Business Travel Now February 2010

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NOW manage your travel spend better

February 2010

Barloworld rides high Bakker breaks savings record after mymarket marathon

How to negotiate the

MI minefield

■ The latest on offer in Economy Class ■ Destination updates: Shanghai and Durban ■ Corporate countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup ■ Travel associations – the benefits of being a member



Contents

The top ten for 2010

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S a year winds down, people generally like reviewing and reflecting upon the so-called highlights of the months that have gone by. I guess it’s a form of closure in preparation for the next year. When the new year rolls around, conversation turns to trends – especially the top ten of whatever sector you’re reading about – for the year ahead. In keeping with this tradition, I thought I’d share some business travel trends – yes, the top ten for 2010 – as predicted by a Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) survey of global clients and suppliers already in 2007! The trends mentioned at the time were, I think, relevant to our business today: 1. Companies will increasingly focus on managing demand and minimising travel (but there’ll always be a need for face-to-face meetings for business and client relationships despite the uptake in tele- and videoconferencing). 2. The war for talent may lead to less-restrictive travel policies, offset by tougher compliance measures (focus will be on employees’ work-life balance and driving productivity and less on achieving savings at the expense of traveller comfort and wellbeing). 3. Companies will step up efforts to manage travel-related risks (Duty of Care). 4. Policies will be greener and travellers more environmentally aware. 5. Technology will continue to improve the traveller experience, with key concepts including self-service, plug and play, one-stop shop and mobile. 6. Suppliers will continue to seek lower distribution costs. 7. Dynamic hotel pricing will take off. 8. Multiple forces will impact the competitive landscape. 9. Suppliers will increasingly segment services and apply selective discounts. 10. Cooperation among industry players will be key. CWT national sales and marketing manager in SA, Ingrid von Moltke, says not much has changed since the forecast except that the following areas will be refined further: “Virtual meetings will continue to gain popularity in line with demand management. The focus on cost savings in the recessionary period will temporarily move away from traveller comfort and wants, and travel policies in certain instances are definitely becoming more restrictive. This trend should continue through 2010 as the top priority but may reverse from 2011 onwards. Globalisation is also on the increase to gain maximum value.” ■ All the best! – KIM COCHRANE

COVER STORY BTN interviews Barloworld’s Chris Bakker about the travel management challenges experienced by a diverse group with a significant spend and about implementing an online travel management solution. Cover image by Tijana Huysamen.

News

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On the radar

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Power panel

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• Airlink – what now? Corporates assess options • Malaysia Airlines boosts capacity • Emirates launches exclusive lounge at ORTIA

Corporate travel associations – the membership benefits

Management information: are we getting enough?

Profile

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On the radar

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On the radar

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Destinations

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Destinations

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Deal detective

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New option

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Chris Bakker on the implementation of mymarket.com

Corporate countdown to the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Economy class – the latest developments

Durban, SA

Shanghai, China

Victoria Falls, Mauritius, Italy and many more specials PUBLISHER David Marsh MANAGING EDITOR Natalia Thomson CONSULTING EDITOR Kim Cochrane CONTRIBUTORS Linda van der Pol, Max Marx, Hilka Birns, Melody Brandon, Liesl Venter, Natasha Tippel, Sue Lewitton

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Brought to you by Now Media, Business Travel Now is a professional travel publication aimed at South African travel procurement decision-makers in travel-buying companies. This publication aims to reflect an unbiased perspective of the corporate travel industry offering insight and tools encouraging readers to manage their travel spend better. BTN is the media partner of ACTE SA and the ITMSA.

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February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

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News

B assess options Corporates

after Airlink cancels flights

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February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

ARLOWORLD has cautioned its business against use of Airlink for now, advises outgoing travel manager, Chris Bakker. “We can’t ignore the safety issues they’ve had over the past few months. The problem is they had the monopoly on most of their routes and that will no doubt affect us as there are no alternatives. We’re looking into video- and teleconferencing as an option. Where essential meetings have to take place, our staff will drive. Fortunately a lot of the routes under review are coastal routes that are not big for us.” Hot on the heels of the CAA’s decision to lift the suspension of one of Airlink’s 14 grounded Jetstream aircraft, the airline announced the cancellation of three of its routes and is evaluating a further four. “While uncertainty prevails as to when the remainder of Airlink’s Jetstreams return to service, we are exploring various businesssustaining scenarios and contingencies,” said Airlink sales and marketing manager, Karin Murray. At the time of writing, the airline had cancelled the PLZ-BFN, BFN-GRJ and JNB-AAM routes and DBN-GRJ, PLZ-ELS, NLP-LVI and CPTUTN were under evaluation. The decision to cancel and re-evaluate routes came after 14 of the airline’s Jetstream aircraft were grounded by the CAA on December 24.

