— Tool Is First of Its Kind to Integrate Near Real-Time Flight Information; Also Offers the Ability to Locate and Communicate with Employees at Specific Corporate Facilities —
New York, NY, February 17, 2015 – American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) today announced several new functionalities for its flagship traveler care solution AX CONNECT. This precision tool, which is already being used by GBT customers who represented over two million trips last year, enables companies to locate, communicate with, and prioritize aid to travelers impacted by a travel disruption. Now, AX CONNECT also integrates near real-time flight status and tracking information so travel managers can see flight delays and disruptions within the AX CONNECT platform as they happen. In addition, GBT has introduced a new asset management feature for the product, which allows companies to quickly locate and communicate with employees at a specific corporate location when a disruption occurs. The new functionalities ensure that travel managers are armed with the tools they need to proactively manage disruptions and keep employees safe, wherever they are.
When it comes to tracking flights, travel managers have historically had to resort to manually searching for status updates using a variety of external resources. When a company has many travelers in the air at different times and on varying routes, monitoring the status of employees and determining if they are in need can be extremely burdensome and time-consuming. By layering flight status and tracking information into the AX CONNECT platform and integrating it with traveler itinerary data, travel managers now have the information at their fingertips to be truly proactive in managing disruptions, by being made aware of them as they occur, using the tool to visualize all travelers on delayed or canceled flights, and communicating with impacted travelers over familiar channels with greater ease and speed than ever before.
At the same time, incidents such as hurricanes, power outages, and water main breaks do not limit their effects to employees traveling on business. AX CONNECT’s new asset management feature enables travel managers and company security and human resources teams to view corporate assets such as company facilities, corporate housing, and supply centers on the platform’s map and in the case of a disruption impacting that location can send communications to employees stationed there.
“As business becomes increasingly global and corporations make investments in corporate travel to drive growth, employee care continues to be a top priority for GBT customers worldwide,” said Philippe Chereque, Chief Technology Officer, American Express Global Business Travel. “Our aim is to provide an end-to-end solution that makes fulfilling this duty of care obligation as simple as possible – regardless of whether employees are at the airport or in the office. AX CONNECT provides a single interface for information gathering and analysis, saving precious time and enabling proactive communication when employees are in need.”
The enhancements announced today build on AX CONNECT’s existing functionality, which enables companies to use itinerary information to locate travelers impacted by a disruption; communicate with them via SMS, email, or a mobile application; and prioritize aid to those travelers with the greatest need. The solution can also incorporate recent American Express® Corporate Card transaction data, making it even easier to pinpoint a traveler’s location during an emergency.
For more information on AX CONNECT, please contact your American Express Global Business Travel representative.
About American Express Global Business Travel
Positioned at the intersection of commerce and travel, American Express Global Business Travel offers its customers a comprehensive network, service dependability, and deep insight to help move people and businesses forward. American Express Global Business Travel provides leading travel solutions, integrated consulting services, proprietary research, and end-to-end meetings and events capabilities. These innovative offerings enable clients to optimize the return on their travel and meetings investments. Learn more at www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com.
American Express Global Business Travel is part of one of the world’s largest travel agency networks with locations in nearly 140 countries worldwide.
American Express Global Business Travel (“GBT”) is a joint venture that is not wholly-owned by American Express Company or any of its subsidiaries (“American Express”). “American Express Global Business Travel”, “American Express” and the American Express logo are trademarks of American Express, and are used under limited license.