Rate Assurance: Saving money through automation

What is Rate Assurance?

In a nutshell, Rate Assurance is a tool to help businesses get the best prices for travel without lifting a finger.

“This is automated rebooking,” explained Matt Cameron, CCO at Christopherson Business Travel. “That means there's no one touching this. The system handles all of it and generates automated savings. If the opportunity triggers a savings of more than $20, then we'll do an automatic, like-for-like rebooking when that lower rate is found. And then the traveler will get their new itinerary if there's anything updated on it.”

The program leverages AI and advanced algorithms to shop for lower rates multiple times a day, optimizing the timing for when price drops are most likely to occur. The process is entirely touch-free for travelers and travel managers. Like Cameron explains, once a lower rate is found, it triggers that like-for-like rebooking and travelers receive an updated itinerary with no action required on their part.

How it works

Experts on Rate Assurance broke down the functionality:

For air travel:

• The system re-shops the same itinerary, same cabin class, same airline, and same fare flexibility, according to Paul Foster, account manager at Christopherson.
• “About 98% of the time, travelers even stay in the same seat," added Cameron. “There is a slight possibility they could change seats, but it would be within the same cabin, in the same aisle or window, whatever they selected.”
• It continues monitoring rates until check-in or 12 hours prior to departure.

For hotel stays:

• The system ensures the same property, room type, and benefits are maintained.
• “Any of the amenities that are included in the original would be retained in in the re-shop as well,” Foster noted. For example, if breakfast was a part of the original itinerary, that amenity would remain intact for the rebooked reservation.  
• Monitoring extends until the cancelation policy takes effect.

The automation eliminates the threat of losing out on savings by booking early, giving travelers the confidence that any opportunity to save will be automatically captured behind the scenes.  

Savings you can expect

Cameron shares some impressive statistics:

• Air travel savings:
• Up to 3% savings on air bookings.
• “Seventy-four percent of those [savings] are over $100 per ticket,” he said.
• Hotel savings:
• Up to 2% savings on hotel bookings.
• “We're seeing savings in the 3–4% range…It's picking up all the nickels and dimes, but it adds up to real money,” Foster emphasized.

The technology behind Rate Assurance

The technology powering Rate Assurance comes from Christopherson’s partnership with Oversee, a trusted travel technology company formerly known as FairFly.

“They do have a global reach. They work with all the standard online booking tools and integrate with all the main GDSs,” explained Cameron, “Security is always a big deal…You'll find all the certifications that you would expect: ISO certification, SOC 2 compliance and audits available, but most importantly, they don't store any PII data in their system. We have that data in our systems, but they anonymize all the data as it's coming in. So there is no traveler PII data stored in their system.”

The AI-driven technology determines the best times to search for rate drops, ensuring maximum efficiency and savings.

No fees unless you save

A key feature of Rate Assurance is its cost structure: no fees are charged unless savings are found.

There are no implementation or setup costs, and no minimum volume requirements. Fees are tier-based and capped at $75 per transaction, which ensures clients keep the vast majority of their savings. For example, if $1,500 in savings is found on a business class ticket, you’ll save over 90% of that amount.

Clients can choose whether fees are added to monthly invoices or reflected in point-of-sale receipts, offering flexibility based on their accounting needs.

What early adopters are saying

The new Rate Assurance program has recently been rolled out to all clients, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

One of the early adopters shared that Rate Assurance gave them peace of mind to book earlier than usual. They knew the system would monitor for price drops, so they didn’t have to second-guess their decisions.

Looking ahead

Rate Assurance was available to all Christopherson clients beginning November 15 as an opt-out program.

“This will be an opt-out program because we feel like it's bringing so much value that we want to make sure that all our clients benefit,” added Cameron. “And so there'll be a form and if you choose to opt out, then you can opt out at that time and we'll take you off the list.”

With a general rollout on the horizon, Christopherson is continuing to gather feedback and fine-tune the program to meet client needs.

The bottom line

Rate Assurance represents a new era in corporate travel management. By combining automation, advanced AI, and a focus on client savings, it’s helping businesses make the most of their travel budgets without adding complexity.

Christopherson believes that this is about maximizing value for clients. Every dollar saved is a dollar that can be reinvested in their business.

With Rate Assurance, peace of mind and real savings are just the beginning.