AmTrav Launches a2b, a First-of-its-Kind Corporate Booking Tool

CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AmTrav, a leading business travel agency, has announced the release of a2b, a first-of-its-kind corporate booking tool and the last piece of a completely in-house, end-to-end corporate booking solution.

"It's a game changer," said CEO Jeff Klee. "Our previous booking tool was only 4 years old and still great, but a lot has changed. We built a brand-new platform from the ground up with today's tools, for today's travelers, to separate ourselves even further."

a2b's differences start with a clean, modern user interface that makes booking and managing travel for individuals and staff while monitoring and controlling travel costs both easy and quick. This is in stark contrast to the vast majority of hard-to-use corporate booking tools on the market. a2b then layers on features unique to the tool that are critical to business travelers and their employers.

With a2b, business travelers and travel managers can:

    --  Self-manage travelers, preferences, and company forms of payments;
        invite new travelers to join; and designate who has permission to book
        and manage for who.
    --  Easily compare airline fare "brands" and even Mix & Match choices. (e.g.
        book business class for your outbound red-eye, but the cheapest Basic
        Economy for your daytime return.)
    --  See rich in-flight amenity details so you know, among other things, the
        WiFi speed, in-flight entertainment options, and seat pitches of the
        flights you are considering.
    --  Access your negotiated corporate discounts with airlines, hotels, or car
        vendors.
    --  Set travel policies to maximize savings (e.g. must book within $25 of
        lowest available) and, optionally, designate an approval flow for
        purchases.
    --  View interactive, real-time reports to see who is spending what, and
        where there are opportunities to save.
    --  Access a "Where are My Travelers" map to see where your travelers are at
        any moment in time.
    --  Book premium and extra leg room seats on major airlines without having
        to leave the tool. For companies whose policies don't permit premium
        seats, travelers can purchase them on a personal credit card.

Today, even the largest providers of corporate travel management services offer what behind-the-scenes is a crazy amalgamation of third party tools by different vendors. AmTrav has taken a different approach and has built an entire end-to-end platform in-house, allowing them to be much more nimble and responsive.

"The other guys have a team of travel agents that use Vendor A's system, an online booking tool built by Vendor B, a reporting system built by Vendor C, etc. etc.," said AmTrav President Craig Fichtelberg. "When something goes wrong, you don't know who you can call for help."

In another break with tradition in the corporate travel world, AmTrav makes a2b available with no contracts, no commitments, and no fees. "Our competitors all have these long contracting and onboarding processes, which leads many small and medium sized businesses to believe they lack the time and resources to work with TMCs," said Fichtelberg. "AmTrav offers these SMBs an easier, faster, and cheaper alternative. To try us out, just click a button and you can start booking immediately."

About AmTrav

For the past 25 years, AmTrav has been the leading provider of business travel services committed to eliminating the hassles of corporate travel; as a result we have helped over three million people travel with ease. With a2b, our award-winning corporate booking tool, our skilled team of U.S.-based travel consultants, and our 24/7 phone and chat lines, we have simplified the booking process, reduced costs, and solved travel problems for companies and individuals of all types.

In the process of building ahead-of-the-curve booking tools for business travelers, AmTrav has achieved many firsts: first to seamlessly combine low-cost carriers with traditional carriers in a single booking; first to show which flights offer WiFi and live TV; first to include the airlines' premium and extra leg room seats; and the first to let customers compare all airline fare brands on a single screen. These firsts, along with our continued commitment to performance and innovation, have led to national recognition, industry accolades and accelerated growth.

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SOURCE AmTrav