Question 1

Can we build custom reports without engineering help?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You get 700+ standard reports out of the box, plus a drag-and-drop dashboard builder to pivot by route, supplier, traveler, department, or any custom field. Our analytics team will also build fully customized reports tailored to your program — no engineering required.

Question 2

How fresh is the reporting data?

Accepted Answer

Booking and ticketing data is near real-time. Refunds, exchanges, and supplier reconciliation flow in nightly. Most clients see dashboards refresh within 15 minutes of a booking.

Question 3

Do you integrate with our BI stack?

Accepted Answer

Yes — native exports for Tableau, Power BI, and Looker, plus a documented REST API for custom warehouses. We'll work with your data team during onboarding.

Question 4

Can we benchmark against industry peers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our proprietary Prime Analytics tool delivers anonymized benchmarks by industry, company size, and region — useful for both supplier negotiations and internal program reviews.

Question 5

Do you support sustainability reporting?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and our sustainability reporting is award-winning. Track CO₂ emissions by traveler, department, route, and supplier, with audit-ready outputs for ESG disclosures and internal carbon-reduction targets.

Question 6

Which expense and ERP systems do you integrate with?

Accepted Answer

We maintain native, pre-built integrations with the major expense, ERP, and HR platforms most enterprise programs run on. For anything outside that set, our open REST API and webhook framework connect to virtually any enterprise system — we'll confirm your specific stack during scoping.

Question 7

How long does an integration take to stand up?

Accepted Answer

Native connectors typically go live in 2–4 weeks alongside your implementation. Custom API integrations vary by scope, but a dedicated integrations engineer is assigned from day one to scope, build, and validate.

Question 8

Can trip data auto-populate expense reports?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Bookings, itineraries, card transactions, and receipts flow into your expense platform automatically — travelers approve rather than re-enter, and finance closes faster.

Question 9

Is the API documented and versioned?

Accepted Answer

Yes — full REST documentation, OpenAPI spec, sandbox credentials, and semantic versioning. Breaking changes are communicated in advance with migration windows.

Question 10

How is data secured in transit between systems?

Accepted Answer

All API traffic uses TLS 1.2+, OAuth 2.0 for authentication, and encrypted credentials in storage. Every call is logged for audit, and we're SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR aligned.

Question 11

What is airline direct connect versus NDC?

Accepted Answer

Direct connect is a direct API link between the TMC and an airline, bypassing the GDS. NDC (New Distribution Capability) is IATA's XML standard that lets airlines distribute richer content — fare bundles, seat maps, ancillaries — through third parties. Balboa supports both, and we surface all sources in one unified shopping view.

Question 12

Do I lose anything by not booking direct on the airline site?

Accepted Answer

No. You get the same fares, ancillaries, loyalty accrual, and servicing rights — plus policy enforcement, duty of care, expense integration, unused-ticket tracking, and program reporting that direct-site bookings can't provide.

Question 13

Which airlines are direct-connected today?

Accepted Answer

Our roadmap covers the major domestic and international carriers. Our team can share the current live list under NDA.

Question 14

How does continuous pricing work?

Accepted Answer

After ticketing, our re-shopping engine monitors the same origin, destination, and fare class. When a lower fare appears within airline rules, we automatically rebook — capturing savings without traveler action.

Question 15

Will this break my existing expense or ERP integration?

Accepted Answer

No. Direct-connect and NDC bookings flow through the same PNR, invoice, and reporting streams as GDS bookings — so your Concur, SAP, Coupa, or Oracle integration continues to work unchanged.

Question 16

Do you support global corporate travel programs?

Accepted Answer

Yes — through our partnership with BCD Travel, we manage travel in 170+ countries with consistent service and centralized control.

Question 17

What industries do you serve?

Accepted Answer

We serve clients across a wide range of sectors. A few notables: corporate enterprise, mid-market, government & defense, life sciences, higher education & research, and technology — each with sector-specific compliance and reporting.

Question 18

What does Balboa's corporate travel management include?

Accepted Answer

Balboa runs your end-to-end business travel program through a single account team and connected platform: air, hotel, and ground booking; embedded policy and approval workflows; integrated payment and expense; 24/7 senior-consultant support; duty of care and traveler risk monitoring; supplier sourcing and negotiation backed by our aggregated client volume; and quarterly reporting on spend, savings, and compliance.

Question 19

How does Balboa reduce corporate travel spend by 15–20%?

Accepted Answer

Through a combination of embedded policy, aggregated supplier negotiation, unused-ticket recovery, and program analytics — most Balboa-managed programs see a 15–20% reduction in total travel spend without limiting traveler choice. We'll walk through the specifics for your program in a scoping conversation.

Question 20

What makes Balboa different from other corporate travel companies?

Accepted Answer

Three things: a named senior-consultant account team (not scripted call centers) with a 20-second average answer time, a unified platform across booking, payment, expense, and reporting, and a service model recognized by Fortune 500 and public-sector buyers. Every Balboa client gets a dedicated program lead and quarterly business reviews — not a ticket queue.

