MAG 2011 04 Travel Supplier Questions and Answers

MAG 2011 04 Travel – Supplier questions and answers

1. What percentage of travel is booked from outside of the UK?

All MAG programs are requested to purchase locally if they can – this includes the use of local travel agencies if they are competitive. Precise figures are not available but it is estimated that a similar number of bookings are made outside the UK, to within. MAG programs may or may not make use of the online tool offered by the HQ provider.

2. Can you provide a breakdown of the spend booked outside the UK by country?

No precise figures are available.

3. Do the travel bookers based outside the UK have a UK passport?

No, almost exclusively the travel bookers will be nationals of MAG operational countries. MAG draws staff from all over the world therefore travellers could have any passport.

4. Can you describe the current booking and authorisation process for travel booked outside the UK?

A MAG Internal “travel approval” form is completed and forwarded to the appropriate travel booker – they will contact their local agency and obtain a number of options then book an option chosen on a balance of suitability and cost.

5. What percentage of travel is currently booked online?

MAG only books rail online at the moment.

6. Where it states all prices shall be expressed in US$ - does this relate to air fares only, or also to surface travel, hotels and TMC fees? If this relates only to air fares not all air contracts are quoted in US$ and where they are the rate fluctuates – the AMADEUS CRS which we use, forces re-pricing every 3 days.

Please provide quotations in GBP – the request for pricing in USD is a typing error.

7. As you are based in Manchester, will this be a key factor in your deliberations?

No, so long as regular meeting can be scheduled the location of the suppliers offices is not a concern – providing the phone and email booking teams operate between 0900 and 1800 UK time.

8. Extend opening hours for normal service – what are you parameters? Our standard office hours are 0830 to 1800 Mon to Fri, outside of these times our 24 hours service is operational.

MAG would ideally like standard opening hours of at least 0900 to 1800 UK time.

9. Following the contract award and assuming a successful implementation, would this award not be mandated,

MAG is tendering for a preferred supplier not to offer an exclusive contract

10. Please clarify the payment terms as it seems MAG are requesting 45 to 60 days credit, or have we misunderstood the phrasing? An invoice raised for example on the 2nd November appears not to be due for payment until the end of December?

The purchasing conditions are MAG standard conditions of purchase, it is recognised that they are not all pertinent to the purchase of services. An Invoice raised on 2nd November would be due for payment on 2nd December.

MAG currently pays for our travel on bi-monthly consolidated invoices, issued on the 1st and 15th of each month, and each with payment terms of 15 days from the date of issue of the consolidated invoices meaning some individual flights are paid 30 days after booking and some 15 days after booking.

11. Technical specification - Online Tool: Can you please advise if MAG are currently using an Online booking tool and if so are you able to share with us which one? Do MAG currently enjoy the full functionality outlined and can you complete all elements of Lot 1 online.

MAG only books rail online at the moment.

12. Please can you confirm the countries other than the UK that would be accessing the online booking tool?

All MAG programs are requested to purchase locally if they can – this includes the use of local travel agencies if they are competitive. MAG programs may or may not make use of the online tool offered by the HQ provider.

13. Our pricing structure is currently expressed in GBP. Converting this to USD can be subject to differing exchange rates due to daily currency fluctuations/exchange rate source etc. Is there a specific exchange rate you want us to use for this tender exercise to ensure a fair comparison of prices or do you want us to indicate the exchange rate we have used?

Please provide quotations in GBP – the request for pricing in USD is a typing error

14. When is the PQQ document due in?

With the main tender document before 9/12/11 1600 GMT

15. Quote request – As there are no time parameters for when the quote is completed i.e. all suppliers to complete on 1st December between 12 & 1, please could you clarify how the response will be measured? i.e On skill, accuracy and detail rather than cost.

The quote request has been made to test supplier skill, accuracy and creativity rather then pricing.

16. “Preference to be shown for standard opening hours to 6pm” – Please could you clarify why this is required instead of 24 hours service via out of hours?

24hr hours services tend to be for emergency changes not general bookings, MAG requires the flexibility to continue to make general bookings after 1730 without having to rely on a limited out of hours service

17. In the pricing doc you mention pricing in GBP and in another part of the tender pricing in USD ex VAT. XXXXXXXX will be compliant with pricing in GBP.

Please price in GBP

18. The following paragraph wouldn’t work in practise as we quote and sell to Amadeus rates

Clauses for the revision of prices

At the express request of the holders of the contract and after written agreement from the client (MAG), prices may be revised each month. The formula for price revision is indexed to the average monthly or annual exchange rate of the dollar against the contract currency. The reference exchange rate is that of the month in which the contract is signed.

The purchasing conditions are MAG standard conditions of purchase, it is recognised that they are not all pertinent to the purchase of services, where it may apply would be to the booking and administrative fees charged by the chosen supplier.

19. The following paragraph suggests a change of payment terms from consolidated invoice, please could you clarify?

Payment conditions

The prices are firm and may not be revised unless otherwise indicated on the order or in the specific conditions negotiated during the contracting process.

In the absence of any other negotiated and accepted provision, the payment conditions are: Once the object of the contract has been delivered, 100 % by bank transfer 30 days after receipt of the invoice, at the end of the month.