bcd travel vs cwt

Comparing Corporate Travel’s Biggest Agencies Before and After the Pandemic

Matthew Parsons , Skift

September 29th, 2021 at 10:00 AM EDT

New shapes and sizes for 2022, certainly, but more importantly a new set of priorities that may be a cause for concern for the smaller agencies left on the playing field.

Matthew Parsons

The pandemic left a frenzied 18-month period of restructuring, refinancing and acquisitions in its wake — or as one expert put it, an “arms race.”

As a result, many of the bigger corporate travel agencies look vastly different compared to before the pandemic. They also have a new set of priorities, reflecting the altered and likely much smaller trading landscape that lies ahead.

But even with business travel volumes recovering to just 80 percent of 2019 levels by the end of 2023 , Greg O’Hara, founder of private equity firm Certares , predicts they’ll end up more profitable than before as the pandemic has forced them to become leaner, more efficient machines.

The Big Downsizing

How lean did they get? O’Hara’s private equity firm manages a fund that owns 50 percent of the world’s biggest corporate travel agency, American Express Global Business Travel . This agency had 17,000 employees globally before the pandemic, but today that number is 14,000 .

It’s not the only agency to have shrunk. As early as April 2020, Flight Centre Travel Group, which includes corporate travel brands FCM and Corporate Traveller , slashed its 20,000 head count by 6,000 people .

Fellow Australian brand CTM also cut costs, announcing 1,000 layoffs last year , although reports suggested overall it may have cut up to 40 per cent of its local and international staff . It wouldn’t comment to Skift on exact pre or post-pandemic figures.

Meanwhile, U.S.-based CWT continually restructured during the pandemic. The company told Skift last year there were extended furloughs, changes to part-time roles and voluntary redundancies, but it wouldn’t confirm any numbers at the time. However, it has offloaded its huge $1.5 billion debt to hit the recovery on surer footing.

BCD Travel also succumbed to pandemic pressures, axing 3,000 employees from its workforce of 14,900 in October . CWT and BCD did not respond to requests for current numbers from Skift in time for publication.

Pretenders to the Throne

While there was cost cutting to be done, there were notable shopping sprees too . At the top end: Amex GBT is in the process of buying Egencia ; CTM acquired Travel and Transport; TripActions bought Reed & Mackay; and TravelPerk swooped on Click Travel .

Barcelona-based travel management platform Travelperk has grown considerably these past 18 months. In March 2020 it had 400 employees, and after acquiring Click Travel in July that number climbed to 600. It also raised $160 million in April this year .

“We’re one of the few players in the travel industry that continued scaling and growing since the beginning of the pandemic with a strategy that didn’t involve any layoffs,” said Avi Meir, co-founder and CEO of TravelPerk.

TripActions, meanwhile, has secured $280 million across two fundraising rounds since the start of the pandemic. A spokesperson told Skift it was roughly back to pre-pandemic levels, at around 1,500 employees, when including those onboarded as part of its Reed and Mackay deal, which saw it take on 450 employees in July this year .

TripActions has its sights set on moving up the ranks, taking over some of the “legacy” agencies’ enterprise-sized customers , while TravelPerk is actively pursuing small and medium-sized businesses. “That’s where we think there is the biggest need, and the biggest growth potential,” Meir added. “There is so much opportunity in our industry as companies look to get back traveling after the pandemic, and so much we can do to help them do that.”

The problem is, other larger agencies are also targeting small and medium-sized businesses, a market that used to be serviced by smaller agencies. Should they now be worried? And how are company travel managers reacting to having new-look agencies?

Travel Buyers are Unfazed

“The agency landscape has always been in a constant state of evolution,” said Scott Davies, CEO of the UK’s Institute of Travel Management , which represents 4,000 travel buyers and suppliers in the UK and Ireland. “The players are always adjusting their value propositions. From a travel buyer point of view, there’s no cause for concern, there’s still a lot of choice out there.”

However, they appear to be shopping around a little more than usual.

One quarter (28 percent) of buyers have switched travel management companies over the last 12 months, according to a poll of 313 European business travel managers by the Business Travel Show Europe . A further 36 percent plan to move their business by summer next year. When asked why they had swapped, 52 percent replied it was because their agency had not provided them with enough support during the pandemic.

Davies said many companies were appraising how they were treated during the pandemic, which was resulting in higher “churn.”

“In any given year, about a quarter to a third of corporates will send out requests for proposals for a new agency. That’s normal. But now they’re looking to actually change, not test the market or benchmark,” he said.

One issue that might bubble up, once travel resumes, is how well the bigger agencies will cope with dealing with so many customers, many of whom will be new if brought over from an agency they’d acquired.

