ON-LINE business travel booking service Equator-Net has launched a separate division for high-spending corporate clients.
The company, launched in May by former Air 2000 commercial director BillKirkwood, has set up Equator Corporate, for companies with a travel spend of up to £500,000.
“Equator Corporate provides on-line management information, travel policy tools and will provide transaction fees with clients instead of commission-based arrangements,” Kirkwood said.
“We will design a Web site particularly for that business and allow them to make all the travel services and collect all the management information they require.
“With the big corporate travel agencies, such as American Express or Hogg Robinson, clients have to spend about £1m before they can benefit from such services.
“I believe that these middle-market travel buyers are being ignored by the big guys who are not providing the level of service they should be, especially when it comes to savings, choice and control.”
He is currently talking to 10 travelbuyers who are interested in Equator Corporate.
Kirkwood has appointed four new members of staff. They are: technical director Dave Singleton, who has experience in developing on-line products such as ft.com; marketing manager Nicky Shaw, who has a background in Internet and e-commerce; customer service manager Sue Osbourne who headed the call centre for British Car Parks; and a Web designer Kirsten Singer.
Kirkwood is currently recruiting two more customer service staff. Equator-Net is at: www.equator-net.co.uk