Conference News Supplements The Tech Factor Supplement | Page 11

Bringing
down costs
11
Technology
Capita Travel and Event’s new technology solution
has been well-received by clients
Capita Travel and
Events says its clients
and their travellers are
benefitting from easy
bookings, enhanced
wellbeing and cost
savings as a result of
new solutions added to
the agency’s suite of
technology, iris, in
2019.
The iris suite, which
features
communications to
influence booking
behaviours; the iris:go
mobile app providing
travellers access to
their accommodation,
air and rail booking
information; the
iris:smart itinerary
consolidating travellers’
bookings with calendar
invites; iris:intelligent
tracking providing
companies with 24/7
access to their
travellers’ locations
during their business
trips with real-time
communication for
enhanced duty of care;
and management
information that
enables 24/7 access to
multiple booking type
reports.
In the rail sector,
Capita Travel and
Events has moved to
e-ticketing along with its
‘rail fare checker’
proposition and delay
and repay technology
powered by Railguard
Josh Collier, head of
proposition, rail and
ground transport,
commented: “Currently,
11% of our customers
are opting for e-tickets
and we expect further
demand for them in
2020. Equally, our delay
and repay service has
realised the value of
smarter working, with
cost reduction,
increased wellbeing and
enhanced productivity
– with the latter saving
customers collectively
over £20,000 alone.”
The company also
www.conference-news.co.uk
released a new Air Fare
Checker, a solution that
tracks the flight price
fluctuations, so
customers can rebook
if a lower fare becomes
available. Where
bookings exceed
£1,000 or include
multiple stops, the
technology will trigger
an audit by an air fare
specialist to assess
whether it complies
with the client’s policy.
Jessica Gallimore,
head of proposition - air
and ancillaries, said:
“Over the last year, the
results have been
fantastic; we have
saved our customers
over £60,000 on
like-for-like flights in
over 130 bookings with
the Air Fare Checker.”
In addition, Gallimore
said the firm’s
automated air delay
and repay service has
identified in excess of
£145,000 worth of
compensation
opportunities with its
first two customers
adopting the service.
Capita Travel and
Events says it plans to
develop the iris:go app
throughout 2020 to
include traveller
wellbeing and risk
management
information, while all
customers will be
auto-enrolled onto the
rail and air delay and
repay solutions, as well
as their respective fare
trackers. It also intends
to focus on enhancing
the end-to-end travel
experience with
increased ancillary
options such as taxis,
lounge access and
more.