CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Executive Travel Consultants, Ltd provides what business travelers and their respective company’s label as better corporate travel management (CTM). The reason why we can provide superior CTM services is because that is all we do. We specialize in the management of corporate travel every single day. The more we do it, the better we get. We understand corporate travel and have the experience and state-of-the-art travel technologies to support CTM services for any number of business travelers from one to one thousand. An ETC travel manager will play an integral part no matter the size of the travel team. We also align each business travel itinerary with that of every individual traveler profile. Our travel managers are on-hand if needed every step of the way from negotiating hotel rates and managing airline rewards points to planning trips and on the fly changes. It doesn’t matter the number of business travelers your company has, we do CTM better than anyone else.
ETC’s experienced and caring travel managers understand the important part they play as travel managers. In effect, they become part of your own business team, helping you to get your business done and providing each of our CTM clients with the exact custom travel support needed. When it comes to business travel, anything less than perfect can negatively affect the bottom-line of a company’s travel budget, including the executives and others traveling on behalf of your company. Simply put, Executive Travel Consultants, Ltd is a leading Bellevue, WA travel management company (TMC) providing the very best in Corporate Travel Management (CTM) services.
You might be asking yourself why you should bother with utilizing professional CTM travel planning services? The truth is that mobile travel apps and other related online travel management services only seem to offer better information. The reality is that they simply fall short of providing reliable data and support during unexpected events that can derail a business traveler.
Executive Travel Consultants, Ltd. the Seattle areas corporate travel management company that can guarantee you and your company receive the very best travel deals and business travel experience? Our experienced CTM team is made up of travel managers who are dedicated to your travel budget’s bottom line. We take care of everything else along the way, including re- routing during bad weather and other travel events which can interfere with the success of your business travel. We leave you “worry free” whenever your company executives need to schedule and complete a business travel itinerary and allow you to focus on running your business.
Why use us?
A Travel Management Company that specializes in providing CTM services can help you with strategic business travel planning in many ways. For instance, ETC’s CTM services can provide you with your choice of online or call-in travel support. Our full service ETC travel managers can also assist you in booking policy-compliant travel, all depending upon what will best suit your company. What makes ETC the unique choice for your business travel planning? You can rely on our services, and there are no hidden charges or last-minute surprises. You can also depend on us to go the extra mile for our clients without nickel and diming at every opportunity. This is unlike other online travel companies that have additional fees or hidden caveats.
With the help of an ETC travel manager, you get the benefits of optimal business travel planning whilst increasing your company’s overall profitability. ETC Travel Managers are always ready to provide all the following CTM services:
24/7 Support
Your travel manager and their support team will provide you with prompt assistance when you need it most. No need to worry if your flight gets canceled. Our travel managers have got your back.
Help with your corporate travel policy
We are incredibly knowledgeable about travel policies and we can assist you in building the most suitable travel policy for your company and their goals. We will handle all of this for you so that you can focus on your other business operations. With our business travel planning services, we will help you manage any inconsistencies and you will ultimately save on travel expenses. Whether your company is large or small, our CTM team knows how to create the best travel program for your business. We will work with you in creating and implementing the optimal travel policy for your company then, using our robust reporting capabilities, point out any aspects that may need tweaking in the future.
Assistance with your Duty of Care requirements
Making sure that your employees are safe and secure while they are traveling is of utmost importance. Our services put systems in place to address those concerns if ever an emergency occurs. This is what makes a CTM company different from other online travel companies. Sure, these companies can take your employees to their destination, but once they get there, who manages their safety? Our business travel planning services can provide you with real-time information and communication with your employees as they travel, and give you peace of mind.
Negotiate bookings and travel contracts
Different companies and organizations call for different booking procedures. As a travel management company, we will create a tailored solution that suits your company best. Not only will we find the best deals for you, but we will also see to it that future travel will be consistent, reliable, and cost-efficient. We offer both Concur and Deem online booking tools to provide your travelers with a simple and efficient way to book their own, policy compliant travel. We configure and manage these tools in house so any configuration changes or tech support is immediately available and completed in a timely manner. These are reliable tools that will make your booking experience easier and will help regulate your company costs.
Keep your travel organized
Professional business travel planning from a TMC will also help you keep tabs on your company’s travel itineraries and important travel dates. Our corporate travel management services include storing these itineraries as well as confirmation codes, flight numbers, times and dates or travel and other important information. This information is readily available to our agents to assist in changes or other questions at any time. We can also provide you with convenient tools to manage it yourself through a user-friendly portal such as Concur or Deem.
