{"id":22813,"date":"2024-01-04T13:46:33","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T13:46:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itilite.com\/?p=22813"},"modified":"2024-01-11T06:34:04","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T06:34:04","slug":"preferred-airline-partnerships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itilite.com\/in\/blog\/preferred-airline-partnerships\/","title":{"rendered":"Optimizing Corporate Travel with Preferred Airline Partnerships"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Preferred airline partnerships are collaborations between companies and specific airlines, offering numerous benefits such as discounted fares for business travel, priority services like dedicated check-ins or boarding, and more flexible booking options. These partnerships provide advantages like cost savings through negotiated rates while enhancing the travel experience for employees with perks such as lounge access or priority services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog explains how you can optimize corporate travel with preferred airline partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Benefits of Preferred Airline Partnerships<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For companies that require frequent business travel, preferred airline partnerships can provide a range of valuable benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Cost Savings on Flights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Negotiated corporate deals allow companies to receive discounted airfares, often 10-30% below publicly available fares. Airline collaborations for businesses give access to unpublished discounted fares and inventory. This results in major cost savings, especially for companies with employees flying often for business trips and client meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Reward Points and Elite Status <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many airline partnerships allow corporate travelers to earn airline miles or status points. This enables employees to enjoy elite status benefits and redeem personal trips using earned miles. Companies may also be able to redeem miles for business travel expenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Priority Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Preferred airline partners often provide elite-like services to corporate travelers. This can include waived baggage fees, priority boarding, priority security access, and priority rebooking in case of disruptions. These services enhance the travel experience for frequent business flyers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do You Negotiate a Corporate Deal with Airlines?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When negotiating preferred airline partnerships, there are a few key steps companies should take:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Understand your company’s flight volume and overall spending<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Analyze historical flight data to determine your annual air travel spend across different routes, airlines, and classes of service. This gives you leverage in negotiations and helps set potential discount targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Leverage your negotiating power<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make the amount of revenue your company could provide airlines clear. Emphasize that a discount would incentivize employees to fly that airline more frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Offer incentives like loyalty in return.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Airlines will appreciate a good faith agreement to consolidate more of your company’s flights with them in exchange for fare discounts and other perks. Make it a win-win partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Start discussions early<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Begin conversations well in advance, at least 3-6 months ahead of contract renewal dates. This provides more time to negotiate terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Compare multiple offers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don’t take the first deal presented. Talk to competing airlines and give them a chance to beat terms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Factors in Choosing Preferred Airlines<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When selecting airline partners, companies should evaluate carriers based on key factors like route networks, service quality, flight loyalty programs<\/a>, and fares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Route Networks and Flight Frequency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A top priority is ensuring the airline serves all the key routes and destinations your employees travel to, both domestically and internationally. The frequency of flights along those routes is also vital – having multiple flight options per day allows for greater flexibility in booking and reduces the risk of disruption.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some questions to analyze:<\/p>\n\n\n\n