Business and Leisure travelers book billions of dollars in hotel room-nights every year via Consortia...don't let the big chain-hotels take your share of the business!
This section outlines Consortia programs and the benefits you may expect from participating in each, including topics such as FAQs. Use the links below to quickly navigate to a particular topic. Your LXR team is on hand to help you with questions, as well as provide training.
A Consortium is a large group of Travel Agencies (many times) driven by multinational companies joined together. Originally started to assist smaller Travel Agencies, Consortia have grown dramatically and have become major players in the travel industry.
By joining Consortia, Travel Agencies can increase the effectiveness of their marketing to their customers by offering competitive rates at hotels worldwide. The Agencies may operate under one global name (like ABC Corporate Services) or may operate independently while using the Consortia relationships and tools.
Each program has a list of requirements and fees for participation, but the standard requirements may include:
...a rate negotiated between a hotel company and a Travel Agency group. Viewership of these rates in the GDS by a TA or other GDS users is restricted and the rate may be booked only after entry of either the Agent's or client's authorization code.
By partnering with these programs, hotels will be listed in each programs directory, website, and will have a special rate access code through the GDS. This exposure includes Agencies that book specified negotiated rates within the consortium umbrella
By being accepted into these programs you would have opportunities to form your own relationship with these Agencies. These relationships can provide exposure that will eventually translate into revenue.
Hotels will see an increase in revenue generated through these partnerships
Each program has a number of opportunities in which a property can participate.
AA rate cannot go higher than the contract agreement rate; however, a hotel can choose to lower a rate at anytime.
AIt is not advisable to cancel your contract with a program. Consortia will black list your property and advise their Agencies not to book at your property. The consequences can be severe.
AParity is the rule when dealing with Consortia. What one program has the other must have as well. Many programs will ask for a better rate, however it is the best practice to offer the same rate to all. The only exception to this is SATO, in which their rate is not derived off of Consortia but off of the government per-diem.
AIt is a guaranteed room block set aside for certain programs at your property. The block includes dates that you are sold out. The consortium in question will contact the hotel direct, to take rooms from the blocked space.
ACertain programs require hotels in certain markets to participate in the BLOCK SPACE program. For a list, please review the description of each program.
APer the contract that is signed, all Consortia have last room availability. You are allowed to close your Consortia rates, as long as the property is closed, too.
AEach program is different and would need to be reviewed before a decision is made to use that program. We will be sending a spreadsheet out periodically through out the submission season in order to keep you up to date.
AMany programs allow hotels to participate in a limited fashion after deadlines have been missed. Most of the time you will miss the directory publishing, however depending on the program you will still have all the other benefits. These benefits include but are not limited to: listing on their corporate website, CD Rom, and GDS listing. Some Consortia will require a late fee.
AWe will send you an invoice upon commitment to participate in the program for the Lanyon fee (if you use Lanyon). After that, each program has different methods of payment, and their fees are on top of LXR’ fees. Some programs require payment upon submission, while others will invoice you upon acceptance (mid-November – late December). For those that send an invoice you will have up to 30 days to pay. The methods of payment will be included in the spreadsheet that is sent out periodically explaining each program.
AYes, you can do corporate direct bids as long as they fall into the following formats: NBTA, Uversa, and CWT. You may be requested by a company to do a bid request for the RFP. Instructions may include: module accepted (NBTA), file request in the module, custom questions, and who to send the submission to. If you have any questions regarding this, please let the Consortia Manager know.
ALXR will go out and negotiate better deals with the Consortia to ensure that you get the best deal possible. The program also includes Consortia QC, and Consortia production test to ensure that your rates are bookable.
AThe Lanyon terminal will allow you to set a net rate to the Consortia. Not all programs offer this, however you are free to give the programs that do a rate.
As stated above, one of the primary rules is that your rate is 10% off the lowest single published rate. Consortia require rack and corporate rates to be submitted for comparison purposes.The corporate rate should always be below rack when doing submissions and the Consortia rate should be 10% off of that. To be safe and to ensure that you have no problems doing submissions, your formula should be:
example
Sato is the exception to the rule. They do not follow the same rate structure. Their rate is derived off of the government per-diem. They require that you give them 5% off.
example
Consortia Programs —
Select a program below to view more information on right
Established in 1978 in Cambridge Massachusetts, ABC has grown into one of the largest providers in the industry. They have a large offering that represents close to 4,000 Agencies around the world.
