Case study: BCD saves client over US$4.4M in non-refundable plane tickets

Here’s how a special BCD agent team saved a software company millions through airline ticket refunds, exchanges and extensions.

When a mega virus halts travel for most of the world, what should a major corporation do about millions of dollars in nonrefundable airline tickets? Short answer: call BCD Travel. Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, BCD’s software company client held 2,500 non-refundable tickets, worth US$1.8 million. The pandemic-induced travel shutdown left the client with an additional US$3.1 million in cancelled tickets.

This case study outlines how BCD resolved the client’s stash of more than $US4.9 million in tickets on file for future use.

To start, BCD’s special COVID-19 agent team looked at all tickets to figure out which ones could be refunded. At the time, rules were changing rapidly, so the agents applied multiple approaches to refund, extend and exchange the thousands of tickets. The forward-thinking agents knew it wouldn’t be possible to use all of the tickets given the present travel challenges and restrictions. They worked to convert the tickets into other forms that could be used at later dates and by anyone traveling for the company, not just for the persons named on original tickets. With out-of-the-box thinking and swift action, BCD agents ultimately achieved a total cost avoidance of US$4.4 million through refunds, exchanges and extensions, representing a 90% savings to date.

From recovering savings to solving complex implementations and helping keep business travelers safe, BCD has proven successes helping clients solve business travel. BCD clients can talk to their program managers about ways to solve travel. Not a BCD client? Start here.

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