Originally Posted by
darthbimmer
The popular notion that computerized travel services book crazy itineraries with multiple connections, alternate airports, and undesirable departure times just because they're $20 cheaper than a nonstop is not true in my experience. I've used computerized systems for the past 8 years across 3 different employers, and they're easily configurable to select reasonable itineraries. In fact the one my current employer uses shows a "Most logical airfare" atop the list of search results, and it's nearly always the flight I identified as most desirable from my own searching beforehand.
+1 - This is largely a function of employers who use software such as Concur to severely restrict travel options such that the software generates absurd routings. This causes people who are employed at those businesses to post on FT that they hate Concur when Concur has nothing to do with it.
The problem can often be traced back to having corporate travel managed by people who don't travel.
The same goes for travel budgets. Tell someone they have a budget and let them take 2 days to make it across the country rather than 6 hours and you have someone who hits the mark on budget with a P&L that looks sickly.