“Travel buyers are thinking about their agency’s ability to scale up,” Davies added. “Some of the complexities involved with travel as it starts up again, around borders and testing requirements, technology is unfortunately struggling to solve. When travel restarts, it’s quite people-intensive on the agency side.”

However, he said travel management companies were the “great chameleons” of the travel industry. “They’re adaptable, resourceful and dynamic organziations. Whenever’s their complexity, they’ve got a long history of rising to that challenge.”

‘Next Generation Independent’

As for smaller agencies, the potential lack of service in the future has prompted one former CEO of CTM to launch his own business.

“(The agencies) are busy merging those businesses, and as a result of that, it’s like trading with a new company,” said Chris Thelen, CEO of startup agency TakeTwo Travel Solutions . “You pick up the phone, the agents aren’t the same, your account managers aren’t the same. They’re focused on integrating their new businesses. The feedback from the customers we’re looking after is that they’re not feeling the love, or the attention.”

Thelen, who was previously CTM’s North American CEO, said his vision was for Take Two to be a next generation independent. “You’ve got the CTMs, the TripActions, Egencia and Amex GBT, all of this massive arms race, and I think the customer’s a bit lost really,” he added.

The boss of another independent agency said she’s now focusing on moving away from offering just travel bookings, as business trips become more complex.

“We are heavily moving into the travel risk management area now, I think it’s the way forward,” said Bex Deadman, managing director of UK agency Blue Cube Travel . “I’m coining the term TMRC — travel management risk company.”

She added Blue Cube had won eight new clients in the last two months, six of which had never used an agency before.

“The bigger agencies will always be there, to try and take on all the smaller enterprises, but they’ve never done it that well. Their problem is scaling up enough to give the small customers the service they need,” Deadman added. “Everyone talks about how technology will take over, and it will, to streamline things, but nothing compensates for human beings saying ‘it’s fine, I’ve got you.'”

However, while there may be more companies looking to try an agency for the first time, having seen the pandemic cause so much chaos, these smaller agencies will increasingly be competing with larger agencies for that same market, and other private-equity backed startups looking to take advantage of the travel recovery.

“Here we are, in the most difficult time for our industry, and we’ve never had more startup agencies as a proportion of total market,” said Davies. “Some of the ones who were the new kids four, five years ago, like TravelPerk and TripActions, have consolidated to grow quickly. It’s a fascinating time for the sector.”

The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: amex gbt , bcd travel , coronavirus , coronavirus recovery , corporate travel , ctm , cwt , egencia , flight centre , travel management , travelperk , tripactions

Photo credit: The future for the corporate travel sector looks uncertain with fewer people returning to offices. Mike Kononov / Unsplash

Working on ‘The Bachelorette’ Means Constantly Flying Across the World. Here’s the Gear One Producer Never Travels Without.

Are Toy Subscription Boxes Worth It?

The Best Wall Ovens

The Best Cable Modem

I’m an Outdoor Expert at Wirecutter. Here Are My Favorite REI Labor Day Sale Deals.

10 Of The Most Famous Harley-Davidson Motorcycles From Movies & TV

All About The USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Aircraft Carrier And Where Its Homeport Is

How to watch the Premier League 2024/2025 season in 4K HDR

Best Mattress in a Box for 2024

Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) Announces New Album Bringing It Down to the Bass

My husband and I are trying to adjust to being empty nesters. These 3 simple tricks help us feel less lost.

I tried a famous fried chicken sandwich at Maine’s oldest diner. It was worth the trouble to actually get it.

Brooklyn Metal Venue Saint Vitus Bar Closes Down

The Best 35mm Film For Still Life Photography In 2024

My Ultimate Road Trip Itinerary for New Zealand’s NorthIsland

What’s the Best Vacuum for Carpets?

The Best Smart Bird Feeders

I Can’t Get Enough of These Steel Tubs in My Garden

The Best Cheap Mattresses (Under $500)

Barnes&Noble Newest Reader: NOOK 9″ Lenovo Tablet

BCD Travel vs CWT – 2022 Comparison

BCD Travel and CWT are both well-established travel management companies (TMCs). Each has its strengths and its weaknesses, and there are plenty of good reasons to go with either option.

This guide will offer a clear analysis of each travel solution, and a side-by-side comparison between the two. We’ll also throw in another company worth looking at to give you a better idea of what’s available today.

If you’re looking for something more than just traditional business travel management services from your chosen travel solution, BCD Travel can deliver. Expense management, meetings management, and carbon-emissions tracking and reporting are some of the other solutions it offers.

BCD Travel works with the traditional travel agent and online booking system, with multiple online booking tools available through a software suite of separate platforms.

All-in-all, this is a traditional, global travel management company, with many positive features and strengths.