In the meantime, Airlink will be leasing an additional four Embraer 135LR regional jets. This is a concern for travel agents, who have many corporate clients needing to fly between George and Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein, says Johan Le Roux, md of Astra Travel Bloemfontein. The only option available to get clients to their destinations would be for them to fly via Johannesburg or Cape Town, a time-consuming and costly exercise. “I’m concerned that the Port Elizabeth-East London route is being re-evaluated,” says Denise Foster, branch manager of Carlson Wagonlit Port Elizabeth. “Although East London is a three-hour drive, for a corporate who needs to be in the town for an hour-long meeting, this amounts to six hours’ driving and possibly a stay-over, which will cost far more than an air ticket.” Samantha Boucher, travel coordinator for Rehau Polymer Southern Africa, says these developments won’t have a big impact on the company, as it only uses Airlink between ELS and PLZ. “To drive this route takes about three and a half hours. If you have to be at the airport one hour before, fly for 50 minutes and then collect a rental car, you end up spending the same amount of time. The only difference is that you could work while waiting to board or in the plane.”


News

Malaysia Airlines boosts capacity to four flights a week

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ALAYSIA Airlines will launch two new weekly non-stop flights from Johannesburg to Kuala Lumpur from March 30, bringing to four the number of flights per week the carrier will operate from South Africa. Departing 13h40, with arrivals in Kuala Lumpur at 06h10, the two additional flights will operate on Tuesday and Friday, in addition to existing flights operating on Monday and Thursday. The additional services, said newly appointed area manager South and Central

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Africa Yusnodjarwadi Said, will encourage corporate travel to this business capital of South East Asia. “The new Friday services will also appeal to SA leisure travellers as they will be able to maximise their time away by starting their holidays at the start of the weekend. Customers are also assured of easy connectivity to Kuala Lumpur and beyond with the early-morning flight arrival.” The new weekly direct service will be operated using a B777-200 aircraft with 245 economy and 35 business class seats, providing a total weekly capacity of 560 seats in direction.

Correction PLEASE note the error in BTN’s January MICE feature – Comments attributed to Lynda Green should have been attributed to Kathy Nel, manager of Incentive and Event Management for HRG Rennies Travel. BTN apologises for the mistake.

Emirates launches exclusive lounge at ORTIA EMIRATES recently celebrated the official opening of the airline’s first exclusive lounge in Africa at OR Tambo International Airport. It is open to Emirates’ first- and business-class passengers, as well as Gold Skywards members. The new Johannesburg lounge features leather armchairs, flat-screen TVs, an extensive collection of international and

local newspapers and magazines, shower facilities and a business centre. Also on offer is an extensive menu of complimentary hot and cold gourmet dishes and full bar service. The facility has seating for 135 guests and is located on the Mezzanine level at OR Tambo’s Duty Free Mall, between boarding gates A4 and A7.

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

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On the radar

Travel associations –

why it’s worth being a member

Corporate travel associations assist by providing access to global trends, industry developments and best practices, hereby enabling the effective management of travel programmes. Words by Kim Cochrane.

NBTA announces European expansion

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HE National Business Travel Association (NBTA), a global business travel and corporate meetings organisation, has announced a major expansion into Europe, culminating in the formation of NBTA Europe, which will be managed by the Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) of the UK and Ireland, advises new NBTA Europe md Paul Tilstone. NBTA Europe will provide corporate travel professionals in the world’s second-largest business travel market with the first buyer-led, multinational European business travel and meetings network, he adds. In addition to NBTA and the ITM, NBTA Europe launches with the cooperation of various partner associations: Danish

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Business Travel Association, the Iberian Business Travel Association of Spain, Nederlandse Associatie voor Travel Management (Netherlands Association for Travel Management), the Norwegian Business Travel Association and the Swedish Business Travel Association. Members of these associations automatically become members of NBTA Europe for the first year. NBTA Europe represents more than 2 000 regional corporate and government travel and meetings managers as well as travel service providers. Members collectively manage and direct more than €100 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than three million business travellers.

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

Monique Swart moves on from ACTE Monique Swart, ACTE’s regional director: Middle East & Africa, will be leaving ACTE at the end of February to explore new opportunities in unrelated consulting and marketing work. Swart has been involved with the association since its launch in SA in 1999 and helped it grow consistently over the years. “It’s certainly been a long ride with ACTE and I’m going to be sad to go but it’s time to move on, broaden my horizons, and apply myself to new challenges”


On the radar

ACTE

ITMSA

■ UNIQUE VISION “The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is the only truly global travel association. We give all members equal rights when delivering top-class travel management education.”