Question 21

How does Balboa support travelers across multiple regions?

Accepted Answer

Balboa runs a U.S.-led account team backed by a 170+ country partner network, so multi-country itineraries, local payment methods, and international compliance stay coordinated under one program. Travelers reach senior consultants 24/7/365, and our duty-of-care platform provides live tracking, risk intelligence, and proactive rebooking when conditions change.

Question 22

How long does it take to onboard a new program?

Accepted Answer

Typical implementations run 6–12 weeks depending on scope. For consolidations or M&A integrations, we deploy a structured change-management plan with weekly stakeholder coordination.

Question 23

Do you have a meetings & events division?

Accepted Answer

Yes — our Events & Experiences team handles strategic meetings, group air, incentives, board offsites, and executive education programs end to end, from sourcing and contracting through on-site execution and post-event reporting.

Question 24

Do you handle leisure and executive vacation travel?

Accepted Answer

Yes — full-service. We run a dedicated vacations practice with its own site at balboavacations.com, crafting bespoke leisure itineraries for executives, board members, incentive travelers, and family trips with the same service standard as our managed corporate program.

Question 25

How much can we expect to recover through price optimization?

Accepted Answer

Most programs see meaningful recapture on post-booking air, plus additional savings on refundable hotel rates. Actual results depend on your booking patterns, fare mix, and traveler flexibility — we share benchmarks under NDA during scoping.

Question 26

Will travelers be affected by re-bookings?

Accepted Answer

Never. Re-shopping honors the traveler's original itinerary, and when a swap is executed the new confirmation is pushed automatically — travelers see updated details in the Balboa Connect app and don't need to take action.

Question 27

What about change fees?

Accepted Answer

A swap is only executed when the net savings exceed any applicable change fee. Restricted fares and non-refundable hotel rates are monitored but not re-booked.

Question 28

Is price optimization a separate product or included?

Accepted Answer

Included in your managed program at no additional charge. Savings flow into your standard reporting, attributed and auditable.

Question 29

How quickly can you locate a traveler during an incident?

Accepted Answer

Within seconds. Our live tracking pulls from PNR data, mobile app check-ins, and supplier APIs to maintain a real-time view of every active itinerary. During an event, our 24/7 desk can confirm status and initiate outreach immediately.

Question 30

What risk-intelligence sources do you use?

Accepted Answer

We aggregate leading commercial risk-intelligence providers together with government advisories, and surface only what's relevant to each traveler's active itinerary.

Question 31

Can we set custom approval rules for high-risk destinations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can define risk tiers by country, region, or specific city, with custom approver chains, required pre-trip briefings, and mandatory check-in cadences.

Question 32

How is traveler data protected?

Accepted Answer

All location and personal data is encrypted in transit and at rest, GDPR- and CCPA-compliant, and access-controlled by role. We document data flows during onboarding for your security and privacy teams.

Question 33

What makes Balboa a top corporate travel management company in the USA?

Accepted Answer

We combine high-touch, U.S.-based service with customized managed travel programs and a connected technology stack delivering measurable savings of 15–20%.

Question 34

Do you offer 24/7 support?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our 24/7/365 service desk has an average 20-second answer time and — unlike many agencies — we don't outsource. Every advisor who answers your travelers' calls is a Balboa employee, trained on your program and accountable to your account team.

Question 35

How are virtual cards issued and delivered to suppliers?

Accepted Answer

When a booking is confirmed, a single-use virtual card is generated with the exact amount, validity window, and merchant restrictions. For hotels, the card and authorization form are transmitted directly to the property; for online channels, the card is passed at checkout.

Question 36

Do travelers still need to carry a corporate card?

Accepted Answer

No — for most trips, the virtual card covers air, hotel, and ground. Travelers can be issued a small incidentals card or use personal payment for meals and out-of-policy items, which are then reimbursed through your expense system.

Question 37

Which issuers and card networks do you support?

Accepted Answer

We work with the major virtual-card issuers and BTA programs across Visa, Mastercard, and Amex — and will plug into whichever issuer your treasury team already prefers.

Question 38

What data flows through with each transaction?

Accepted Answer

PNR, traveler name, cost center, GL code, project tag, supplier folio data, dates, and any custom fields you require — pushed into your expense and ERP systems in real time for fully automated reconciliation.

Question 39

How does virtual payment reduce fraud and chargebacks?

Accepted Answer

Each card is single-use, amount-locked, and date-bounded, so a leaked number is worthless after the trip. Disputes are routed through your issuer with full transaction context, dramatically cutting chargeback resolution time.

Frequently asked questions.

Analytics & Reporting

API & Expense Integrations

Direct Connect & NDC

Global Reach & Industries

Managed Travel Program

Onboarding & Specialties

Price Optimization

Risk Management & Duty of Care

Service & Programs

Virtual Payments