BCD Travel core differentiators and main strengths

Let’s have a closer look at the key features and advantages BCD Travel has to offer.

1. Real-time alerts

Through the BCD Alert mobile app, you can receive real-time threat notifications for traveler security. The app allows you to confirm that your travelers are safe, and also track their responses and communicate with them if they’re at risk. It is available for both iOS and Android.

(BCD Travel’s COVID-19 information hub also provides up-to-date COVID-19-related information, to help you make better pandemic-related travel decisions.)

2. Spend management

The BCD Pay app allows you to easily manage your spend with a number of clever features.

With smart payment booking, the right form of payment is automatically applied according to your policy. This helps to eliminate traveler hassle and increases accuracy of cost allocation.

The app is an open, secure platform, allowing for end-to-end spend data visibility and seamless data movement between ecosystems. It also features integrated artificial intelligence to improve the reconciliation process, and additional services like audit and VAT reclaim.

BCD Travel claims the app has been shown to improve invoice mismatch assessment by 80%, increase automatch by 70%, and reduce end-to-end monthly reconciliation processing time by 80%.

3. Data reporting

With BCD Travel’s business intelligence platform DecisionSource®, you can receive visualized data within 90 minutes after booking. This data will include:

• An overview of program or category spend over time and across key metrics.
• Spend analyses that address key aspects of your travel program.
• Program benchmarking to highlight areas for improvement.
• “What if” analyses and scenarios.

4. BCD Travel’s TripSource®

The BCD Travel TripSource® tool allows your travelers and travel arrangers to manage an entire trip in one place. Travelers can easily access travel details, add meetings, sync details to itineraries, and share travel changes with friends and family. Travel arrangers can easily track compliance, spend management and security.

5. Duty of care obligations

BCD Travel will help you meet your legal duty of care requirements by building a travel risk management program based on a comprehensive assessment. This will help to ensure that all your employees are safe and secure when traveling.

BCD Travel user reviews

As far as we can see, BCD Travel does not currently have any customer reviews on platforms such as G2, Capterra, or other popular software review sites.

CWT (Carlson Wagonlit Travel) is one of the oldest travel management providers around. With global headquarters in Minneapolis in the US, it operates in over 150 countries worldwide.

Originally founded in 1872, CWT offers an API-based product for corporate travel and expense management, which simplifies flight bookings, hotel reservations, and trip planning.

As well as traditional travel management services, CWT also offers data analytics and reporting, employee care functionality, expense management, carbon footprint tracking, and dedicated hotel management and booking integration to streamline room reservations.

CWT is an experienced player in the business travel industry, and it offers a reasonable inventory for companies of all sizes.

CWT core differentiators and main strengths

Here’s a little more detail about what features and offerings make CWT stand out.

1. Hotel booking integration

With CWT’s hotel booking integration tool RoomIt, you can get access to special prices for budget-friendly trips, with choices of over 800,000 properties worldwide. CWT’s team of hotel experts use a data-backed approach to help you achieve cost savings, compliance, and satisfaction with all your travel bookings.

When booking a room, your employees can use CWT’s integrated digital booking platform to find relevant results based on your policy, and their preferences. And you can also use a ‘Loyalty Booster’ feature, and automated messaging tools, to encourage your employees to book within your corporate channels.

2. Safety and security resources

CWT has created dedicated resources to provide travelers with up-to-date information relating to COVID-19 and other unexpected emergencies.

Its employee care functionality features mean you can easily locate any employee who might be in danger, and trigger mitigation efforts to safeguard their well-being.

CWT is very focused on ensuring maximum risk mitigation, with robust contingency plans to ensure your employees always feel safe while on business trips.

They have also formed a partnership with International SOS to offer extra support to corporate travelers from the LGBTQ+ community.

3. AnalytIQs and expense tracking

With AnalytIQs, CWT’s analytics and reporting tool, you can get actionable insights for all your trips. This tool includes:

• Real-time data, available immediately after a booking is made.
• A benchmarking feature that allows you to compare your program performance to your peers.
• Advanced integration which allows you to integrate additional products and data sources.

CWT also offersreporting and visualization capabilities for tracking your travel expenses.

4. Data security

CWT has a dedicated global cybersecurity team to help your employees navigate data threats and security issues. Information confidentiality, integrity, and availability is ensured through the CWT security awareness and compliance program.

5. Sustainability

As well as offering features that help you calculate and reduce your carbon emissions, CWT has also developed a 5-step end-to-end service to build responsible travel programs for clients.

CWT user reviews

Here’s a little example of what CWT users like about the platform:

“We have always been happy to take advantage of the booking for corporate travel (hotel, transport and flight) of this company. The network is very well developed worldwide. The accounts are detailed and correct. We save a lot of time.” – Florian G, review from G2

And here’s what they don’t like so much:

The system is clunky, not user friendly, and often has flight prices listed at a cost higher than the airline’s website. – Lauren J, review from G2

Overall, users seem to appreciate the range of travel booking services offered by CWT, but some suggest that CWT does not always offer the best prices.

