The third and final online booking tool (OBT) we recently explored in our OBT series was GetThere, part of the Sabre family. ADTRAV President and CEO, Roger Hale, interviewed Andy Finkelstein, Senior Vice President of Global Accounts and Corporate Solutions at Sabre, and Chris Rosa, Director of Corporate Solutions at Sabre, to take us on a deep dive into the world of GetThere. Read on to learn more about GetThere and its strategy for success.
The Value in Expense Platforms
One area in particular where GetThere has really differentiated itself from other OBTs is expense platform integrations. Where other major players in the OBT market have chosen to “bundle” the booking tool and the expense tool, GetThere has elected to allow for more integrations with a variety of expense tools. For GetThere, it’s not just about the providing the lowest price—it’s about providing the most value to travel managers and others within the client’s internal audience. It’s also about feedback. The GetThere strategy was informed by feedback from clients and what they wanted, which was an open platform that plays well with a broad swath of market tools. This strategy also allows the company to focus more on its core competency—travel.
A Product Fit for Multinational Complexities
It’s no secret that many OBTs, travel technology developers, and venture capitalists have set their sights on the mid-market, seeing vast opportunities for growth and innovation. GetThere and Sabre, though, have mostly stayed out of the mid-market game and remain focused on the large market. Why is that? “I think just because of our expertise in space, the credibility, the global reach…we just have a product that can handle the complexity of the largest multinationals around the world. And so we’re proud of that heritage. And we’re proud to say that we have a lot of those blue chip customers as our clients,” Finkelstein said. That’s not to say that GetThere isn’t actively providing valuable solutions to a wide variety of customers, noting they have a fair number of clients who take less than 1,000 trips a year. It’s clear that while GetThere and Sabre are a natural fit for large organizations with very heavy travel, their product is relevant and useful across the entire corporate travel market as well.Holdings behind it.
There’s More on Roger That!
Hear the full conversation about GetThere and its future, including its plans to become the Netflix of OBTs, on the latest episode of the Roger That! podcast. Start listening now and learn more about the world of business travel here.
