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ATLANTA and WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- BCD Travel has become the first travel management company to issue UATP accounts. BCD will launch the payment program internally with a test group before making it available to all clients as early as Q1 2020.

UATP represents an innovative approach to travel payment, offering a focused payment and settlement process with hospitality industry players and touchpoints. Travelers can also use the cards for virtual payment solutions to book hotels.  

"At BCD Travel we're continually looking to innovate in technology, business models, processes and corporate culture," said Cees Batenburg, BCD Travel Global Chief Financial Officer. "Becoming the first TMC to issue UATP accounts is part of our broader effort to bring innovation to travel payment to improve both the traveler and travel buyer experience."

"The TMC Issuer Program was a next logical step in UATP's growth strategy, because TMCs are uniquely positioned to discuss form of payment with travel buyers," said Ralph Kaiser, president and CEO, UATP. "We worked with BCD Travel as our first TMC Issuer based on their payment process expertise and technological maturity. We anticipate the program will result in greater spend volume, an increased number of Subscribers and more entrenched relationships with key travel agency partners."

UATP payment is accepted by most of the world's airlines, several rail carriers, more than 30,000 ARC-accredited U.S. travel agency locations and 130,000 other agency locations around the globe.

Under the new UATP program, BCD's clients will instruct the TMC through traveler profiles to use their UATP account when booking travel with relevant merchants. Similar to UATP's Airline Issuers, BCD will help manage their clients' UATP program and provide customer service. The program is currently available only to subscribers in the U.S.

About BCD Travel
BCD Travel helps companies make the most of what they spend on travel. We give travelers innovative tools that keep them safe and productive and help them make good choices on the road. We partner with travel and procurement leaders to simplify the complexities of business travel, drive savings and satisfaction, and move whole companies toward their goals. In short, we help our clients travel smart and achieve more. We make this happen in 109 countries with almost 13,800 creative, committed and experienced people. And it's how we maintain the industry's most consistent client retention rate, with 2018 sales of US$27.1 billion. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com.

About BCD Group
BCD Group is a market leader in the travel industry. The privately-owned company was founded in 1975 by John Fentener van Vlissingen and consists of BCD Travel (global corporate travel management), BCD Meetings & Events (global meetings and events agency), Travix (online travel: CheapTickets, Vliegwinkel, BudgetAir, Flugladen and Vayama), Park 'N Fly (off-airport parking) and Airtrade (consolidation and fulfillment). BCD Group employs over 14,900 people and operates in 109 countries with total sales of US$29.8 billion in 2018, including US$10.7 billion partner sales. For more information, visit www.bcdgroup.com.

About UATP
UATP is a global payment solution owned and operated by the world's airlines and accepted by thousands of merchants for air, rail and travel agency payments. UATP connects airlines to Alternative Forms of Payment which can expand reach and generate incremental sales globally. UATP offers easy-to-use data tools, DataStream℠ and DataMine℠, which provide comprehensive account details to Issuers and Corporate Subscribers for accurate travel management.

Accepted as a form of payment for corporate business travel worldwide by airlines, travel agencies and Amtrak®; UATP accounts are issued by: Aeromexico; Air Canada (TSE:AC); Air New Zealand (ANZFF.PK); Air Niugini; Air Serbia; American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL); APG Airlines; Austrian Airlines; China Eastern Airlines (NYSE: CEA); Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL); EL AL Israel Airlines; Etihad Airways; Frontier Airlines; GOL Linhas aereas inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL and Bovespa: GOLL4); Hahn Air; Japan Airlines (9201:JP); JetBlue Airways; Qantas Airways (QUBSF.PK); Shandong Airlines;  Sichuan Airlines; Southwest Airlines; Sun Country Airlines; TUIfly GmbH; Turkish Airlines (ISE:THYAO); United Airlines (NYSE: UAL) and WestJet. AirPlus International issues the UATP-based Company Account for Lufthansa German Airlines.

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SOURCE UATP