more robust, Egencia provides modern travel management with a single, global, highly configurable platform. You’ll have the power to build integrations that help you automate, connect and simplify your travel and expense management. From small and medium-sized businesses to global corporations, we connect you to over 290 global airlines and 650,000 lodging properties.

Ready to get started?

Request a demo to see what we can do for you.

[1] https://www.cbtravel.com/difference-between-travel-management-company-and-travel-agency/

[2] https://www.travelperk.com/blog/best-business-travel-management-companies/

[3] https://www.cbtravel.com/difference-between-travel-management-company-and-travel-agency/

[4] https://jtbbusinesstravel.com/how-to-choose-a-travel-management-company/

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What is a Travel Management Company?

The definition of a travel management company (tmc).

A Travel Management Company (TMC) is a travel agent that fully manages the business travel requirements delegated by an individual, company or organisation to fundamentally save clients both time and money.

A TMC is also commonly known as a business travel agency or corporate travel provider.

As opposed to the traditional travel agent, which will usually deal with occasional leisure travel needs, a travel management company provides on-going services with the aim of providing cost savings, keeping control of a travel policy and allowing the client to spend less time on time-consuming travel arrangements.

A travel management company will typically use a GDS (Global Distribution System like Sabre or Amadeus) displaying real time availability to book flights, hotels and cars as well as other trusted software systems like Evolvi for train bookings.

Services Provided by a Travel Management Company

As well as simply making flight or hotel reservations, the TMC will offer many other ancillary services such as aircraft charter, airport lounges, parking and transfers, hotel bed requests, car hire, chauffeurs, foreign exchange, group travel, hotel bill backs, insurance, leisure travel, marine travel, meal requests, meet and greets, passport and visa procurement, rail tickets, roadshow services and venue sourcing.

Company and individual profiles are safely stored ensuring all personal travel requests are adhered to within an overall travel policy with every booking.

Other management services will often include MIS reporting, account management, risk management, cost/expense management, traveller tracking/security and travel policy adherence. Many TMCs will now also provide online self-booking tools whereby organisations can make their own flight and hotel reservations and bookings. Travel management companies will also typically negotiate with vendors/suppliers to provide discounted fares and loyalty programs.

Credit and Specialities

Credit Facilities are usually not provided in the first 6-12 months however a travel management company should be able to advise a new client about external credit facilities, for example the BA Lodged Card. Some TMCs will specialise in working alongside charity or providing marine travel services.

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The 2024 guide to corporate travel management

What is a travel management company, how do travel management companies work, is a travel management company the same thing as a travel management agency, 8 reasons why organizations use a corporate travel management company, 1. they increase efficiency, 2. they provide 24/7 assistance, 3. they offer concierge services to organize the important extras, 4. they deliver excellent duty of care solutions, 5. they deliver excellent duty of care solutions, 6.  they help businesses reduce travel costs, travelperk is the all-in-one business travel platform that saves you time and money., 7. they offer greater visibility through real-time travel reports, 8. they can integrate corporate travel policies for greater compliance, what's the difference between traditional tmcs and travelperk.

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What is a Travel Management Company? TMC Explained

If you’re a business owner or manager, you know how important it is to keep your team productive and your expenses under control. Without knowing fully what is a travel management company and the services offered by these companies it can be impossible to fully streamline your is business travel operations and manage your expenses. That’s where a tmc comes in.

Generally, a tmc provides a range of services that can help your business save time and money. They can help you create a travel policy on your first business travel that fits your needs, book flights, hotels, and rental cars, and provide 24/7 support to your employees while on the road.

What is a Travel Management Company?

A travel management company (TMC) is a professional service provider that specialises in managing all aspects of corporate travel, from booking flights and hotels to arranging ground transportation and managing expenses.

The best travel management agencies help businesses of all sizes and types to streamline their travel processes, reduce costs, and ensure the safety and well-being of their employees while on the road.

Major Role of a Travel Management Company

The role of a TMC is to act as a one-stop shop for all of your travel needs. They work closely with your company to understand your specific requirements, and corporate travel and expense policies , and then use their expertise and industry connections to find the best deals and options for your business.

