Qantas has redeveloped its Qantas Business Rewards platform, which is geared toward small and midsize companies, and the revamped technology gives Qantas travel management ability for its QBR bookings, the carrier announced Wednesday.
The Australian flag carrier selected Spotnana as its technology partner. The new platform gives QBR members—which Qantas said exceed 450,000 Australian businesses—the ability to book flights, hotels and rental cars "directly through the platform for the first time," according to Qantas.
"The investment we're making in the platform will make it easier for our members to manage their business travel needs and make the most of their rewards, all in one place," Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said in a statement.
In addition, members will be able to set up business travel policies and apply those to bookings as well as access data reporting and analytics in real time, according to Qantas. They also will be able to pay for travel using points, cards or a combination of the two, said Spotnana CEO Sarosh Waghmar.
"This is Qantas becoming the [travel management company] itself," for small and midsize clients that fly primarily on Qantas, Waghmar told BTN.
Waghmar explained in a blog posted today that the companies have been integrating Spotnana's travel-as-a-service platform into the QBR website as well as building an integration with Amadeus Altea, Qantas' passenger service system. "By integrating directly with Qantas' PSS we will be able to support rapid innovation around how fares are priced, packaged and purchased," he wrote.
Asked whether Spotnana had any other airlines doing something similar, Waghmar demurred. "I guess in time, but right now, today, it's about Qantas," he said.
The QBR travel management platform will be offered to a "select group" of businesses over the next few months as a trial, before being rolled out to all members later this year, according to Qantas.