Deciding between BCD Travel and CWT is far from an easy choice, but there is one other great option!

TravelPerk has been carefully designed as an all-in-one platform that covers all of your business travel needs. It’s packed full of features, with 7-star customer service , industry-leading inventory , and award-winning technology .

If you’re looking for a business travel management solution that does it all, TravelPerk is certainly worth considering.

TravelPerk core differentiators and main strengths

Here’s where TravelPerk is ahead of the game.

1. Get the best rates

If price is important to you, TravelPerk can deliver.

The platform’s industry-leading travel inventory guarantees that you’ll always find the best rates for your business travel. With negotiated pricing and endless options, TravelPerk will help finalize every trip for you at record speed and cost. So you never have to worry that there are better rates elsewhere.

And all of this comes in an easy-to-use booking tool that simplifies the booking process from start to finish.

2. 7-Star human customer support

With TravelPerk you can get help in just 15 seconds with 7-star human customer support ; the best in the industry.

TravelPerk’s team of dedicated, experienced travel agents work 24/7, in more than 30 languages, so you’ll never have an issue getting your problems solved quickly and efficiently.

You can contact TravelPerk customer support via app, website and phone.

3. Flexibility

FlexiPerk is an exclusive TravelPerk feature that lets you get at least 80% of your money back , no questions asked, if your plans change and you need to cancel a trip. This is the only product on the market that makes all your trips refundable.

4. Award-winning , developer-friendly technology

TravelPerk also comes with award-winning technology, and a developer-friendly API that enables your company to:

• Develop the integrations you need, besides the standard ones offered.
• Enhance the platform’s automation capabilities and ROI.
• Embed the platform within your business workflows and augment its utility.

New APIs are also constantly added to suit current needs, like Travel Restrictions API and GreenPerk API .

5. Sustainable travel options

If environmental sustainability is important for you, TravelPerk also offers a feature called GreenPerk. GreenPerk uses data to help you set travel emissions targets, work with carbon compensation solutions, and reach net zero.

It allows you to offset your business travel carbon footprint by investing in verified, sustainable projects . You can follow the impact of this investment with comprehensive and transparent sustainability reports.

6. Everything all in one place

Ultimately, with TravelPerk there is no need to compare multiple websites to find the best prices, no back and forth to select the best option and get it approved, and no invoice chasing. All the info you need is in one place, and can be easily accessed by all your employees.

It’s an all-in-one travel management platform that covers all of your commercial travel needs.

TravelPerk user reviews

TravelPerk users report that TravelPerk offers an excellent user experience , support when most needed , and that TravelPerk is the “ best business travel app with fantastic customer support .” Here’s what some users are saying:

“I have found in the use of Travel Perk during these two years an extremely useful platform, which helps save time, finding the best lodging and transportation offers in real time and with the best accommodations. The customer service and schedule adjustment is incredibly attentive, I have used it about 7 times and I have really felt very comfortable with its patience and attention.” – Luis Carlos P, review from G2

“Anytime I have had to adjust trips or engage with airlines or hotels, the Travel Perk representatives have assisted me professionally and quickly to resolve any issues. Using Travel Perk takes a burden off of me by knowing that I’ll be supported no matter what happens with my travel.” – Colin B, review from G2

Overall, users love TravelPerk’s fantastic customer service, user-friendly software, incredible flexibility, and extensive travel inventory. Whether you’re a startup, small business, or international enterprise, TravelPerk is a top solution for all your corporate travel needs.

Try a TravelPerk demo today

This guide has hopefully helped save you some time in your search for an ideal travel management solution.BCD Travel and CWT are both great options. But if you feel you’d prefer a more flexible, powerful alternative, TravelPerk is the go-to solution for your business. Try a demo today to experience how TravelPerk can benefit your business and improve the travel experience from start to finish.

See how TravelPerk makes business travel stress free

Please use a valid company email

By requesting a demo, you confirm you agree to our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use , and to receiving commercial communications from TravelPerk.

Request demo

What's your reaction?

Related posts.

I tried a famous fried ch...

On a recent road trip to Maine from Connecticut, I stopped at Palace

My Ultimate Road Trip Iti...

From cosmopolitan cities to stunning nature, pristine beaches to volcanic

A Journey into Eco-Luxury...

Amazon Picks BCD Travel

Amazon is moving to BCD Travel from CWT, although the latter will continue to provide lodging services to the retailing giant.“We want to thank CWT for their partnership and work,” wrote Hillary Dallas, Amazon director of global travel and events, in a Wednesday email confirming the development. “As part of our regular course of business, we evaluate our vendor partners…

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Lost your password?