Optimize your travel spend
Our travel management services include analyzing your company’s travel and spending patterns. We will negotiate with your suppliers regarding rates on your behalf so that you can make the most out of your travel budget. ETC as a TMC will also assist you in finding the best payment procedure for your company. We have already mastered the complexities of business travel management, and our expertise will provide your company with a convenient yet responsible travel experience that other online travel companies can’t give. ETC’s years of experience in arranging business travel can guarantee that you will get reliable travel support, helping you increase your company’s productivity and profitability.
For a deceptively simple reason: we think like you do when applying our expertise in travel planning and management. The result? Your company wins with resourceful uncovering of low fares and rates while simultaneously enjoying top-notch personalized service.
And you become a hero. To your managers. And to your traveling colleagues.
Executive Travel Consultants approaches travel planning differently than other travel agents by beginning with a special recognition of the role you play in your company. We are well aware that, as a travel manager, you face tough and often contradictory competing demands. On one hand, you are charged with finding ways to minimize your company's travel budget, but you also are expected to appease the demands of your corporate travelers.
By understanding the challenges you face, we've applied our more than 30 years of experience as a travel agency to create a unique set of services focused on making you a hero.
To make you a hero to your CFO, we use a carefully selected combination of top-notch technology tools to uncover low fares and rates, and follow-up the travel planning activities with reports and counsel on the best way to reduce your marketing expenditures even further. Consider this: while the industries average domestic airfare is $460, our average booking is less than $401 (or the industry average international airfare of $2,153 compared to our average booking of $1,881).
To make you a hero to your corporate travelers, we provide a degree of customer service we encourage you to compare against any other travel agency. Think of us as the Nordstrom of lore. When one of your travelers needs to change plans half way through a business trip, she won't have to endure a mind-numbing phone tree of options and on-hold waits. Instead, your traveler will reach a human being immediately familiar with her itinerary and individual preferences. And she can reach us any time, day or night.
For travelers wanting to book their own arrangements, we offer an online reservation service, but we go one step further by then reviewing those online bookings to make sure that the traveler is, indeed, traveling at the lowest fare and headed to the intended place-say Portland, Oregon, instead of Portland, Maine. Our intent is to provide the kind of quality, personalized service that enables your corporate travelers to focus their time on their business duties rather than wasting unproductive time surfing from website to website in pursuit of a lower airfare.
Ultimately, we make you a hero by thinking about travel like you do, and then applying expertise gained from 30+ years as a travel agency employing top-notch technology and savvy, customer-centric travel professionals. The result? Overcoming your workplace dilemma of finding low-cost travel to keep your expense line in line-or even lower it-while pleasing even your most demanding corporate travelers.
While we have special expertise in uncovering low-cost business travel options, we also have extensive experience arranging executive-level travel. We work with airlines, hotels, car services and others to make sure that your executives travel exactly like they want to travel. In fact, we work to surpass their expectations with our exceptional attention to detail, e.g. to make sure flights are upgraded, a hotel stocks a favorite type of bottled water, or a favorite driver is assigned.
Our travel planning services offer a one-stop source for finding and booking complete travel arrangements-from air travel to hotels and ground transportation-and then deliver tickets directly to your company. Your travelers can call us at 425.453.8200, or by email at [email protected], or use our Traveler Request Form (Phone service accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). We research and make reservations on major and non-major carriers (such as Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and SunCountry, which many travel agencies refuse to book). And if a traveler wants to make online reservations, we offer an online reservation service you can use day or night that we then review for lowest fares and corporate travel policy compliance. In addition, we help you manage your travelers' frequent flier programs and assist travelers with international travel matters such as passports and visas. For executives traveling business and first-class, we also bring extensive experience in providing highly attentive travel arrangements that make sure no detail is missed. And when your travelers' travel plans change, we're available to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Executive Travel Consultants provides a one-stop source for finding and booking complete travel arrangements-from air travel to hotels and ground transportation. Our job is to handle your travel planning so you save both time and money, while gaining peace of mind. The following services are offered to all of our customers:
Customer Service
- Name changes on three major carries to unused non-refundable airline tickets
- Support by phone, voice mail, fax or email
- Refunds on unused e-tickets
- After-hours emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Extensive quality control to ensure accuracy
- Ongoing management support
Airline Reservations
- Reservations on tertiary and non-ARC carriers, such as Southwest Airlines
- Use of promotional coupons and fares, as well as consolidator tickets, when available
- Negotiated airfare rates through industry associations and programs
- Enrollment and management of airline corporate reward programs – including free ticket redemption
- Monitoring of undesirable seat assignments
Hotel and Rental Car Reservations
- Negotiated corporate discount rates
- Use of promotional coupons when available
- Arranging for special needs or requirements
Ground Transportation
- Negotiated airport parking rates at select locations
- Arranging for limousine and specialized ground transportation
International Travel
- Assistance applying for or renewing a Passport, including expedited processing
- Assistance with Visa applications
- VAT recovery support
Special Services
- Assistance with the development of a travel policy to suit your corporate needs
- Operations & Automation evaluation of your corporate travel needs for an on-site travel agent.
