Which Countries Are Reopening?
American Express Global Business Travel has launched its new Travel Vitals platform, a geographically based search tool that aggregates important pre-booking travel data from hundreds of sources. The platform provides restrictions and guidelines for specific destinations, and reveals COVID-19 infection-rate spikes and hotspots, as well.
The tool is free and publicly available to travel managers, travel management companies and individual travelers. For American Express GBT clients, the information is proactively delivered through digital channels — such as the company's mobile app, chat and online-booking tools — based on travel itinerary. Travel counselors around the world have full access to the platform and will be able to refine local information it in real time.
For anyone using the tool, travel information that includes the latest risk levels and rules regarding entry and quarantine can be searched based on destination, airline, airport, hotel chain, train operator and ground-transportation provider.
Mark McSpadden, American Express Global Business Travel"Trip information is going to be central to building trust and confidence," said Mark McSpadden, American Express GBT's vice president of product strategy and experience, who explained that the tool will be updated at least daily as the available information changes. "But we’re doing this because for the foreseeable future, we have to manage every trip as if we were planning an event. Door-to-door travel management has long been an aspiration for our industry, but that isn’t enough in these circumstances. The role of the TMC now begins as soon as the need to travel is first identified and ends long after the traveler has returned home."
For travel managers who are Amex GBT clients, the platform is integrated into the trip-audit process, which means it can trigger alerts whenever travel is booked to a high-risk destination. Travel reports monitor these bookings before the trip occurs, so travel managers can drive policy compliance for other trip aspects, such as hotel stays or ground transportation, which might not have been booked at the same time as the flights.
Bookings are tracked after the trip occurs as well, allowing traveler locations to be flagged and traced in the event of a spike in COVID-19 infections.
During the trips, Amex GBT aims to keep travelers informed about important updates throughout their journeys. "We want this content to be easy for travelers to access while they’re on the move," said McSpadden, "whether via chat with a travel counselor on the mobile app, messaging like Apple Business Chat or notifications from the travel manager. It all helps travelers feel confident and connected."