New Results of the Quarterly Travel Program Audit
The latest results of the quarterly audit of prices available through Pitt’s Travel Program are now available on the Purchase, Pay & Travel website. As a reminder, this audit is conducted by an independent third party and compares the price for airfare and car rental searches to the top destinations for Pitt travel, through the following booking platforms:
- Concur online booking tool that works in conjunction with Anthony Travel, Pitt’s contracted Travel Management Company
- Direct booking through the travel provider (e.g., airline or rental agency)
- Consolidator sites (e.g., Expedia, Orbitz, etc.)
Please note that the following information about American Airlines’ systems and fare class changes has impacted our ability to accurately audit prices for American Airlines in the latest quarterly audit results. While we saw normal results for May and June, we expect unusual fluctuations through the end of the calendar year.
New Fare System for American Airlines
In April, American Airlines implemented a new system, which distributes its fares to all third party consolidators (such as Expedia and Orbitz) and all corporate travel systems ( including Concur), called the New Distribution Capability (NDC). Although we expect that the NDC will become the new industry standard in an unregulated airfare system environment, this rapid change by American Airlines was not coordinated with third-party consolidators, corporate travel systems and software companies, which must now work to update their systems to align with NDC.
As a result of American Airlines’ shift to the NDC, travelers may see fluctuations in pricing with American Airlines fares through the fall of 2023. If you want to travel with American Airlines during this time, you should contact Anthony Travel agents via phone or email for assistance, instead of booking directly through the Concur online booking tool. Anthony Travel agents will be able to assist with the best pricing during this time. Visit this page for email and phone contact information for Anthony Travel agents, including after hours support.
For any questions about the above information, please contact Purchase, Pay & Travel Customer Service.