Case Study: Linde

Perk helps Linde streamline approvals, reduce travel costs, and simplify travel for 850+ users

Linde is the world's largest industrial gas supplier by market share and revenue, producing air gases essential to industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and energy. With operations on every continent and almost every country, and every employee traveling at least once a year, business travel plays a key role in how Linde keeps its global teams connected and its operations running smoothly.

And to match the pace of their global operations, Linde was looking for a travel management platform that was flexible, scalable, and ready to grow with them.

Off-platform bookings, rising costs, and mounting manual work

Before switching to Perk, Fourad Kara, Procurement Manager at Linde noticed the mounting challenges. The team used AMEXGBT, a platform that often created more friction than efficiency. This resulted in many employees bypassing the system altogether, booking travel independently, and submitting expenses for reimbursement.

One of the biggest issues was the lack of alignment between the platform’s capabilities and Linde’s travel policy, leading to:

Non-compliant approvals: Employees could assign any colleague as their approver, leading to inconsistent oversight and compliance issues.

Off-platform bookings: Frustrated by the platform’s limitations and limited inventory, many employees booked directly and submitted reimbursements later.

Inconsistent pricing: AMEXGBT charged different fees for online and offline bookings, with pricing that often far exceeded public rates.

Inflated ticket costs: A flight from Lyon to Munich that typically costs £130 could cost over £350 on the AMEXGBT platform.

Manual cost management: Procurement had to constantly remind travelers to choose cheaper booking methods and manually track spend patterns.

"Managing travel costs meant constantly challenging colleagues to avoid expensive booking options. It was a drain on time and productivity.”

Fourad Kara, Procurement Manager at Linde

More control and company-wide adoption

With the support of Perk's implementation team, the migration from AMEX GBT to Perk took just one month, and the platform now supports over 850 users.

Today, all employees across Linde France and BeNeLux who travel book through Perk. That’s a notable jump in adoption compared to when the company used AMEXGBT.

With direct managers now designated as the sole approvers, the travel approval process is finally aligned with Linde’s internal policies, giving the company more control over travel bookings and spend.

“Everyone travels at least once a year, and they all use Perk to book their travel arrangements. Our user numbers have grown significantly since switching from AMEXGBT.”

Fourad Kara, Procurement Manager at Linde

Transparent pricing, more inventory, and big savings

The switch to Perk also helped Linde eliminate hidden costs and gain full pricing transparency. Instead of varying service fees depending on booking method or travel type, Perk charges a flat fee for each booking.

This consistency means procurement teams no longer have to track multiple price tiers or manually push travelers toward lower-cost options.

Beyond platform fees, Linde has achieved significant cost reductions and operational efficiencies since switching to Perk. The team reports that some flights have been up to 50% cheaper compared to their previous provider, AMEXGBT.

In addition, over the past 12 months, Linde has realized £35,000+ in total savings across multiple dimensions:

£180 saved on hotel bookings by using Perk’s negotiated rates.

£13,470 in total policy savings through consistent in-policy bookings across hotels, trains, and cars.

£5,740 in flight policy savings, driven by compliance with short- and long-haul travel policies.

£3,390 in finance team savings due to reduced time spent on booking administration.

£2,260 in online booking efficiencies thanks to faster workflows versus traditional TMCs.

£2,640 in post-booking support savings through streamlined traveler support processes.

£3,660 recovered via FlexiTravel through refunded cancellations.

These savings highlight both hard cost reductions and soft efficiencies across departments, showcasing the tangible ROI Linde has gained through Perk.

Travelers also have access to a wider inventory. Options like Ryanair, TrainItalia, and flexible train fare categories are now available, where they weren’t before.

“We are absolutely saving money thanks to the flat fee structure. And we can often save up to 50% on ticket prices to our main destinations, too.”

Fourad Kara, Procurement Manager at Linde

Increased visibility and easy access to data and insights

With all bookings centralized on one platform, Linde uses Perk’s reporting tools to track spend, monitor compliance, and compare trends across months and quarters. Several team members have been designated as analysts, with direct access to reporting dashboards and invoices.

The team also uses Perk to support corporate sustainability reporting by tracking CO₂ emissions—a key metric for Linde’s global procurement team.

“It’s much easier than before to access insights from the data because everything is being booked from within the Perk platform.”

Fourad Kara, Procurement Manager at Linde

An easy-to-use platform

Employees have been quick to notice the difference Perk makes compared to their experiences with AMEXGBT. They appreciate the cleaner design, wider travel options, and a much more flexible experience.

“Our team really prefers Perk over AMEXGBT—it’s just a lot easier to use. We can do everything we need right from the platform. Frequent travelers have mentioned how flexible the travel options are, and they’ve found the customer care team super friendly, efficient, and always helpful.”

Fourad Kara, Procurement Manager at Linde