Upside Business Travel Joins Industry Trailblazers with ATPCO's Next Generation Storefront

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Upside Business Travel ("Upside"), the corporate travel platform offering 3% cash back on company travel, today announced a new flight booking experience.

Inspired by the Next Generation Storefront ("NGS") standards under development by industry association ATPCO in collaboration with airline and industry leaders including Flight Centre Travel Group ("FLT"), American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, Upside's new presentation of flight options signals a new, leading standard for merchandising and user experience in business travel.

"The new display will offer a dynamic and informed shopping experience for our clients," said Jason Wynn, Chief Commercial Officer at Upside. "As airline content becomes more complex with branded fares, ancillaries, and restrictions, how we display airline products to make things easier for our travelers and airline partners is paramount."

Upside's new display allows users to quickly review flight options across multiple fare classes. The new flight booking experience categorizes airline offerings by product attributes like seat offerings and cabin class benefits in a grid view, a new and innovative way to easily compare and discover flights suitable for business travel.

"The speed with which the Upside team has unveiled this solution is a testament to our shared dedication to provide the best traveler experience possible, as quickly as possible," said John Morhous, Chief Experience Officer at Flight Centre Travel Group. "This is the first of many initiatives that will combine our deep understanding of the corporate travel space and Upside's powerful technical capabilities."

FLT's recent announcement of a strategic investment in Upside emphasized Next Generation Storefront as a top post-investment priority for both parties. Upside began rolling out the new flight booking experience 11 days after the shareholder announcement, and has added Delta Air Lines content to their robust inventory offerings.

"Delta is excited to see Flight Centre and Upside leading the NGS movement that is quickly gaining momentum across the industry," said Jeff Lobl, Delta's Managing Director of Distribution Strategy. "They join a growing list of innovators who have invested in the customer experience by providing a full and clear view of all available products, so customers can choose the flight experience that best suits their needs."

Upside has partnered with Flight Centre, the fourth largest seller of corporate travel in the world, to build a business travel solution that enables lightning-fast booking, insightful reporting, and seamless expensing -- all backed by a no-fee, no-contract, 3% cash back program.

About Upside
The Upside Travel Company was created by veteran travel entrepreneurs to transform the world of corporate travel with new tools and new thinking. Upside's flagship product uses state-of-the-art technology to operate a corporate travel solution that makes it possible for smaller companies to benefit from travel management with a no-fee, no contract all-digital booking experience and high quality 24/7 customer service. The company's employees have rated the company culture so highly that Upside has received awards from Glassdoor and Entrepreneur Magazine. Upside is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in Stamford, Connecticut.

Media contact:
Genevieve Rafla [email protected] / 917 225 0978

About Flight Centre
After starting with one shop in the early 1980s, Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) has enjoyed remarkable growth to become a $20 billion business consisting of more than 30 brands. One of the world's largest travel agency groups, it has company-owned operations in 23 countries and a corporate travel management network that spans more than 90 countries. FCTG was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1995 (ASX: FLT). Flight Centre Travel Group employs more than 20,000 people globally and has a total of almost 2800 businesses.

Media contact:
Allison Wallace [email protected] / +604 202 0872

SOURCE Upside Business Travel