Over 50,000 agencies in 130 countries American Express drives sales to premium business travelers through participation in this flexible, global program - LuxuryRes has been invited to participate in the American Express Preferred Extras Hotel Program, encompassing their four regions: North America (NA), Europe/Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Japan/Asia Pacific and Australia (JAPA), and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC). Differentiated display within the hotel search results in Amex’s online tools, Over 8 million transactions from more than 4,500 corporations are booked online each year across the globe, Differentiated display through Amex’s proprietary point of sale tools, Over 12,000 experienced travel counselors selling your property.
QUICK FACTS - American Express Business Travel Network -$26.4B in Annual Sales (2011), Client base includes 70% of Fortune 500,Over $5.7B in hotel bookings in 2011, $2B in unmanaged hotel revenue annually, 30% of clients have unmanaged travel programs
Is the third largest travel management company in the world, operating in every key business market, with US$12 Billion in total sales and a combined worldwide workforce of 12,000. With locations in 96 countries on 5 continents, BCD Travel brings together the in-depth knowledge, expertise and premium multi-national client portfolios of Worldtravel BTI, TQ3 Travel Solutions Management Holding Gmbh and the Travel Company.
The leading independent pan-European corporate hotel account management organization. Acquired International Reservations in 2006, and recently named Top 10 largest Travel Management Companies
CWT is a world leader in Business Travel Management, partnering with large corporations, small and medium size and government institutions. CWT has operations in more than 150 countries and services 60 of the World’s 100 largest companies. Annual Sales of $22 billion are generated under the CWT Travel Brand.
CCRA, a negotiated, preferred-rate hotel program, has become one of the largest Consortia in the world, booking in excess of 20 million hotel room nights each year. CCRA has diversified its markets in order for its hotel partners to reach every segment of the traveling public. CCRA's reputation for increasing bookings by "double to triple digits" has grown in recent years. The printed directories are first-class in both design and usability and are valuable tools utilized by more than 100,000 Agencies, individual Agents, and travelers.
"Military and government travelers comprise a segment of the travel market larger than any private corporation in the United States. SatoTravel handles the travel arrangements for nearly half of this valuable segment. If you're searching for the leader in military and civilian government travel - look no further than SatoTravel. For nearly 50 years, we have managed the unique requirements and challenges of government travel. From understanding federal travel regulations and obtaining proper travel authorizations to sending a young recruit to boot camp or arranging travel for Cabinet-level executives with the highest of security clearances, SatoTravel does it all effortlessly."
An affiliate of Deutsches Reisebüro GmbH (DER), is one the biggest tour operators in Germany. DER was founded in 1917 in Berlin. In 2000 DER was bought by REWE, one of Europe biggest retailing companies with more than 11,200 markets and a turnover of about 37 Billion EUR in 2002. REWE started in the end of the eighties its engagement in the tourism branch with the acquisition of the Travel Agency chain Atlas Reisen.
Worldwide access around the clock, instant online access with the possibility to book fully, and targeted customer contacts are only a few of the advantages a partnership with ehotel AG will provide you - and all this will cost you not one single penny. Your record in the ehotel AG database is free of charge. ehotel AG only charges a commission on referred sales plus VAT.
General Information - The U.S. General Services Administration’s FedRooms hotel program managed by Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) is the only official U.S. government-wide GSA sponsored lodging program for 2014. Offering best-in-class rates and benefits, the FedRooms hotel program has been specially designed to meet the needs of government and military travelers.
Flight Centre Corporate (formerly FCM) is Australia's most successful travel agency group, boasting more than 1,500 wholly-owned business units in 11 countries. Flight Centre Corporate is a leading corporate travel management consultancy that blends global presence with local, flexible and personal service. Through our vast worldwide network, we create value for companies large and small, by guaranteeing time and cost efficiencies in their travel management.
Flight Centre Corporate is one of the fastest growing corporate travel management companies in the world today, we are expanding rapidly through strategic acquisitions and partnerships with leading local travel companies around the world and are currently represented in over 170 business centres globally.
The GSM (Global Specialist Markets) consortium is delighted to invite your hotel to submit a bid for inclusion in the 2014 GSM Global Hotel Programme. This programme delivers the most exclusive, targeted and value added program to the industry. GSM Travel Management is an expanding global consortium of travel management companies, operating in 46 countries around the world, who specialize in high touch corporate travel management.
The Guild of Travel Management (GTMC) is the trade association for the leading Travel Management Companies in the UK and currently has 32 members who between them handle approximately 80% of all business travel which is booked through a Travel Agency in the UK. The Guild was also the founder member of the Guild of European Business Travel Agents (GEBTA) and the Guilds hotel programme is also made available to all members of GEBTA across Europe.