This includes negotiating special rates with airlines, hotels, and car rental companies, which can result in significant cost savings on business travel for your company.

In addition to managing your travel bookings, TMCs also provide a range of value-added services to help you optimize your travel program. This includes providing detailed reporting and analytics on your travel spending.

This helps you to identify areas where you can save money, and provide duty of care support to ensure the safety and well-being of your employees while on the road.

Overall, the role of a TMC is to simplify and streamline your travel program, so you can focus on running your business. By partnering with a TMC, you can benefit from their expertise, industry connections, and technology solutions to optimize your travel program and achieve your business goals.

Core Services Provided by Travel Management Companies

Here are some of the core services provided by TMCs:

Travel Booking and Reservations

One of the primary services provided by these companies is travel booking and reservations. TMCs have access to a wide range of travel options, including flights, hotels/serviced apartments, car rentals, and more.

The top corporate travel management companies can help you find the best deals and ensure that your travel arrangements meet your specific needs.

TMCs can also provide 24/7 support for travel emergencies. If you encounter any issues while travelling, you can contact your TMC for assistance.

Travel Policy Development and Compliance

TMCs can help you develop and implement a travel policy that meets your business needs and complies with any relevant regulations. They can guide you on issues such as travel expenses, travel safety, and more.

By working with a TMC, you can ensure that your travel policy is up-to-date and that your employees are following it. This can help you control costs and reduce the risk of travel-related incidents.

Expense Management and Reporting

Another key service provided is expense management and reporting. TMCs can help you track your travel expenses and provide detailed reports on your travel spending.

This can help you identify areas where you can save money on travel and ensure that your travel expenses are within budget. They can also help you streamline your expense reporting process, making it easier for you to manage your travel expenses.

Benefits of Using a Travel Management Company

Here are some key advantages of using a TMC:

Cost Savings and Budget Optimisation

One of the most significant benefits of using a TMC is the potential for cost savings and budget optimisation. TMCs have access to negotiated rates and discounts with airlines, hotels, and car rental companies.

They can also help you find the most cost-effective options for your travel needs.

In addition, TMCs can provide detailed reporting and analysis of your travel expenses, allowing you to identify areas where you can cut costs and optimise your travel budget.

Streamlined Travel Processes

Another advantage of using a TMC is the streamlined travel processes they offer. TMCs provide a one-stop-shop for all your travel needs, from booking flights and hotels to arranging ground transportation and managing travel itineraries.

By automating different travel components into one online booking platform, TMCs make the booking process more efficient and easier to manage.

This saves your employees valuable time and allows them to focus on their core responsibilities.

Enhanced Duty of Care

TMCs can also help you ensure the safety and well-being of your employees while they are travelling. TMCs provide 24/7 assistance, so your employees can get help with any travel-related issues or emergencies at any time.

In addition, TMCs can help you stay up-to-date with travel advisories and alerts, so you can make informed decisions about your travel plans.

This can help you mitigate potential risks and ensure the safety of your employees while they are on the road.

Choosing the Right Travel Management Company

Here are some factors to consider:

Assessment of Needs

Before selecting a TMC, you need to assess your business travel needs. Consider factors such as the number of employees who travel, the frequency of travel, and the destinations they visit.

You may also want to consider your company’s travel policy and budget. Knowing your needs will help you find a TMC that can meet them.

Service and Support Evaluation

The quality of service and support provided by a TMC is crucial. Look for a TMC that offers 24/7 customer support and has a dedicated account manager for your business.

You should also consider the TMC’s experience in your industry and their reputation for customer service. Reading reviews and testimonials from other clients can give you an idea of their level of service.

Technology and Integration Capabilities

A good TMC should have technology that integrates with your company’s booking and expense systems. Look for one that offers a user-friendly online booking platform and mobile app.

The TMC should also have the ability to track and report on travel expenses and provide insights into your company’s travel spending. Integration with your company’s travel policy and approval process is also important.

Trends and Future of Travel Management

As technology advances and travel becomes more accessible, the role of travel management companies is evolving too. Here are some trends and predictions for the future of travel management:

Increased Use of Technology

TMCs are becoming more tech-savvy, with many offering online booking tools and mobile apps to make travel planning more convenient.

