American Express Global Business Travel launchs premium service platform

FIRST from American Express Global Business Travel combines advanced mobile technology with a team of expert and informed travel counsellors to provide business travellers with best customer service experience possible

Toronto, ON -- American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) today announced the Canadian launch of FIRST from American Express Global Business Travel, a premium travel management platform specifically designed for frequent business travellers. FIRST provides a personalized, 24/7 service from a dedicated team of travel experts. The newsolution offers end-to-end proactive travel management, including immediate caller recognition, personalized business trip planning with comprehensive supplier benefits, continuous monitoring and anticipation of their needs, and proactive care while travelling.

The foundation of this solution is the elite team of expert travel counsellors who are virtually alongside the traveller 24/7, and the next-generation technology supporting them. These travel experts go above and beyond simply selecting the right airline seat or meal preference. FIRST travel counsellors are empowered to immediately resolve issues on the traveller’s behalf, leveraging strong supplier relationships and the latest travel disruption notification technology to ensure a comfortable, productive, and safe trip. They are committed to finding solutions that remove travel obstacles and ensure a traveller can maximize productivity while on the road.

Through FIRST, travelers get to experience:

• A thorough welcome interview during which the FIRST team gains a deep understanding of the traveler’s habits, priorities and preferences.

• Access to a single, dedicated team of deeply experienced travel specialists who are available any day, any time, no matter where the traveler is located, and who can take all those unique traveler preferences into account without ever having to ask the same question twice.

• Immediate identification of a caller by any of his or her phone numbers and ensures the travel expert has all relevant information and preferences necessary to anticipate and address the traveler’s needs.

• Proactive disruption management through EXPERT CARE, GBT’s traveler care solution, enabling FIRSTtravel experts to proactively alert travelers to potential problems and secure alternative travel arrangements via SMS, email or by using a dedicated mobile app.

• Comprehensive supplier preferences are managed throughout the entire duration of a traveller’s trip, such as granting seat upgrades, status match and lounge passes plus access to visa/passport concierge desk from preferred vendors.

• Upgrades or itinerary changes can be made and processed with no additional fees from GBT.

“Many of our customers have frequent travellers often embarking on up to 50 trips per year,” says Jacinthe Ladouceur, VP and General Manager of American Express Global Business Travel Canada. “In addition to providing travellers with a seamless and personalized travel experience, FIRST offers customers a significant return on investment by encompassing the incremental fees and costs often incurred by road warriors”.

In addition to providing peace of mind to the traveler, the level of support provided by FIRST eases a company travel manager’s already considerable workload, especially in times of significant travel disruption.

FIRST is currently available in English only, launching in French in Canada imminently.