• Share The Company Dime with a customer or colleague. Gift them access for as little as $25.

Before starting The Company Dime with David Jonas in 2014, journalist Jay Campbell a decade earlier created travel business newsletter The Beat . In 2006, Jay co-founded Travel Procurement magazine and in 2010 helped integrate them with Business Travel News . He served as BTN's editorial director until 2013. Jay made his travel industry media debut in 1993 at the Air Travel Journal of Boston while earning his undergraduate degree in journalism at Boston University. He would be happy to connect on LinkedIn . He's here at CorporateTravel.social on Mastodon.

• English (CA)
• English (UK)
• Deutsch (DE)
• Deutsch (CH)

The 5 best alternatives to BCD Travel in 2024

5 best alternatives to bcd travel, 1. travelperk, travelperk noteworthy features.

• An intuitive, user-friendly online booking platform -- all traveler data, preferences, and loyalty points can be stored to use whenever needed.
• Integrated travel policy and approval flows to streamline the booking process.
• A simplified travel expense process with real-time expense reports.
• 24/7 business travel assistance with a target 15-second response time from the 7* customer care team.
• TravelCare , a complete and modern travel safety and alerts system that provides business travelers with peace of mind.
• Centralized and single invoicing for all business travel, removing the need to send invoice requests and reminders.
• A huge catalog of integrations with third-party software .

How customers rate TravelPerk

Travelperk pricing.

• Starter: The first 5 bookings each month are completely free, with a 5% booking fee thereafter. Users have access to consolidated invoicing, unlimited cost centers, one policy and approval workflow, and travel restrictions information and alerts.
• Premium: Priced at $99/month with a 3% booking fee, this plan offers concierge services for special requests, savings of up to 25% with VAT-ready invoices, and secure traveler sign-in and automated user setup.
• Pro: This plan costs $299/month with a 3% booking fee and provides unlimited policy and approval workflows, unlimited budgets by cost center, custom reports and insights, and access to TravelPerk negotiated rates.
• Enterprise: This tier is designed for enterprise businesses that want to customize their requirements. To find out more about this plan, get in touch with an expert .

Languages supported by TravelPerk

Bcd travel vs travelperk.

Start saving money on business travel for your company today!

Egencia noteworthy features.

• Egencia offers an integrated travel and expense solution.
• Egencia offers comprehensive reporting and benchmarking dashboards.
• An AI-powered approval recommendation tool to ease travel approval workflows.
• Users can create traveler profiles and booking preferences to encourage policy compliance.
• Egencia offers simple API integration with existing systems, platforms, and processes.

How customers rate Egencia

Egencia pricing, languages supported by egencia, bcd travel vs egencia, 3. fcm travel, fcm travel noteworthy features.

• FCM Travel offers a travel approval system that can be customized to suit specific company travel policies.
• The company provides 24/7 access to a range of travel risk management tools to ensure traveler safety.
• The platform enables omnichannel approvals by consolidating all travel approvals from all booking tools and devices into one unified dashboard.
• Users can personalize dashboards to help individual departments track and control travel expenses.
• The platform’s reporting module provides on-demand reporting and custom metrics for deeper business travel insights.

How customers rate FCM Travel

Fcm travel pricing, languages supported by fcm travel, bcd travel vs fcm travel, 4. sap concur, sap concur noteworthy features.

• The platform automates expense reporting and reimbursements by creating, categorizing, and itemizing expenses from uploaded receipts.
• SAP Concur supports multiple currencies and automatically calculates currency exchange rates and car-mileage allowance.
• The tool’s TripLink feature sends real-time alerts, notifications, and reminders for traveling employees.
• SAP’s Concur Request tool provides optimized forecasting and helps businesses enforce policy compliance.
• The platform’s TripIt solution provides tools to book flights, hotels, restaurants, events, and activities, and creates a single itinerary from all bookings.

How customers rate SAP Concur

Sap concur pricing, languages supported by sap concur, bcd travel vs sap concur, 5. american express global business travel (amex gbt), amex gbt noteworthy features.

• Amex GBT monitors fare rate drops and rebooks tickets to save businesses money.
• The tool provides businesses with insights into benchmarks, data integration, ways to improve, and what-ifs.
• Amex GBT offers personal assistants to help with the travel booking process and to assist traveling employees.
• Managers can set spending limits and increase bookings with preferred hotels via a virtual payment method.
• Teams responsible for travel management and business travelers can access travel and expense policies and submit their expense claims in one place.

How customers rate Amex GBT

Amex gbt pricing, languages supported by amex gbt, bcd travel vs amex gbt, wrapping up: which bcd alternative is best for your business.