This trend is expected to continue, with TMCs investing in artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide more personalised and efficient travel solutions.

Greater Focus on Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to businesses and travellers alike, and TMCs are responding by offering more eco-friendly and sustainable travel options.

This includes promoting public transport, offering carbon offsetting schemes, and partnering with hotels and airlines that prioritise sustainability.

Emphasis on Duty of Care

As the world becomes more unpredictable, duty of care is becoming a top priority for businesses.

TMCs are responding by offering enhanced safety and security measures, including real-time travel alerts, 24/7 support, and risk management services.

Rise of Bleisure Travel

Bleisure travel, or combining business and leisure travel, is becoming more popular among employees.

Travel management companies are responding by offering more flexible travel options, such as extending business trips to include weekends or offering personalised travel itineraries that include leisure activities.

Key Takeaways

• A travel management company (TMC) specialises in managing corporate travel for businesses of all sizes.
• TMCs provide a range of services that can help your business save time and money, including creating a travel policy, booking travel, and providing 24/7 support.
• Using a TMC can help you track your travel expenses and make informed decisions about your travel budget.

What services do travel management companies typically provide?

Travel management companies (TMCs) offer a range of services to help businesses manage their travel needs. Some of the most common services offered by TMCs include:

• Booking flights, hotels, and rental cars
• Providing 24/7 support for travellers
• Managing travel expenses and invoicing
• Developing travel policies and procedures
• Providing travel risk management services

How do travel management companies differ from traditional travel agencies?

While traditional travel agencies focus on leisure travel, TMCs specialise in managing business travel. Usually offer a range of services that are tailored to the needs of corporate travellers, including travel policy development, traveller tracking, and expense management. Additionally, TMCs often have access to special rates and discounts that are not available to the general public.

How does a tmc contribute to corporate travel efficiency?

By working with a TMC, businesses can ensure that their travel policies are being followed, expenses are being managed efficiently, and travellers are receiving the support they need while on the road. This can help businesses to reduce travel costs and increase efficiency.

What are the key components of the travel management process?

The travel management process typically includes the following components:

• Travel policy development: Develop a travel policy that outlines the company’s travel guidelines and procedures.
• Travel booking: Booking flights, hotels, and rental cars for travellers.
• Traveller support: Providing support to travellers throughout their trip, including 24/7 support and assistance with travel disruptions.
• Expense management: Managing travel expenses and invoicing.
• Travel risk management: Implementing measures to ensure the safety and security of travellers, including risk assessments and traveller tracking.

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Corporate Travel Management Companies: How to Choose the Best Provider for Business Trips

• 11 min read
• Business ,   Travel
• 10 Feb, 2020
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When and why it makes sense to implement managed travel

• the most convenient itineraries and fast booking via global distribution systems (GDSs);
• specially negotiated airfares and hotel rates, perks, and extras — unavailable on metasearch engines, online travel agencies (OTAs) and airline websites;
• visibility of spending;
• on-trip assistance; and
• post-trip reporting.
• leading TMCs, their services, and technologies behind them;
• popular corporate travel solutions, their pros and cons, and ways to leverage their functionality; and
• factors to consider when choosing a travel provider.

Global TMCs: investing in technologies and expanding reach into smaller companies

• implementing corporate travel policy,
• day-to-day operations within a travel program,
• ensuring traveler safety,
• crisis management,
• credit card management, and
• travel and expenses (T&E) data management.

Comparison of the world’s largest TMCs.

American Express Global Business Travel (GBT)

Lola reporting dashboard. Source: Capterra

• Amex GBT Mobile App for assisting a business traveler,
• Expert Auditor for pre-trip auditing,
• Peer Travel Insights for comparing your corporate travel program against your peers,
• Premier Insights for analyzing traveling data and spotting potential saving opportunities,
• Green Insights for measuring carbon emissions during travel, and
• Expert Care for risk management.
• tripkicks — a tool that helps to reduce corporate travel spends,
• VATBox — a tax compliance solution,
• Freebird — a disruption management tool that allows travelers to instantly buy an airline ticket in case of a flight cancelation.