"Through our parent company Hogg Robinson plc, HRG has a long and prestigious history: more than 160 years of experience specialising in a range of high quality corporate services for multinational and national clients throughout the decades. Today present in 89 countries including all the key driver markets around the world, HRG is totally committed to delivering a value offering to its extensive client base."
Operates in 89 countries, representing 15,000 employees
IAPA is the world’s leading association for independent frequent travelers and for over 50 years has represented the needs and interests of its members. We bring our members savings, security and first class service whenever and wherever they travel. Please visit www.iapa.com for more information about IAPA. IAPA’s current membership stands at 300,000 members in 175 countries and territories throughout the world. Our members
International Travel Partners operates primarily throughout main European cities and the US. Membership is strictly restricted to companies who have an established record of integrity and reputable growth and operate to the business travel sector.
"Travel to and from the Asian region is growing in terms of volume and cultural potential and diversity. In business, travel is an investment in the future. JTB Global Marketing & Travel (GMT) is second to none in providing travel and destination solutions that make every trip more comfortable, more productive and more successful with total destination management. As a true marketing and travel partner, we provide professional travel management for destinations in every corner of Asia"
Omega World Travel is one of the top five travel agencies in the U.S. With more than 200 offices worldwide, Omega has positioned itself to provide travel services to customers on a global scale. We currently are on course to book in excess of one million room nights by year’s end in transient business alone.
Priority Traveller is the trading name of the Executive Club International (E.C.I.), a Collinson Group Company. Incorporated in 1979, ECI has over 25 years’ experience in providing a wide range of travel benefits and privileges. These include savings on hotels, car rental and air travel. It also provides travel information, concierge services and access to many of the world’s top golfing establishments and VIP airport lounges. Members can also benefit from free complimentary worldwide travel insurance. We serve over 90,000 individual and associate members worldwide. Membership of Priority Traveller costs at least $99 per year for individual membership and we also have many members who receive their membership as a result of being higher-end cardholders and valued customers of banks.
Acceptance of the Partnership Marketing Network RFP offers hotels immediate access to a consortia audience of nearly 400,000 travelers worldwide through group clients including International Airline Passengers Association (IAPA) and Priority Traveller.
"With 86 shareholder Agencies operating 4,600+ branches around the globe, RADIUS, formerly Woodside Travel Trust, has earned a reputation for successfully serving the needs of business travelers worldwide. Our pioneering accomplishments, culminating in the rebranding to RADIUS in 2000, have set standards in the corporate travel community"
"Established in 1977, Thor is comprised of 3 major conglomerates, including but not limited to: Commonwealth Business Travel Group (CBTG), Euro Lloyd Travel Group, and Signature Travel Network. Thor's annual sales surpass $1.8 Billion. As a member of the THOR Hotel Program, you can maximize your exposure to Travel Agents and increase your revenue. THOR is a powerful partner for your hotel and a well-known and respected leader in the Travel Agent community. We specialize in services complementing Travel Agencies and our hotel program is the best in the business. Our 2,500+ Travel Agencies are instrumental in moving market share for participating hotels around the world. In turn, Travel Agents value our program because our hotels offer attractive rates and guaranteed commissions"
Program is for North American Hotels only. Travel and Transport is part of Radius but has its own hotel program as well.
A member network of 3,000 Travel Agents spread throughout the world, Travelgraphic International offers a 1-year membership to their database for a limited fee.
TRAVELSAVERS is an international travel marketing company that was founded nearly 35 years ago. More than 3,000 independent Travel Agencies in 13 countries around the world are part of our organization, making us one of the world's largest travel marketing companies.
Internova Travel Group is one of North America’s largest travel companies – encompassing approximately 30% of all traditional travel agents – and generates gross travel sales of nearly $17 billion. Internova Travel Group is a leader in both the retail travel agency space and corporate travel, and it consistently ranks as one of the top travel companies nationwide. Internova Travel Group was again named among the Top 10 on the Travel Weekly Power List and #1 on the Business Travel News Business 2012 Travel Survey. Internova Travel Group consists of the following travel companies: Tzell Travel Group, Travel Leaders Associates, Travel Leaders Corporate, Results! Travel, Vacation.com, Nexion, Cruise Specialists, Cruise Holidays, and Luxury Travel Network and Protravel.
World Rainbow Hotels (WRH), the first & only consortia program targeting the gay & lesbian market on the GDS and online at www.worldrainbowhotels.com and 200 affiliated websites. The program has been greeted with excitement from hoteliers worldwide.
WIN is the Worldwide Independent Travel Network, an established leader in the travel services business. There are currently 6000 Agency members across Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, South Africa and Spain. We intend to significantly increase this number of member countries. WIN is a partnership of likeminded Travel Agencies from around the World.