Make business travel simpler. Forever.

• See our platform in action . Trusted by thousands of companies worldwide, TravelPerk makes business travel simpler to manage with more flexibility, full control of spending with easy reporting, and options to offset your carbon footprint.
• Find hundreds of resources on all things business travel, from tips on traveling more sustainably, to advice on setting up a business travel policy, and managing your expenses. Our latest e-books and blog posts have you covered.
• Never miss another update. Stay in touch with us on social for the latest product releases, upcoming events, and articles fresh off the press.

Top 14 European trade shows in 2024 & beyond

5 best business travel management companies in San Francisco

6 best business travel management companies in Los Angeles

• Business Travel Management
• Offset Carbon Footprint
• Flexible travel
• Corporate Travel Resources
• Corporate Travel Glossary
• For Travel Managers
• For Finance Teams
• For Travelers
• Careers Hiring
• User Reviews
• Integrations
• Trust Center
• Help Center
• Privacy Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Modern Slavery Act | Statement
• Supplier Code of Conduct

Hospitality.today™

• Business Travel

Amazon picks BCD Travel, keeps CWT’s RoomIt for lodging

Amazon is moving to BCD Travel from CWT, although the latter will continue to provide lodging services to the retailing giant

In an email to The Company Dime, Amazon's director of global travel and events Hillary Dallas confirmed that the company evaluated its travel vendor partners and is moving forward with BCD as its corporate travel partner.

However, the move will not include lodging, for which Amazon selected CWT RoomIt last October to provide comprehensive hotel category service support, including sourcing, booking and rate re-shopping, whilst helping to increase compliance to hotel policy and optimize Amazon traveler satisfaction.

Get the full story at The Company Dime (subscription only) and CWT

Related must-reads

Consumers visit 277 websites before booking travel - Researching and booking a vacation today takes more time and effort than ever before.

Sep 4, 2024 • Travel

The affluent experiences traveler - Who they are, what they want, and why they’re so important to operators and sellers of tours, activities and attractions.

Offline travel market shrinking, but at a slower pace - Travel sales through brick-and-mortar agencies will continue to decline in the coming years, but at a slower rate than previously experienced, according to PhocusWright.

Sep 3, 2024 • Travel

JOIN 34,000+ HOTELIERS

Get our Daily Brief in your inbox

Consumers are changing the face of hospitality - from online shopping to personalized guest journeys and digitalized guest experiences ... we've got you covered.

By submitting this form, you agree to receive email communication from Hospitality.today and its partners.

• Facebook.com
• Instagram.com
• Youtube.com
• Linkedin.com

The X-Tickets

Unsurpassable Travel Tickets

BCD Travel vs CWT – 2022 Comparison

• Tours & Packages

If you’re a travel manager there’s a chance you’re already using either BCD Travel or CWT as your go-to travel management solution. Or maybe you’re currently looking to onboard a travel management service and you’re trying to choose between these two popular options.

BCD Travel and CWT are both well-established travel management companies (TMCs). Each has its strengths and its weaknesses, and there are plenty of good reasons to go with either option.

This guide will offer a clear analysis of each travel solution, and a side-by-side comparison between the two. We’ll also throw in another company worth looking at to give you a better idea of what’s available today.

If you’re looking for something more than just traditional business travel management services from your chosen travel solution, BCD Travel can deliver. Expense management, meetings management, and carbon-emissions tracking and reporting are some of the other solutions it offers.

BCD Travel works with the traditional travel agent and online booking system, with multiple online booking tools available through a software suite of separate platforms.

All-in-all, this is a traditional, global travel management company, with many positive features and strengths.

BCD Travel core differentiators and main strengths

Let’s have a closer look at the key features and advantages BCD Travel has to offer.

1. Real-time alerts

Through the BCD Alert mobile app, you can receive real-time threat notifications for traveler security. The app allows you to confirm that your travelers are safe, and also track their responses and communicate with them if they’re at risk. It is available for both iOS and Android.

(BCD Travel’s COVID-19 information hub also provides up-to-date COVID-19-related information, to help you make better pandemic-related travel decisions.)

2. Spend management

The BCD Pay app allows you to easily manage your spend with a number of clever features.

With smart payment booking, the right form of payment is automatically applied according to your policy. This helps to eliminate traveler hassle and increases accuracy of cost allocation.

The app is an open, secure platform, allowing for end-to-end spend data visibility and seamless data movement between ecosystems. It also features integrated artificial intelligence to improve the reconciliation process, and additional services like audit and VAT reclaim.

BCD Travel claims the app has been shown to improve invoice mismatch assessment by 80%, increase automatch by 70%, and reduce end-to-end monthly reconciliation processing time by 80%.

