DBT Corporate

(a member of the Donna Barlow Travel Pty Ltd Group)

DBT Corporate Travel was established in 1987 as a business and leisure travel agency providing holiday and business travel solutions for local customers, groups and national firms.

Once aligned with the Burns Philp Group of companies, the agency was renamed Donna Barlow Travel (DBT) when Donna herself saw the potential and accepted a partnership of ownership, then taking sole possession five years later.

As our business portfolio expanded, so did our company, relocating to our current offices in North Ryde.

Today, DBT is an aggressive Travel Management Company (TMC), tailoring business travel solutions for individuals, small companies and larger global corporations. Not surprisingly, part of our team still consists of those involved in the business in the 90s.

During, and in the years leading up to, 2008, DBT has been at the helm in strategising, developing and implementing technological solutions, some of which are now largely used by other TMCs. We will argue DBT was the first TMC to introduce Travel Reporting to our customers, and one of the first to instigate Travel Policies, both manually compiled and stored. Where, in 1990, we manually applied results to a spreadsheet and reported spend and trends to our customers, DBT has been instrumental in developing a far more comprehensive electronic Travel Reporting System, available today in a fully tailored suite, in just about any format a customer may need.

The same aggression has enabled us to provide our customers: Best Fare of the Day (BFOD) options, alternative and cost effective alternatives to published international fares, negotiated and “locked in” contract rates with hotels, car hire firms and limos (personal transfers). Additionally, the savings you make are reported to you and downloadable when you want them!

Our team is comprised of two working Directors, a BDM (better known as an “Added Value & Customer Relations Manager”), a group of mature professional International (and Global) Travel Account Managers, Domestic Travel Account Managers; all cross-trained to meet personal and dedicated travel needs and administration.

The team is complemented by two Group Travel, Professional Conferencing and Meetings Organisers (PCOs), supported by two administrative personnel and two dedicated Leisure Travel Managers ensuring that ALL your travel needs are undertaken in the same reliable and proficient manner you expect when travelling on business. No hick-ups, no worries, no problems!

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Our difference

DBT’s key points of difference are the understanding of the word now. It’s about when our customers want service, and about our ability to provide just that, in a seamless and attention to detail way, every time. No corner-cutting, no call centre mentality, just sheer professional advice and complete travel solutions regardless of how quickly you need the information.

Our philosophy

DBT’s value is providing its customers with a “one shop”, fully managed travel solution, earnestly administered and supported by first-class service and quality personnel, incentivised by saving our customers’ money.

Our services

While DBT tailors business travel solutions for a vast array of industries, our specialty is one that suits the most fastidious, those who travel frequently and those who want their arrangements engineered reliably and professionally so there’s no fear of upset.

Our specialised fields of expertise include those employed or involved in the following areas:

• Import/Export companies
• Pharmaceutical or Medical related industries
• Veterinary and allied fields
• Chemical and other manufacturing
• Sales and marketing
• Engineer
• Mining and Milling

Our products and services

• Corporate travel
• Leisure travel
• Conferences, events, incentives
• Entertainment tickets/packages
• Online booking engine
• 24-hour access
• 24-hour emergency assistance
• E-ticketing
• Online account service
• 24/7 Online reporting
• Special interest travel
• American Express Membership Rewards® redemption centre

On our customers’ behalf, DBT has aligned itself with all major airlines (Qantas Airways, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Blue, Singapore Airlines, JAL, United Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Etihad, Swiss Air and Regional Express (NSW). That’s just to name a few.

DBT does not have a special commission earning agreement with any airline whereby we’re seen to funnel business through any one carrier, to better enrich ourselves, financially.

We have preferred agreements, however these agreements must be met with an airline’s ability to (1) offer an affordable transport solution, and (2) provide our customers with consistent and on time air travel logistics.

DBT is also aligned with Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, Europcar, Driveaway and National car hire. We also have negotiated rates at Stella Hospitality hotels, Starwood Group, Crowne Plaza, Vibe Hotels, Accor and a vast number of corporate and boutique hotels worldwide through the Travelscene American Express network. For the same reason, we engage these properties based on cost, vicinity and levels of service provided to our customers.

DBT offers an excellent selection of services, be it online (fully reported data made available to you) or personally through email or telephone communication.

We provide an emergency “wherever you are” customer comfort service, manned 24 hours a day, and have a massive network of global partner offices throughout the world and throughout the Travelscene American Express network.

Want to learn more about DBT? Call us on 1800 678 555

Our Awards

• AFTA Award – Best Corporate TMC NSW
• Best Asia Business Travel Consultant
• Special recognition: Best Europe & UK Consultant
• Nominee: Best Business Travel Agency NSW
• Donna Meads-Barlow Finalist: Telstra Business Woman of the Year – 2008

Why I run a Travel Management Company

As the Managing Director and owner of the Donna Barlow Travel Group, travel is my passion! I make it my business to surround myself with excellent travel professionals that each have 15 plus years travel consulting experience – only the best in the business is good enough for DBT clients.

