With deep industry expertise and live insights into your company’s travel patterns, a TMC helps you secure better contracts, maximize savings, and enhance the traveler experience. We asked our Program Management Team, experts in supplier negotiations, to share their top strategies for getting the most out of every supplier agreement.

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1. Start with your travelers

The best supplier deal in the world won’t work if your travelers won’t use it. Before negotiating contracts, understand what matters most to your team—their preferred airlines, hotels, and rental car companies, as well as their experiences with different brands.

“It’s hard to move market share without influence,” says Carol Del Giudice, Christopherson Account Executives.  If travelers don’t like a supplier’s brand, experience, or rewards, compliance will be an uphill battle and your deal was for naught. By focusing on traveler preferences upfront, you’ll not only increase adoption but also improve compliance, ensuring that the negotiated discounts actually deliver savings.

2. Less is more: focus on key supplier relationships

More contracts don’t always mean more savings. In fact, having too many supplier agreements can work against you. “I suggest establishing relationships with two to three top vendors,” says Sue Schroeder, Client Consulting Services Manager.  “I also encourage clients to not have discount contracts with too many travel suppliers.” She went on to explain that having too many discount contracts dilutes an organization’s volume and stands in the way of establishing solid partnerships. On the other hand, by focusing on just a couple top travel suppliers, you are able to focus spend to potentially reap greater rewards and benefits from those vendors.

For hotels, the strategy is even more refined. “I think it’s best to have deals negotiated with a primary supplier and a backup,” adds Adelina Littler, Implementation and Client Services Manager.  “If you only have one hotel deal negotiated, what will your travelers do if the hotel is sold out? On the flip side, having deals with too many properties limits your buying power to negotiate better rates.”

3. Look beyond hard dollar savings

Great supplier deals aren’t just about the lowest rate—they should also improve the traveler experience. “I always encourage clients to review any opportunities for soft dollar savings,” Del Giudice stated. “That includes additional savings options like rebates:”

• Room upgrades at preferred hotels
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• Fee waivers for checked bags, priority boarding, or last-minute changes

• Loyalty benefits that let your employees earn personal rewards

• Flexible cancellation policies for added trip security

These “soft dollar” benefits don’t show up on a balance sheet, but they increase traveler satisfaction, which drives adoption and policy compliance—ultimately maximizing savings.

4. Prioritize customer service

A discount isn’t worth much if a supplier doesn’t deliver when it matters most. “Always be sure to ask about a supplier’s customer service stats and their customer service resolution,” said Schroeder. “When things don’t go as planned or an issue needs to be resolved, you want to be confident that your organization and your travelers to have access to reliable service for assistance.”

Before signing a contract, ask:

• How does the supplier handle traveler disruptions?
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• Is there a dedicated corporate service line?
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• What is the response time for escalations?

Travel disruptions happen. Your supplier’s customer service should be as strong as the deal itself.

5. Bring all your spend to the travel supplier negotiation table

Many organizations underestimate their negotiating power by only including their transient business travel in supplier deals. “Make sure the airline you’re negotiating with knows what your group or meeting travel spend is, your athletic spend (if you’re a university), any trade show or vendor event spend, etc.” said Schroeder. “You want to be able to show your total potential to support their airline.”

When negotiating with airlines, hotels, or rental car companies, be sure to include:  

• Group and meeting travel

• Athletic team travel (for universities)

• Trade shows and vendor events

• International travel spend

• A bigger total spend means better deals, more flexibility, and stronger partnerships.

6. Mandate tour travel program

Want real negotiation power? The key is to mandate your travel program.

We know it can feel like a harsh idea to so many in corporate travel. “But the reality is,” said Account Manager Susan Moon, “when you require all travel to be booked through your TMC, you set yourself up for better negotiation outcomes.” This is because we (the TMC) then have complete and accurate data on your spend, your number of room nights, your number of rental days, etc.

The pitfalls of failing to mandate:

Travelers book outside the system → spend is fragmented

You lose data on volume → weakened negotiating power

Suppliers can’t see true spend → missed discount opportunities

A mandated program consolidates your travel spend, creating stronger leverage and greater savings potential.

The bottom line

Travel supplier negotiations aren’t just about getting a better price—they’re about building relationships, maximizing perks, and creating a program that travelers will actually use. By focusing your spend, leveraging total volume, prioritizing traveler needs, and mandating your program, you increase savings, enhance the travel experience, and strengthen supplier partnerships.

At Christopherson Business Travel, our Account Executive Team works closely with clients to optimize supplier agreements for the best possible outcomes.

Want to take your travel program to the next level?

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