3. Data reporting

With BCD Travel’s business intelligence platform DecisionSource®, you can receive visualized data within 90 minutes after booking. This data will include:

• An overview of program or category spend over time and across key metrics.
• Spend analyses that address key aspects of your travel program.
• Program benchmarking to highlight areas for improvement.
• “What if” analyses and scenarios.

4. BCD Travel’s TripSource®

The BCD Travel TripSource® tool allows your travelers and travel arrangers to manage an entire trip in one place. Travelers can easily access travel details, add meetings, sync details to itineraries, and share travel changes with friends and family. Travel arrangers can easily track compliance, spend management and security.

5. Duty of care obligations

BCD Travel will help you meet your legal duty of care requirements by building a travel risk management program based on a comprehensive assessment. This will help to ensure that all your employees are safe and secure when traveling.

BCD Travel user reviews

As far as we can see, BCD Travel does not currently have any customer reviews on platforms such as G2, Capterra, or other popular software review sites.

CWT (Carlson Wagonlit Travel) is one of the oldest travel management providers around. With global headquarters in Minneapolis in the US, it operates in over 150 countries worldwide.

Originally founded in 1872, CWT offers an API-based product for corporate travel and expense management, which simplifies flight bookings, hotel reservations, and trip planning.

As well as traditional travel management services, CWT also offers data analytics and reporting, employee care functionality, expense management, carbon footprint tracking, and dedicated hotel management and booking integration to streamline room reservations.

CWT is an experienced player in the business travel industry, and it offers a reasonable inventory for companies of all sizes.

CWT core differentiators and main strengths

Here’s a little more detail about what features and offerings make CWT stand out.

1. Hotel booking integration

With CWT’s hotel booking integration tool RoomIt, you can get access to special prices for budget-friendly trips, with choices of over 800,000 properties worldwide. CWT’s team of hotel experts use a data-backed approach to help you achieve cost savings, compliance, and satisfaction with all your travel bookings.

When booking a room, your employees can use CWT’s integrated digital booking platform to find relevant results based on your policy, and their preferences. And you can also use a ‘Loyalty Booster’ feature, and automated messaging tools, to encourage your employees to book within your corporate channels.

2. Safety and security resources

CWT has created dedicated resources to provide travelers with up-to-date information relating to COVID-19 and other unexpected emergencies.

Its employee care functionality features mean you can easily locate any employee who might be in danger, and trigger mitigation efforts to safeguard their well-being.

CWT is very focused on ensuring maximum risk mitigation, with robust contingency plans to ensure your employees always feel safe while on business trips.

They have also formed a partnership with International SOS to offer extra support to corporate travelers from the LGBTQ+ community.

3. AnalytIQs and expense tracking

With AnalytIQs, CWT’s analytics and reporting tool, you can get actionable insights for all your trips. This tool includes:

• Real-time data, available immediately after a booking is made.
• A benchmarking feature that allows you to compare your program performance to your peers.
• Advanced integration which allows you to integrate additional products and data sources.

CWT also offersreporting and visualization capabilities for tracking your travel expenses.

4. Data security

CWT has a dedicated global cybersecurity team to help your employees navigate data threats and security issues. Information confidentiality, integrity, and availability is ensured through the CWT security awareness and compliance program.

5. Sustainability

As well as offering features that help you calculate and reduce your carbon emissions, CWT has also developed a 5-step end-to-end service to build responsible travel programs for clients.

CWT user reviews

Here’s a little example of what CWT users like about the platform:

“We have always been happy to take advantage of the booking for corporate travel (hotel, transport and flight) of this company. The network is very well developed worldwide. The accounts are detailed and correct. We save a lot of time.” – Florian G, review from G2

And here’s what they don’t like so much:

The system is clunky, not user friendly, and often has flight prices listed at a cost higher than the airline’s website. – Lauren J, review from G2

Overall, users seem to appreciate the range of travel booking services offered by CWT, but some suggest that CWT does not always offer the best prices.  

Deciding between BCD Travel and CWT is far from an easy choice, but there is one other great option!

TravelPerk has been carefully designed as an all-in-one platform that covers all of your business travel needs. It’s packed full of features, with 7-star customer service , industry-leading inventory , and award-winning technology .

If you’re looking for a business travel management solution that does it all, TravelPerk is certainly worth considering.

TravelPerk core differentiators and main strengths

Here’s where TravelPerk is ahead of the game.

1. Get the best rates

If price is important to you, TravelPerk can deliver.

The platform’s industry-leading travel inventory guarantees that you’ll always find the best rates for your business travel. With negotiated pricing and endless options, TravelPerk will help finalize every trip for you at record speed and cost. So you never have to worry that there are better rates elsewhere.