CWT evolution. Source: Voyages D’Affaires

myCWT interface on mobile, PC, and tablet. Source: Travel Daily

FCM Travel Solution

• Approve for streamlining travel approvement processes,
• Profile for accessing the information on your business traveler,
• Booking tool,
• Secure Dashboard for risk management operations,
• Expense management platform, integrated with a company’s finance system and FCM’s booking tool, and
• Analytical and reporting technologies.

Corporate travel booking platforms

• dealing directly with a technology provider — which is the cheapest option, but it entails complexities with software implementation, and  it often offers poor support;
• via a TMC that closes service gaps, taking on technology maintenance and all needed support. Not for free, of course. TMCs charge fees for their intermediary operations as well as per booking made through the platform.

Comparison of the frequently mentioned and fast-growing travel management platforms.

• Ability to manage all travel operations from a single platform
• Intuitive user interface
• Integrations with Outlook, Google Maps, Uber, expense management and reporting tools
• Issues with cancelations, rescheduling, and any other changes (you have to call the Egencia office)
• Sometimes more expensive than direct booking via other platforms
• Extra charges for support from local employees

Egencia booking platform dashboard. Source: Egencia YouTube channel

• Ease of tracking and reporting expenses
• Numerous connected apps like Uber, Lyft, etc
• Ability to snap pictures of receipts and upload them to the app
• Training required to start using the platform
• Performance issues
• Clunky user interface

SAP Concur expense management platform dashboard on tablet. Source: G2 Track

• Easy-to-navigate interface
• Quick booking process
• Ability to snap pictures of receipts and upload them directly to expense reports
• No way to book multiple flights or rooms at once
• Issues with rebooking
• Fee-based rewards program

TravelBank booking feature. Source: TravelBank .

• Accessible customer service
• A lot of details about booking
• Higher prices than on the other platforms
• Issues with booking changes (agent contact required)
• Lack of budget accommodations and no integration with Airbnb

Search Flight functionality by Travel Perk. Source: Capterra .

TripActions

• Convenient filters for sorting through flights and hotels
• Quick and simple booking process
• Great customer support
• Limited options for non-hotel facilities in certain areas
• Some cheaper flights and hotels available while booked on search engines, OTAs, or directly from airlines
• High extra fees charged for cancelations and rebooking

Admin dashboard and travel mobile app interfaces. Source: TripActions .

TMC selection criteria: which solution will fit your business needs

What is a TMC (Travel Management Company)?

June 19, 2019

by Rob Browne

Business travel is a trillion dollar industry. With all of the money that is spent on travel every year, it can be a lot for large companies to handle managing all of the trips that their employees take.

Enter the travel management company, or TMC, which can be hired to direct your company’s corporate travel needs.

What is a TMC?

A TMC, or travel management company, provides solutions for the travel needs of a business. It provides the ability to book travel with special rates, can be adjusted to a specific travel policy, and provides duty of care support for travelers.

TMC basics: how it functions, how much it costs & how to find the best one for your company

We’ll go over the basics of what a travel management company does for your company’s business travel , how much it costs, and how to find the TMC that best fits your company.

The role of a TMC in company travel

In managing a company’s travel needs via travel management tools , a TMC will be able to blend the specific travel policies of individual companies with the best available fares and rates on the market. It also can be used as a corporate compliance tool. There are four ways a TMC functions to manage corporate travel.

Enforces a corporate travel policy

Any company that has employees who travel for work needs to employ some kind of company-wide policy to ensure that employees comply with basic standards. These standards can include a specific fare class on flights, a star class for hotels, and a class of rental car.

A TMC helps enforce this policy through guiding travelers to options that are compliant. Often times, a TMC will only display options for travelers to book that are within their company policy. Using a TMC ensures that employees adhere to your company’s travel policy without having to spend extra time and effort to track travel compliance.

Provides systems on which to book travel

A TMC importantly provides both online and call-in systems in which employees can book travel. Online end-to-end booking is a necessity in 2019, especially because to eliminate hassle, booking business travel should be equivalent to booking any sort of personal travel outside of a TMC.

