Automating credit name changes

One of the most significant pain points for travel managers and TMCs alike is the complexity of managing unused ticket credits. When plans change, value shouldn’t be lost.

Currently, 96% of unused credits are redeemed through Spotnana prior to expiration. Our goal is to get this as close to 100% as possible.

Expired unused credits represent a direct financial loss for an organization and a heavy operational burden for the agencies managing them. That’s why we’ve introduced several powerful enhancements to our platform that automate the lifecycle of unused credits, ensuring every dollar of value is captured, without compromising the traveler experience. 

Unused credit pooling for name changes

One of the biggest challenges with unused ticket credits is that they are often tied to the traveler who originally booked the trip. This creates a problem when the traveler no longer needs the credit, travels infrequently, or has left the company.

Traditionally, applying that credit to another traveler was a manual, error-prone process. Spotnana’s travel platform now automates name changes for NDC and EDIFACT unused ticket credits. 

With this enhancement, eligible unused credits can be made available for wider company use. This revolutionary capability transforms a complex manual task into an intelligent system that can result in significant annual savings for enterprise customers.

• Centralized control: Within Spotnana’s platform, administrators can now view “Transferable Credits” and move them into a shared “Company Credits” pool with a few clicks. This allows companies to reallocate credits from infrequent travelers or terminated employees for broader use. In a future release, travel managers will be able to create rules that automate this transfer process based on specific criteria.
• Intelligent matching: During checkout, our system uses “Best Fit” logic to surface the most relevant company credits based on airline, expiration date, and fare type.
• Self-service credit redemption with automated fulfillment: Travelers can apply eligible company credits in the booking flow, and Spotnana automates fulfillment where supported or creates an agent task when additional servicing is required.

After unused NDC or EDIFACT credits have been moved into the company pool, they can be redeemed by another traveler, within the same company, entirely through Spotnana’s self-service booking flow, without agent intervention. For most airlines, a task is created in Spotnana’s Agent Desktop to complete the name change process. With United Airlines NDC credits, Spotnana fully automates the name change workflow end-to-end.

“The process of reassigning credits to other employees has been complex and time-consuming,” said Jeff Christensen, Managing Director, Global Distribution Strategy at United Airlines. “Spotnana is the first technology platform to fully automate United NDC name changes and enable corporate travelers to redeem eligible United NDC tickets that have been allocated to a company pool.”

For companies, the ability to easily manage name changes means less stranded value. Credits from former employees or infrequent travelers can be reused for upcoming business travel, while travel administrators gain clearer tools to manage eligibility, visibility, and usage.

Keeping travelers informed with unused credit reminder emails

Spotnana has also introduced unused credit reminder emails to help travelers act before credits expire. When enabled, travelers receive automated email notifications 90, 60, then 30 days prior to a credit’s expiration. These reminders are configurable at the organization level and cover fully unused credits and partial credits across both GDS and NDC sources.

This is a simple but important improvement. Expiring credits represent lost value, and reminders help travelers take action before that value disappears.

Ready to optimize your travel spend?

These enhancements represent a major step forward in helping companies manage and maximize the value of unused ticket credits. As corporate travel programs continue to focus on cost control and operational efficiency, these credits are an important source of savings. Spotnana’s latest improvements make them easier to find, easier to apply, and less likely to go unused.

These innovations are part of our commitment to building an open, modern travel platform that puts travelers first.

Request a demo to see how Spotnana can transform your travel program.