If your company is not using Executive Travel Consultants, we encourage you to try us. We think you'll immediately see the difference. Just contact us by phone at 425.453.8200, or by email at [email protected].
You (and those within your company that you designate as having access) will have access to, or have regularly delivered, a variety of useful free reports to track travel expenditures. We also can customize reports to meet your company's particular needs and even help consult on the development of travel policies based on your goals and experiences, plus negotiate rates for high-volume accounts.
Our Account Management services help you manage your company's travel activities efficiently with ease. You (and those within your company whom you designate as having access) will have access to, or have regularly delivered, a variety of useful reports to track travel expenditures. We also can customize reports to meet your company's particular needs and consult on the development of travel policies based on your goals and experiences, plus negotiate rates for high-volume accounts.
Reporting
We use iBank, a web based management reporting service designed to meet your needs. These reports are automatically emailed directly to you each month, or as your needs dictate. You also have the option of accessing the reporting tool online and creating your own reports.
- Reports are tailored to customer requirements and many can be self-tailored online
- Cost savings analysis generated for every trip booked
- Service level reporting for all trips booked
- Customized unused ticket tracking
Contract Negotiation
In addition to using any corporate rates you may have already established, ETC will work with you to negotiate the best possible contract rate for your corporate needs.
- Negotiated airfare, hotel and rental car savings
- Vendor review, recommendation and selection
- On-going review of all existing rates for potential cost-savings
Quality Control
We pride ourselves on the services we provide and our ability to continually save you money through our comprehensive quality control process.
- Compliance with your corporate travel policy
- Advance invoice and itinerary including flight information, hotel, car and seat assignments
- VAT recovery support
- Recovery and refunds on unused e-tickets
- Post-travel audits to determine trends and potential future savings
Consultative Services
Executive Travel Consultants is available to assist you with a variety of travel services including:
- Assistance with the creation and implementation of your corporate travel policy
- Recommendation, selection and negotiation with preferred vendors
- Development and distribution of customer surveys
- Evaluation of your corporate travel needs for an on-site travel agent
Below are some examples of reports that we can provide you with to keep track of your travel and travel expenses.
ETC uses Cornerstone iBank, a web based management reporting service designed to meet your needs. These reports are automatically emailed directly to you each month, or as your needs dictate. You also have the option of accessing the reporting tool online and creating your own reports.
Quick View
Air
- Activity
- Arrival
- CC Analysis
- Departures
- Advanced Bookings
- Fare Savings
- Service Fees
- Traveler Detail
- Itinerary Detail
Hotels
Car Rentals
Top 10
- Airlines
- Segment Airlines
- City Pairs
- Car Rental by City
- Hotel Bookings
- Travelers - Air
- Travelers - Car
- Travelers - Hotel
- Travelers - All with Detail
- Exception Reasons
- Exception - Travelers
Exception Reports
In addition to arranging individual travel for your corporate travelers, ETC offers extensive expertise in arranging group meetings and conferences for your staff or customers. Like our traditional travel services, you will find that we focus on making sure you secure the best prices while still offering attentive service to make sure the conference or meeting occurs exactly as you envisioned it. Flawlessly. Without stress. On time. And within your budget.
Executive Travel Consultants can handle any type of event you might be planning. Examples of typical events we've planned and successfully managed include:
- Incentive programs
- Product launches
- Internal meetings
- National sales meetings
- Retreats
- Board of Director meetings
- Conventions
- High-tech events
- Employee programs
- Client appreciation functions
- And other events that you might need
With any event, the biggest obstacle is managing multiply competing tasks and a myriad of logistical issues. Executive Travel Consultants multi-tasks and handles logistics everyday for client travelers and companies. Let us utilize our experience with these services to help you plan your event and launch it flawlessly. We'll do the all the heavy lifting. You'll be the hero.
Site, Vendor & Venue Management Services
- Qualification
- Site inspection
- Contract negotiation, management and compliance
- Rooming list management
- Master account supervision
Air, Hotel & Car Reservations
- Lowest fares and rates
- Manage air contracts, ticketing and reservation deposits
- Account reconciliation and billing
- Travel assistance
- Customer service
- All reporting and manifests
Meeting & Event Management Services
- Manage budget
- Program design
- Logistics management
Registration Services
- Customized reg process and reporting
- Data input
- Payment collection
- Confirmations
- Data management
- Reconciliation
- Phone and email support
Onsite Management Services
- Pre-conference logistics
- Registration and hospitality desk management
- Concierge service
- Onsite and offsite event management
- Vendor management
Creative Services
- Presentations
- Placards and signage
- Decorations
Our approach to operations and technology automation centers on making sure that no matter how complex your travel plans are, you will be guaranteed an exceptional level of service supported by state-of-the-art back-office systems. And because technology is changing, we are continuously evaluating and implementing new technologies and systems to support your needs. The result? A powerful infrastructure to serve you as you want to be served.