And all of this comes in an easy-to-use booking tool that simplifies the booking process from start to finish.

2. 7-Star human customer support

With TravelPerk you can get help in just 15 seconds with 7-star human customer support; the best in the industry.

TravelPerk’s team of dedicated, experienced travel agents work 24/7, in more than 30 languages, so you’ll never have an issue getting your problems solved quickly and efficiently.

You can contact TravelPerk customer support via app, website and phone.

3. Flexibility

FlexiPerk is an exclusive TravelPerk feature that lets you get at least 80% of your money back , no questions asked, if your plans change and you need to cancel a trip. This is the only product on the market that makes all your trips refundable.

4. Award-winning , developer-friendly technology

TravelPerk also comes with award-winning technology, and a developer-friendly API that enables your company to:

• Develop the integrations you need, besides the standard ones offered.
• Enhance the platform’s automation capabilities and ROI.
• Embed the platform within your business workflows and augment its utility.

New APIs are also constantly added to suit current needs, like Travel Restrictions API and GreenPerk API.

5. Sustainable travel options

If environmental sustainability is important for you, TravelPerk also offers a feature called GreenPerk. GreenPerk uses data to help you set travel emissions targets, work with carbon compensation solutions, and reach net zero.

It allows you to offset your business travel carbon footprint by investing in verified, sustainable projects. You can follow the impact of this investment with comprehensive and transparent sustainability reports.

6. Everything all in one place

Ultimately, with TravelPerk there is no need to compare multiple websites to find the best prices, no back and forth to select the best option and get it approved, and no invoice chasing. All the info you need is in one place, and can be easily accessed by all your employees.

It’s an all-in-one travel management platform that covers all of your commercial travel needs.

TravelPerk user reviews

TravelPerk users report that TravelPerk offers an excellent user experience , support when most needed , and that TravelPerk is the “ best business travel app with fantastic customer support .” Here’s what some users are saying:

“I have found in the use of Travel Perk during these two years an extremely useful platform, which helps save time, finding the best lodging and transportation offers in real time and with the best accommodations. The customer service and schedule adjustment is incredibly attentive, I have used it about 7 times and I have really felt very comfortable with its patience and attention.” – Luis Carlos P, review from G2

“Anytime I have had to adjust trips or engage with airlines or hotels, the Travel Perk representatives have assisted me professionally and quickly to resolve any issues. Using Travel Perk takes a burden off of me by knowing that I’ll be supported no matter what happens with my travel.” – Colin B, review from G2

Overall, users love TravelPerk’s fantastic customer service, user-friendly software, incredible flexibility, and extensive travel inventory. Whether you’re a startup, small business, or international enterprise, TravelPerk is a top solution for all your corporate travel needs.

Try a TravelPerk demo today

This guide has hopefully helped save you some time in your search for an ideal travel management solution.BCD Travel and CWT are both great options. But if you feel you’d prefer a more flexible, powerful alternative, TravelPerk is the go-to solution for your business. Try a demo today to experience how TravelPerk can benefit your business and improve the travel experience from start to finish.

See how TravelPerk makes business travel stress free

Related stories.

20+ Best Things to Do on Salt Spring Island

How to get from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo: bus, Taxi, Transfer, Shuttle or rental car?

Travel to Costa Brava and escape the crowds

The 6 Best Seattle Breweries

Delicious Maltese food – where and what to eat in Malta

Cape Town to Namibia road trip

You may have missed.

• Explore World

Exploring the Science of Longevity: Insights from Biohackers World

• Travel Idea

How to Build a Habitable Cabin with Lumber and Tiedown Straps

Top Travel Destinations for Adventure Seekers

Travel the World: Your Ultimate Guide

Get to know us

BCD Travel was founded on Jan. 3, 2006, when BCD Group announced its decision to purchase TQ3 Travel Solutions Management Holding GmbH and a majority interest in The Travel Company. These two companies were combined with WorldTravel BTI under one ownership to form BCD Travel. The company formally began trading under its new brand on March 31, 2006. BCD Travel has its global headquarters in Utrecht and regional headquarters in Atlanta, London and Singapore.

About BCD Travel

BCD Travel helps companies travel smart and achieve more. We drive program adoption, cost savings and talent retention through digital experiences that simplify business travel. Our 15,000+ dedicated team members service clients in 170+ countries as we shape a sustainable future for business travel. BCD’s leading meetings and events management and global consultancy services complete our comprehensive suite of solutions for all aspects of corporate travel. In 2023, BCD achieved US$20.3 billion in sales. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com .

BCD Travel Video

Travel smart. Achieve more.

Get solutions for business travel that help you save time, money and stress.

Get instant access to news, reports and insider information from BCD Travel when you join our mailing list.

No thanks, I’m not interested!