Where a TMC differs in how it provides systems for booking is that you can ensure that it is giving travelers the best rates possible. There are no hidden tricks or gamification strategies involved in booking with a TMC. It is a consistent, reliable platform on which your company receives the best rates regardless of when employees are booking.

Negotiates contracts with vendors for special rates

A key benefit of TMC use is that it can occasionally provide special corporate rates from hotel and car rental vendors for your business trips. These rates eliminate the need for extra work on the part of your travelers, as they have only one place to go for the best rates.

Any online travel site can offer a good sale once in a while, but using a TMC guarantees that you have certified travel professionals in your corner finding you the best options for your bookings.

Provides duty of care support

One of the biggest stressors for travel managers and those pegged with leading a travel program at a company is the safety and security of business travelers. TMCs contain duty of care features that provide real-time communication and information for the safety of travelers in new or unfamiliar destinations. Enlisting the help of a TMC takes the stress off of worrying about employees’ health and safety when they travel for work.

How much does a TMC cost?

TMCs can be priced either based on a fee per travel itinerary or on a monthly or yearly subscription basis. The exact cost will of course depend on the size and geographic scope of your company’s travel needs. TMCs charge fees just as airlines and hotels do when you book directly through them. You’ll also need to take into account that through the special rates they’re able to locate, TMCs find your travelers better fares on average than they would typically find themselves.

It’s hard to estimate an average cost of a TMC because of how dynamic the scopes of different travel programs could be in comparison to each other, but a rough estimate of the cost of a TMC per itinerary booked is $14. Whether you view the trade-offs of sometimes lower fares as valuable for your company is of course up to your discretion. However, most industry leaders suggest that the usefulness of using a TMC exceeds the hassle and potential wasted time and costs of managing your company’s travel autonomously.

Finding the right TMC

Selecting the right TMC for your business should begin not with the TMC itself but your own individual travel policy. Setting out a clear travel policy ensures that the TMC you choose aligns with the exact needs of your company. You should also consider where most of your company’s travel is regionally and what kind of budget your employees have on these trips.

Your industry and size should also dictate the type of TMC you search for. If you are a large company that puts on events and will consistently be on the road, you’ll need a TMC equipped to secure a large number of bookings and adapt to sudden changes in itineraries.

A final key component to finding the right TMC is to make sure that they’re a good cultural fit for your company. They’ll be working closely with your employees and contributing to how their time is spent on the road. If your company values work-life balance or the ability for travelers to have flexible schedules when traveling, you’ll want a TMC that can deliver on that culture.

A live look at the G2 Grid® for this category shows the different travel management products available based on real-time, validated user reviews.

Travel management companies help your business book travel for employees, encourage employee compliance to your corporate travel policy, and ensure the safety and security of business travelers. Although they can come at a steep price, many corporate travel departments view the use of a TMC as worth the money for making sure that business travelers are booking reliable fares and conducting their business on the road in ways that reflect company culture.

Looking for more information on corporate travel? Check out the best travel management software .

Rob is a former content associate at G2. Originally from New Jersey, he previously worked at an NYC-based business travel startup. (he/him/his)

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What Is a TMC?

In the world of corporate travel, there’s an acronym for everything. TMC, or travel management company, is at the top of the need-to-know list. 

That’s because TMCs traditionally play a vital role in helping companies develop and execute their travel programs. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through what a TMC is, the services TMCs provide, and how the dynamic between corporations and TMCs is changing. 

What is a TMC?

TMCs, also known as corporate travel agencies, help companies organize, manage, and book business trips. They assist travelers, connect corporations to supplier content, offer exclusive rates and airfares, provide data reporting and analytics, and make recommendations to improve travel programs. 

What do TMCs do for companies?

Let’s take a closer look at some of the services typically offered by TMCs. 

Traveler service and support

TMCs provide customer service and support to travelers across a region or around the globe. They do this by having a global footprint or by being part of an agency network that ensures travelers have local access to trip-planning guidance, booking support, and emergency assistance. Some TMCs are better at delivering service to a global footprint than others. 

