BostonCoach Survey Shows Most Travelers Unaware of Preferred Vendors

BOSTON, June 24, 2010 – BostonCoach today reported findings from a recent survey it conducted that show a majority of companies may be paying too much for travel services because those who arrange travel are likely not complying with policies that require the use of only company-approved providers.

According to the BostonCoach survey of more than 800 travel bookers, nearly two-thirds (61 percent) said they do not receive formal communication from their companies about which travel-service providers they are authorized to use and instead rely on word of mouth. When a company’s travelers use vendors who are not preferred providers and with whom special rates are not negotiated, a company may be paying too much. Additionally, service quality from unauthorized providers can vary widely, potentially putting travelers at risk of injury and organizations at risk of increased liability.

“Without communication about travel policies and providers, employees are left on their own to decide which transportation options to use,” said Mark Munoz, chief operating officer at BostonCoach. “Unfortunately, that leads to misinformed decisions and adds to travel costs, as travelers should be taking advantage of preferred providers and preferred rates. Communication is essential to ensuring compliance.”

When auditing clients’ car-service spend, BostonCoach has found that some service providers’ charges are bloated by as much as 23 percent by unauthorized use, hidden fees and overcharges.

“Simply doing a better job of communicating to employees which vendors they should use and when is an important strategy that, among others, can go a long way to containing costs and managing risk,” said Munoz.

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The survey also revealed several trends in online booking:

Expense-reporting aid
Additional survey findings showed that travel bookers appear to be using online booking tools for expense reporting and management. A total of 69 percent stated that they use BostonCoach.com to access receipts and 57 percent stated that they find the site very useful for billing information purposes.

Ease-of-use a major consideration
Other results supported the view that online users are primarily interested in ease-of-use when booking travel online. When asked why they choose to book rides on BostonCoach.com:

• 75 percent of respondents cited convenience
• 63 percent of respondents cited ease of use
• 50 percent of respondents cited speed

BostonCoach’s survey took place between April 1, 2010 and April 15, 2010 with 817 of its customers responsible for arranging corporate travel responding.

About BostonCoach

BostonCoach provides safe, reliable and convenient chauffeured and group transportation in thousands of cities across 40 countries. At the same time, BostonCoach offers innovative programs and technology to help clients reduce, manage and control their transportation spend and risk.