1. Talking of Competition
April, 2004
Explain that this is the first of four sections you’ll cover in the next 1 ½ days. We’ll focus on helping you with sales of Travelport, driving adoption through planning, creating a communication plan and a training plan.
Use icebreaker exercise to help them get to know one another better.
First let’s talk about how you are getting sales today. What is your marketing approach and your success with that approach? Do you treat all of your potential customers equally?

2. Perceived $5 pricing has many hidden extras
Assisted: domestic ($20), international ($30)
Changes after departure ($20 plus airline fee)
Loading negotiated rates ($500 per contract); Profile set up ($2 per profile)
Primarily a consumer tool repurposed for corporate marketplace
Lacks features (e.g. can't inhibit displaying out-of-policy data or inhibit vendors)
Competes with consumer side for resources
Consumer style marketing tactics (cookies, pop-ups) inherent in site infrastructure
Can it represent and protect your interests?
No control over GDS functionality
Reputation for poor/arrogant supplier relationships
Hotel content focuses on deals strategic to Expedia; Expedia and Hotels.com controlling the market and pricing?
Inflexible
All or nothing model – use it like this or else …
Microsoft employees use Travelport, NOT Expedia!
Describe objectives you’ll cover and ask for any additional objectives or topics they would like to cover.

3. Suitable for corporate travel?
Airline ownership
Airline owners will ultimately work in the best interest of airlines
Is privacy of your corporate and traveler data protected?
Suitable for corporate travel?
No experience in the space
Questionable fulfillment and service solutions; Outsourced customer service
Consumer tool repurposed for corporate marketplace
Will your employees be protected from spam and pop-ups?
Survivability?
Rapidly declining inventory status
Questionable if has resources to invest in corporate space
Marginally profitable with questionable business model
Poor relationship with the GDS
Involved in litigation
Perceived $5 pricing has many hidden extras
$20 assisted; $500 & up for loading of negotiated contracts
Cost to corporation due to poorly enforced travel policy and lack of meaningful reporting
Describe objectives you’ll cover and ask for any additional objectives or topics they would like to cover.

4. Perceived $5 pricing has many hidden extras
Assisted ($15.95)
Changes after departure ($30 plus airline fee)
Uncertain future
Difficulties in technology integration, 3 different code bases
Corporate restructuring, closing of GetThere
Marginally profitable consumer model, money losing corporate model
Vertically integrated but fulfillment is still undefined and questionable
Considered by many to be a re-branded version of the consumer site
Canned Reporting – little if any room for customization
Describe objectives you’ll cover and ask for any additional objectives or topics they would like to cover.

5. Online Agency Pricing Comparison
Expedia
Orbitz
Travelocity
Registration
$149
No fee
Transaction Fee On-line Air Unassisted (domestic & int’l) $5
On-line hotel or car unassisted $0
Assisted - Domestic
$20
$15.95
Assisted - International
$30
Hotel & Car (w/o air) w/ telephonic support
$10
Fee for Loading Clients’ Negotiated Rates
$500
$500 and up
Not available
Changes to Reservation between Departure and Return Date
$20 – plus airline fee
No fee – airline fees only
$30 plus airline fees
Non-Expedia air bookings
(I.e. Southwest)
Southwest not available
Voids
VIP Services
Add $10 to any interaction
These figures change often – before presenting to a customer check current pricing
Expedia for Business –
Orbitz for Business -
Travelocity for Business -