The challenge
Lundbeck, a Denmark-based global pharmaceutical company, has a travel manager who was ahead of the curve in studying airfare changes. Knowing there are savings to be had with continuous fluctuations, he tasked his travel agent team with manually shopping for lower fares.
The agents consistently found lower fares—but the cost of their manual searches outweighed the savings. So, he put the effort aside, knowing he was missing an opportunity for savings. Then he heard about BCD Travel’s Air Price Assurance offering.
The approach
“When I discovered that BCD was offering Air Price Assurance, I had no doubt that it was something Lundbeck should have,” he said. Air Price Assurance uses automation to shop for lower fares in the same class of service and on the same airline. When a lower fare is found, the reservation is automatically sent to an agent for validation and to secure traveler acceptance.
But the reservations are selective: Only tickets that meet a savings threshold specified by Lundbeck are eligible for rebooking and make it through to the agent. So, they spend time working only on valid low-fare offers.
The result
The savings—in both time and money—have exceeded Lundbeck’s expectations. In the first three months, the company saved 9% to 62% on every ticket rebooked. Total air program spending dropped 11%, mostly because of savings found on overseas flights. Agents now rebook 56% of lower fares identified by Air Price Assurance. The automated tool enables agents to complete the rebookings quickly, and with less manual work.
Plus, Lundbeck travelers have even more trust that their travel department is finding the lowest airfare. The travel manager’s early studies had convinced him that savings were hiding in airfare fluctuations, but even he was surprised by the results. “Air Price Assurance is better than a good product. Lundbeck is very, very pleased,” he said. “It’s been a success all the way around.”
Want to know more about how Air Price Assurance can help your company save money and increase traveler confidence in your air program? Ask your BCD Travel account manager for more information.