Travel savings and content

TMCs maintain a network of supplier connections—typically through a GDS but also through direct connections—to give travelers access to content from airlines, hotels, cars, and more. They use client travel volume to secure special rates and discounts with suppliers, allowing clients to save money on travel.

Data reporting and analytics

Corporations that track and analyze travel data can make smarter decisions about the rules and procedures they put in place to govern travel booking, also known as travel policy. TMCs support clients with data and analytics by consolidating data from various sources including credit card transactions, expense platforms, and TMC booking systems. TMCs also use this data to provide benchmarking to all their clients and measure the performance of a client’s travel program.

Consulting services

Most large TMCs supplement their data reporting and analytics services with consulting services. Consulting arms are made up of experts tasked to help travel managers leverage their data and introduce improved management strategies. Consultants can also help companies negotiate special discounts with travel suppliers, an exercise known as sourcing.

How the relationship between companies and TMCs is changing

TMCs traditionally served as a one-stop shop for companies to access discounted travel content, integrate technology, and plan and manage travel efficiently. 

But in today’s world, many TMCs are gatekeepers that lock companies into limited options for content, technology, and contract structures. TMCs have been accused of focusing more on generating revenue and protecting commercial deals than on delivering positive travel experiences. 

The pandemic has only increased tension between corporations and TMCs, with many companies stuck locked in to expensive agreements despite their limited travel volumes. 

TMCs, historically, have overcome shortcomings around content, data visibility, and inconsistent technology solutions by positioning these issues as less important than the quality service and support they bring clients. Staffing issues at TMCs , however, have made client service and support worse than ever, leading many companies to reevaluate their TMC relationships. 

The pandemic also heightened industry skepticism of TMC fees and pricing , as well as the lack of transparency around TMC revenue sources . 

Today’s TMC staffing and retention challenges are symptomatic, too, of agent frustration with outdated tools and systems to meet the needs of today’s post-pandemic corporate travel programs.   

Is Spotnana a TMC?

Spotnana provides travel management services as part of our open cloud-based Travel-as-a-Service platform. 

We  deliver the services and capabilities of a TMC by working with corporations to effectively manage travel spending and capture savings . For travelers, we offer a wide global inventory of corporate travel options, 24/7 agent service , and an intuitive online and mobile booking experience. 

We also provide an open marketplace and technology stack to travel suppliers, technology companies, and TMCs. 

Our ultimate mission is to create unparalleled travel experiences by modernizing travel industry infrastructure.  

For more on finding the right fit for your organization, check out 8 Questions to Ask When Selecting a Corporate Travel Platform .

When looking at the top 50 TMCs (Travel Management Companies) worldwide, who we know are managing the majority of corporate travel, I want to know how many of them use each type of revenue model when booking hotels for their corporate clients. The...

Delivered january 9th, 2017 . contributors: ian m. and 2 others, when looking at the top 50 tmcs (travel management companies) worldwide, who we know are managing the majority of corporate travel, i want to know how many of them use each type of revenue model when booking hotels for their corporate clients. there are two types of revenue models for agents in hotels: net fares that they get from suppliers/aggregators, which they then mark-up with a fixed fee. the other one is % gross commission, which means they get a fixed % in commission from the price of the booking they closed., did this report spark your curiosity, 19 travel brands that made it on the 2015 fortune 500 list, the world's 15 largest travel companies of 2014, travel weekly 2016 powerlist: travel weekly, the world's top 10 most innovative companies in travel, spreadsheet: tmc revenue models, how expedia makes money, carlson wagonlit hotel agreement, bcd travel extends commission processing agreement with pegasus, priceline has a brilliant business model -- the motley fool, hrg north america business model, fc usa - earnings report, moody's assigns a b1 rating to travel leaders group's proposed upsized first lien term loan; affirms b2 cfr, fareportal founder interview, aaa fact sheet | aaa newsroom, corporate travel management annual report 2014-2015, travel and transport - affiliate program, planetarium travel, inc. v. altour int'l, inc., 97 f.supp.3d 424 (s.d.n.y. 2015), who we work with - our clients | onyx, world travel inc - services corporate-travel-management.