Travel Leaders Corporate Launches New Small Business Travel Program through "Travel Leaders CONNECT"

PLYMOUTH, Minn., Nov. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses make up 99.7 percent of employer firms in the United States.* While these businesses frequently have travel needs, they typically do not maintain large travel budgets for fully-managed travel programs. To address this need, Travel Leaders Corporate – a leader in business travel consulting, analytics and travel fulfillment – today is formally announcing a new program designed especially for small businesses as part of its award-winning Travel Leaders CONNECT, which will provide a flexible and economical option that can quickly be implemented and remove the hassle of booking travel for this corporate segment.

"We know that small businesses have unique needs. They may not require the entire suite of services that large Travel Management Companies (TMCs) like Travel Leaders Corporate offer, but they do need an option for business travel that is cost-effective, service-oriented and easy," said Gabe Rizzi, Chief Sales Officer and President of Travel Leaders Corporate. "With Travel Leaders CONNECT, they will have access to travel fulfillment services from any mobile device, with flexible and affordable pricing designed specifically for small businesses. It's like having a travel agent in your pocket at a fraction of the cost."

As the latest iteration of what was formerly known as Travel Leaders Wire, Travel Leaders CONNECT is an award-winning communications platform that works across a variety of operating systems via SMS and is completely mobile-compatible. Small business customers will have a dedicated consultant to fully assist in the implementation. With a very short fulfilment window, Travel Leaders CONNECT can be fully implemented at a client level, and corporate travelers will be able to quickly and easily work with their corporate travel agent experts – via text or chat – to handle all their business travel needs.

The added benefits include access to a level of "Duty of Care" that small businesses are not usually accustomed to, by having Travel Leaders Corporate providing real-time – frequently critical – travel updates, re-routing and rebooking when necessary, all through a direct mobile connection with each individual traveler.

"Using Travel Leaders CONNECT is as easy as sending a text; it's not an app. Travel Leaders CONNECT is not only meeting a long-expressed need by small businesses, it's also a service that takes care of each individual traveler from the initial stages of booking travel until they arrive home safely," Rizzi added. "We're eager to serve the numerous small businesses across the United States with this intuitive offering. Through Travel Leaders CONNECT, they will enjoy the benefits of a fully-managed travel program while sticking within their budgets, using only the services they need, but more importantly it will make business travel easier. It will be incredibly valuable for small businesses by providing real time travel expense reporting and tracking for registered users."

Many small businesses have highly variable business cycles and require flexible travel programs. Travel Leaders Corporate will offer these companies a scalable solution with a contract-free, monthly fee, so small businesses spend only what they need. By taking advantage of Travel Leaders Corporate's award-winning Travel Leaders CONNECT, clients will have access to:

• Rapid Implementation – Experienced implementation managers work with clients to enable full access to the program in five business days.
• Profile Portal – This allows business travelers to store contact information, travel preferences, and loyalty numbers.
• Corporate Travel Agents – Instantly have access to corporate travel agent experts via text or chat to make travel arrangements or changes.
• End-to-End Mobile Travel Management – Real-time alerts such as disruption notifications for cancelled flights and itinerary changes, along with re-accommodation when necessary, is provided with no waiting online or on hold.
• Scalable Pricing – Cost is based on a flat fee, not the volume of transactions, and is contract-free.
• Increased Data Visibility – By utilizing Travel Leaders CONNECT, Travel Leaders Corporate can assist clients in tracking travel expenditures, targeting savings and delivering real ROI on their travel spend.

For more information on Travel Leaders Corporate's award-winning Travel Leaders CONNECT or to take advantage of its personalized service and cutting-edge corporate business travel solutions that provide a complete travel enrichment experience, email partnerships@tlcorporate.com or call 877-404-4173.

Travel Leaders Corporate is part of Travel Leaders Group, which is the highest ranking American travel management company in Business Travel News' Business Travel Survey 2016, and has annual sales of $21 billion. Travel Leaders Corporate's three service offerings – Travel Fulfillment, Travel Consulting and Meetings Management – which can be used independently or combined for maximum results. At Travel Leaders Corporate, each client is served by a dedicated team of U.S.-based agents assigned to each account. With a reputation built on reliability and a commitment to excellence, Travel Leaders Corporate offers its clients industry-leading products and services, and continuously seeks higher levels of performance. Headquartered in Miami, FL, and with employees in more than 120 cities across the United States, Travel Leaders Corporate is a forward-thinking, innovative company with a focus on continually improving the customer experience. www.tlcorporate.com

* https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/FAQ_Sept_2012.pdf

SOURCE Travel Leaders Corporate