Standardization is the key to improving an airline request for proposals process that is needlessly complex, says Olivier Benoit, air industry expert for business travel consultancy Advito.
Benoit was part of a cross-industry team that recently created an airline RFP toolkit, complete with standard documents and best-practices guidelines. He and other members of the Global Business Travel Association’s aviation committee will present the toolkit during an educational session at the upcoming GBTA convention in Denver, July 16-20.
Using standard RFP documents saves time and money for both travel buyers and airlines because they have a shared understanding of the process and goals, Benoit said. Plus, they’re speaking the same language—using common terms to describe what’s in the contract. “Standardization creates efficiencies, such as faster turnaround time and a lower level of effort,” he explained. “It also allows apples-to-apples comparisons among various carriers’ proposals.”
GBTA’s toolkit for airline RFPs defines:
- Key steps in the RFP process
- A standard timeline
- Data that travel buyers need to provide to carriers
- Standard contract terms
- Questions that travel buyers should ask beyond pricing, for example about ancillary services, data privacy, distribution capability and more
In the GBTA session, called Simplifying the Airline Request For Proposals: A New Set of Documents for Optimizing Efficiency and Accuracy in the Airline RFP Process, Benoit and other panelists will explain how the toolkit works and explore its benefits to all stakeholders in the air RFP process.
Going to GBTA in Denver? Register for sessions where you’ll meet the experts from BCD Travel, Advito and BCD Meeting & Events. Be sure to visit BCD’s booth—No. 1406—on the show floor.
