Engine (formerly Hotel Engine), a travel platform for booking and managing business trips, announced it has added flights and car rentals to its hotel booking services. The expansion, according to the company, “positions Engine as the most logical choice for companies that don’t want to overspend on business travel or drain resources managing it.”
Engine, said the announcement, enables booking with nearly every hotel in the world, and with all major airlines and car rental companies. It offers the flexibility to modify or cancel trips at any time without unrecoverable costs, and delivers a unified view of all company travel, trends and spend, according to the announcement. Customers, said the announcement, can identify savings opportunities quickly and consistently via analytics served up on the platform.
Elia Wallen, CEO, said that with the addition of flights and cars, “we’re an all-in-one platform that adds value for the whole company — from travelers to accounting teams.” With Flex and FlexPro, he said, “we offer the most flexibility for changes and cancellations.” With its payment program, Direct Bill, said Wallen, “we cover your company’s travel costs upfront and send a single consolidated invoice, which has saved accounting teams hundreds of hours per year.”
Engine, according to the company, is easy to adopt; it doesn’t have any membership or agent-assist fees or require a contract to use. Travelers benefit from its extensive network, free 24/7 access to member support, convenient features and a robust loyalty program. In addition to earning loyalty points at preferred hotels, airlines and car rental brands, members earn Engine Rewards, which can be redeemed for free travel.
Wallen said Engine also makes booking for groups and events easy. Engine Groups, he said, “is the most effective way to browse properties, compare rates and book hotels for large groups.” This service, he said, is for any group trip with nine or more rooms or extended stays. The platform identifies the best accommodation options, said Wallen, and the groups team negotiates with the hotel directly on the details.