Topaz International, a world leader in airfare auditing, has announced a new international benchmarking study that showed that the airline booking system used by Executive Travel consistently finds the lowest available airfares worldwide. Topaz tracked the performance and itinerary pricing results of four of the most prominent low-fare shopping tools in the travel industry. Results revealed that our booking system not only finds lowest fares more often than other products, nearly 60 percent of the time overall, but also generates an average saving of $68.13 per ticket.
Operations
No travel agency in the new millennium can operate without a solid operational foundation and Executive Travel Consultants is no exception. Our operational system is robust and fully tested to ensure you the highest degree of customer satisfaction.
- World-class management, IT, agent, sales and account management staff
- Fully-integrated technology platform
- Industry-approved and recognized software
- Personalized services tailored to companies of all sizes
- Customized scripting for data exchange
Quality Control
We pride ourselves on the services we provide and our ability to continually save you money through our comprehensive quality control process.
- Compliance with your corporate travel policy
- Advance invoice and itinerary including flight information, hotel, car and seat assignments
- VAT recovery support
- Recovery and refunds on unused e-tickets
- Post-travel audits to determine trends and potential future savings
- Long-term account data storage
- Customer surveys
Technology
We work to make technology ubiquitous so that you see the results of our application of technology while not needing to concern yourself with the inner workings of that technology. And you can rest assured that we will continue to research further advances in technology, and implement any that will improve the quality of service we can offer you. Core technologies currently employed include:
If your company is not using Executive Travel Consultants, we encourage you to try us. We think you'll immediately see the difference. Just contact us by phone at 425.453.8200, or by email at [email protected].
-
GlobalWare back-office system
- Automated payment processing
- Interfaces with iBank travel management reporting
- ODBC-compliant reporting software applications
- Full general ledger functionality
- TravelPort
- Web-based online travel booking engine
- Fully integrated with Apollo
- Real-time schedule updates for all major airlines
- iBank online travel management reporting
- Over 50 pre-defined standard customer reports
- Able to customize reports tailored to client needs
- Seamless interface with GDS and all major back-end accounting systems
- Data warehousing
- PNR History
- Built-in broadcast report scheduler
- Readable in Adobe Acrobat, MS Excel or ODBC-compliant data formats
- My Travel Wallet currency rates and conversion
- Up to the minute currency rates
- Order foreign currency online
- Aqua/TravelGamut automation
- Audits and modifies PNRs for accuracy
- Processes seat assignments
- Lowest fare selection for pair cities
- Waitlist clearance capabilities
- Secures seat upgrades automatically when allowed by airlines
- Delivers traveler itineraries via fax, email or posted online
- Tracks and reports all used and unused e-tickets
- Crystal Reports
- Native access for all major databases and file formats (ACT!, Clipper, Pervasive, DBASE, FoxPro, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook and Paradox)
- Native client/server and network data access for all major systems (Oracle 7.x & 8.x, IBM DB2, Informix, Lotus Notes & Domino 4.5 R5 and above, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft IIS, Microsoft SMS, Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase SQL Server 10 & 11)
- ODBC-compliant (Dbase, IBM DB/2, Informix (Inet 5, 7), Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft FoxPro & Visual FoxPro 3.0, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Paradox & Sybase Server 10 & 11)
- Report integration, including OLE interfaces and ActiveX controls
- Multiple report formats, including OLAP, query, conditional, mail-merge and drill-down
We've taken a very simple approach to technology at Executive Travel Consultants. We use technology extensively and intensely. But we don't let technology drive us. Rather, we drive technology by applying it where it makes sense. And using people where people make sense. Sounds simple, but unfortunately, that balanced perspective is missing at most travel agencies, and you end up paying the price in frustration and lost productivity.
For all the advances made in online reservation system technologies, report generators and the like, none are quite perfect. All suffer from weaknesses and limitations, so we apply our human oversight to fill in the gaps. As we apply technology, we never forget the value of human oversight in mastering the complexities of travel planning and management.
Think about it. Ever tried to change a reservation made via an online travel service or airline website? Ever tire of waiting on hold to speak to an actual travel agent who can help you make changes when a flight is cancelled?
We have experienced those exact frustrations, so we use state-of-the-art technology, but we use it to support our personalized attention to your specific travel requirements rather than as a substitute.
At Executive Travel Consultants, we make sure technology is ubiquitous. What matters is that you get low-cost travel arrangements the way you want them along with readily available (or regularly delivered) reports tracking your travel expenditures however you want those expenses tracked.
Specific technologies employed by Executive Travel Consultants include: