WHY IT RATES: The new offering gives added flexibility to clients and travelers. -Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Senior Writer
Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the global travel management company, has expanded its mobile air booking offering in 20 key markets around the world, giving travelers the option of booking their flights directly on the myCWT app.
"Travelers can now do everything they need to do right on their smartphone," said Amir Kirshenboim, CWT's chief technology officer, digital. "The process is simple, fast and easy, and clients have full control over what their travelers can book - so travelers save time, and companies save money."
The service was originally piloted in early 2017 and launched commercially in Q2 2018. Mobile air booking is now being rolled out to some of the largest markets around the world, including the US, Germany, France, the UK, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Australia, Poland, Brazil, Denmark, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
A typical domestic booking can take as little as 60 seconds from start to finish. Early analysis shows that clients with air booking capability have seen a 30 percent shift from offline to online, saving on fees. CWT's mobile air booking supports global distribution system (GDS) and low-cost carrier content, as well as client rates and preferred airlines.
The air booking capability has a set of innovative features, including a "best time to book" indicator, which alerts travelers when prices are expected to increase, and recommends an optimal time to book. That generates savings and encourages early booking.
A 24-hour search function gives travelers a complete list of options, including cheaper flights outside a specified window. This simplifies the booking experience for travelers, while again saving costs for their employers.
CWT's award-winning myCWT app already features check-in functionality for most major airlines, as well as notifications for flight delays, cancellations, gate changes, and safety and security travel alerts. It also offers mobile hotel bookings for 850,000 hotels worldwide, calendar synching, traveler profile integration with loyalty programs and advanced sharing functionality. Since launching in 2013, more than 1.2 million travelers have signed up for myCWT.
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