My vision is to ensure that each member of my team equally share my passion for travel and travelling. Each consultant is hand-picked for their tenacity and ability to think outside the square and their dedication to consistently go above and beyond our clients’ desires and expectations – no matter the spend!

I enjoy the challenge of continually raising the technological bar, providing DBT team and our clients with every tool globally available to ensure efficient, smooth and cost-saving travel management.

It’s my philosophy that my team will always provide suggestions and ideas for effective Travel Management by being involved and proactive. Our collective involvement in the industry and trade associations allows our team to stay abreast of changes in the marketplace, to be introduced to new destinations, maintain and enhance existing relationships with airlines, hotels, car companies, attractions, restaurants and the likes.

I remind my team regularly “It’s a fact that clients have multiple choices where they buy their travel” . When it comes to choosing a preferred Travel Management Company, I relish how my team stands with me and personally guarantees our clients will not find a more dedicated team than that of DBT Corporate.

That’s why I choose to own a Travel Management Company – to challenge our competitors and continue to delight our clients with results!

Our top 3 corporate travel tips

• Book in advance. Airfares can be cut by 10% by booking flights at least a week ahead. If fares have to be bought at the last minute, insist on best fare of the day even if travellers complain it is not their favourite airline. Also ask yourself: does the ticket need to be flexible? Maybe the fare can be fixed one way and flexible the other, delivering an average 20 to 30% saving.
• Eat healthy meals when travelling. It's easy to grab fast food, but your quality of life won't improve. Make a real effort to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, leaner meats and fish, and cut out the starch wherever you can.
• Keep your laptop clean. Regularly clean your cache, defrag the hard drive, purge unnecessary programs, empty the trash and update your virus protection systems.

Need an example of how we go out of our way for our clients?

An example of how a little local knowledge and a want to understanding our clients pays off: One client visiting Thailand was worried by the local food, has an allergy to ginger, and believed many local dishes included ginger as a main ingredient. Our DBT consultant explained: No problem, when you ordering for say “anh mii ow king, mai pet khob khun khap”. Meaning: food with no ginger/not spicy, thank you. Our consultant then listened to our client for a few minutes while he practised the Thai phrase, plus offered some other basic phrases and handy hints.

DBT Consultants believe that it’s the extra mile we go educating our clients that makes them come back time and again.

Our clients’ testimonials

"A long-standing friend introduced Donna and her company DBT Corporate to me in 1998. He recommended that we would find their services so superior that as a growth company ourselves we could not afford to be without them. He spoke of the individual service and the lengths that Donna and her company would go to, to provide clients with the best travel service available. He told of instances where only Donna’s incredible drive to achieve excellence for her clients, and her special and well earned relationship with her industry providers, overcame travel disasters in Asia, and how he and his staff have never been let down over many years.

The move to a business relationship with Donna and her team at DBT Corporate has been everything that was promised and more.

Since 1998, our company has grown from 50 Australian based employees to close to 700. Of all our traditional service providers, DBT Corporate Travel is unique in meeting our substantially increased demands.

The entire DBT team demonstrates a great balance of intellect, passion, accuracy, care for people and commitment to overcome any hurdle that’s presented to them. Donna’s business strategy is dynamic. Just because she enjoyed success last year doing things in a certain manner does not discourage her from continually questioning whether what she is doing, and how she is doing it, is right. Change is constant. Their use of modern tools and her ability to train her customers into using these tools for mutual benefit is commendable. Clearly Donna is growing her business yet the personal touches still remain. I particularly appreciate the regular, confidential and very professional review meetings, which is a model of proper business practice.

Often the quality of a business person can best be measured through the staff they employ, their ability to retain key personnel and how their staff embraces the culture of the business. In this area, Donna is outstanding. It matters not at all who you ask within the DBT workforce to meet your needs. You are treated with equal courtesy, attention to detail and timeliness, even when your regular consultant is unavailable. DBT business systems are well honed so that all DBT staff are able to instantly access appropriate data and deal with your enquiry in a totally reliable manner. Staff are selected and trained to maintain the high DBT standards. DBT Corporate is a model for a contemporary service business.

There is also fun and laughter, and some very personal touches in her relationship with clients. There is genuine appreciation for the support Donna receives from her staff and people within her customers’ organisations and she acknowledges this in an appropriate manner.

I have particularly admired Donna for her sense of decency and her ability to balance her lifestyle in such a manner that she offers much back to the community, outside her business. The DBT team is involved in charity work and provides leadership in a key area of child and family relationship and support.

DBT is acknowledged among legal, industry and medical professions for their drive and willingness to fight for what is right for their clients while never losing dignity or sense of humour."

John Hirst — Group Managing Director, Nuplex Industries Limited