AMERICAN EXPRESS BUSINESS TRAVEL LAUNCHES A SOCIAL NETWORK

BUSINESSTRAVELCONNEXION.COM WELCOMES CORPORATE TRAVEL INDUSTRY TO NEWEST ONLINE B2B COMMUNITY

American Express Business Travel Will Help Members Make Travel Management Decisions through a Network of Industry Professionals and Shared Resources

Global Travel Services President Charles Petruccelli to Host Live Chat November 20


NEW YORK, October 29, 2008 -- American Express Business Travel announced today it will be launching its online community for the corporate travel industry on October 31, 2008. Designed as a dynamic network to harness the collective intelligence of the business travel industry, BusinessTravelConneXion.com (BTX) is the destination for travel professionals to become more informed and better equipped to optimize their travel and entertainment programs.

BTX will enable its community members including travel buyers, suppliers, technology providers, industry experts and influencers, to offer a wide variety of perspectives, share best practices, build relationships and stay up to date on current research and industry news. Membership to the site is free; to-date, over 950 industry members have pre-registered to the community. The vision for BusinessTravelConneXion was announced this time last year by Charles Petruccelli, president, Global Travel Services for American Express.

“Now more than ever, we are seeing companies of all sizes look for ways to streamline business travel costs and identify proof of return-on-investment,” said Mr. Petruccelli. “Through BusinessTravelConneXion.com, American Express Business Travel is providing the industry with an innovative tool that brings members together during a crucial time to expand their knowledge base and offer solutions and best practices that may not be available internally. This will ensure not only that business travel spending is being maximized, but that business travel programs are efficient and effectively keeping travelers on the road.”

Mr. Petruccelli will host a special, Live Chat Event with community members on November 20th through BusinessTravelConneXion.com. The chat will take place from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM EDT from the PhoCusWright Conference in Los Angeles. Participants will have the opportunity to submit questions which will be addressed in real-time in a text-chat format. More details and registration information will be available on BusinessTravelConneXion.com in early November.

In addition, American Express Business Travel clients will be invited to participate in the community's “Product Lab” where they can offer feedback on new and existing products. At launch, our product managers will be seeking feedback related to the design of the latest release of its AXIS @ Work management information solution.

Other community features include:

  • Real-time dialog and polling through discussion forums, live chats, blogs, community benchmarking and weekly polls.
  • Editorial content from a range of industry experts in Feature of the Week.
  • Product Lab, a feedback mechanism for existing and future products (For American Express clients only).
  • Community user groups, a way for American Express and its clients, preferred suppliers and content partners to interact with each other in a private environment.
  • Industry Spotlight, a dedicated feature for preferred suppliers, content partners and technology providers, to announce new offerings, service changes and accolades.
  • Resource Library, a home for downloadable white papers, case studies, surveys, and research contributed by content providers such as the National Business Travel Association, PhoCusWright, Rearden Commerce and others, as well as any member of the community.

“Through Web 2.0 technology such as live chats, blogs and forums, members have access to relevant information and solutions in real-time. In addition, members are offered a platform to network and build relationships. Communities like BTX represent the future of B2B,” said Mr. Petruccelli.

Content providers to BusinessTravelConneXion include the National Business Travel Association (NBTA), Executive Travel, PhoCusWright, Rearden Commerce, and freelance industry writers.

The community will be launched as a beta version and was initially piloted with a select number of test clients, suppliers and partners on October 27, which provided an opportunity for clients to explore the capabilities and offer their own “user generated content”.

About American Express Business Travel
American Express Business Travel (www.americanexpress.com/businesstravel), a division of the American Express Company, is dedicated to helping its clients realize the greatest possible value from their investment in travel through increased cost savings, outstanding customer service and greater spend control.  For small businesses, medium-sized enterprises and multinational corporations, American Express Business Travel provides a combination of industry-leading booking technology, travel management consulting expertise, strategic sourcing and supplier negotiation support, and customer service available online and offline, around the world.  

American Express operates one of the world's largest travel agency networks with $26.4 billion in global travel sales in 2007.
American Express Company (www.americanexpress.com) is a diversified worldwide travel, financial and network services company founded in 1850.  It is a world leader in charge and credit cards, Travelers Cheques, travel, and business services.



Contacts:
Tracy Paurowski
212.640.8409
Tracy.J.Paurowski@aexp.com