Skift Take
It's probably about time employees are trusted to follow their instincts and book their way, but travel agencies will need to be on board to ensure things don't get too out of hand.
Some battles just can’t be won, and two companies are seemingly throwing in the towel when it comes to policing employees who fail to book travel the official way.
Both ZS Associates, a consultancy based in Illinois, and Canadian industrial machinery firm Ritchie Bros Auctioneers are among the first wave of companies trialling “hybrid” travel programs.
This means certain staff will be given free rein to book the hotels or flights they want, using the channels they prefer, rather than stick to a company policy that dictates which online booking tool or corporate travel agency to use.
This kind of “open booking” was pioneered by Google, so the story goes, but few larger companies have taken the same route. Until now.
“We have a couple of meetings to understand the risks or challenges in a pilot,” Michelle Grant, travel administration manager at Ritchie Bros, said. ”It’s going to start small, maybe two dozen travelers. We’re going to look at the folks already booking outside. This isn’t going to be a ‘who wants to sign up for this,’ it