■ UNIQUE VISION The Institute of Travel and Meetings Southern Africa (ITMSA) is a not-for-profit buyer-led association dedicated to promoting business travel and meetings management as a profession and to protecting the interests of corporate travel buyers. Its main aim is to “empower travel managers through education”.

■ BACKGROUND ACTE, established in 1987, is a not-for-profit association providing executive-level global education and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. Membership spans all segments of business travel, from corporate buyers to travel agencies and suppliers. ACTE serves members in more than 82 countries and annually hosts more than 10 000 attendees at its events around the world. ACTE has representatives in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the United States. ACTE launched in SA in June 1999 and expanded into Africa with a launch event in Lagos, Nigeria in April 2007. ■ TOTAL MEMBERS Over 2 800 members globally, with a third split between travel agents, suppliers and buyers. There are over 160 members for Africa/SA. ■ ONE GOOD REASON TO BELONG “ACTE offers global perspectives on local issues and involves all sectors so as to provide a platform for open communication, idea sharing and problem solving, hereby advancing the business travel industry.” ■ WHY SHOULD WE RECOMMEND YOU? “ACTE members are given the opportunity to get involved in proactive solutions to shape and improve the industry.” ■ GLOBAL MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS • Global insights and learning through 50+ educational programmes held around the world • Online access to Global Membership Directory (with contact details) • ACTE Connect: The one-stop resource for up-to-date industry knowledge, research and best-practices • ACTE Job Bank: Connecting members and employers • Preferred pricing at all ACTE events worldwide • Free subscriptions to ACTE publications (Global Business Journal, Globalink, etc.) • Participation in ACTE Power Polls to benchmark industry issues and standards; on ACTE advisory and planning committees; and on ACTE Board of Directors (open to all members from all regions) ■ LOCAL MEMBER BENEFITS • Complimentary subscription to Business Travel Now magazine and Travel Daily News • Preferred pricing to all local executive forums • Access to South Africa-specific webcasts ■ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE R1 775 excl VAT. ■ PLANS FOR 2010 “To continue delivering top-class travel management education and networking opportunities via Executive Forums, PowerTalks and Webcasts, ensuring that topics are relevant to the current market and to delegates.” Mark your calendar for ACTE’s 2010 global education conferences – Chicago (May 16-18) and Berlin (October 3-5). ■ BENEFITS FOR ONCE-OFF GUESTS “Delegates will witness our neutrality and ability to tackle sensitive and controversial topics in an open and honest manner to shed light on issues impacting daily work environments. Delegates will leave events with ideas and solutions that can be implemented immediately.” ■ CONTACT Visit www.acte.org for details on upcoming events. To connect with ACTE – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Picasa. From March, for further information on ACTE in Africa, contact Megan Costello at mcostello@acte.org. DISCLAIMER: BTN compiled this comparative table on the basis of information supplied by the associations in question.

■ BACKGROUND The Institute of Travel & Meetings UK & Ireland (ITM), previously the Institute of Travel Management, was established in 1956. The ITMSA – formed in May 2006 as a fully affiliated region of the ITM (UK & Ireland) – is a Section 21 company run by a local volunteer board of directors. The positions of chairperson and chairperson elect are reserved for buyer members. ■ TOTAL MEMBERS “This figure is confidential. The current ratio of members is buyers (77%), industry practitioners (4%) and suppliers including TMCs (19%). Membership growth over the past 12 months is 81%”. Travel buyer membership requirements are: applicants must be employed as travel managers (or similar title) by a commercial organisation and involved in the procurement of travel services on a daily basis (this extends to executives and procurement managers with responsibility for travel operations). ■ ONE GOOD REASON TO BELONG “We are the voice of the travel buyer and as such provide relevant content.” ■ WHY SHOULD WE RECOMMEND YOU? “Since we are travel buyer led, our content comes from the heart of the industry. We continue to address common issues that travel buyers live and deal with every day. To a large extent, prior to the formation of the ITMSA, travel buyers found themselves isolated. Many of our topics are controversial and push people out of their comfort zones. We strive to increase members’ industry knowledge, meaningfully expand their contact networks, improve corporate business travel programmes and develop career opportunities for buyers.” ■ GLOBAL MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS The ITM (UK & Ireland) presently represents over 1 000 professional buyers and suppliers with a travel and meetings spend in excess of £34 billion per annum and over 50% of the FTSE 100. Members now receive free NBTA Europe membership. Members also have full access to Project ICARUS papers and tools on all aspects of corporate social responsibility, from papers on measuring and managing emissions to guidance on Duty of Care. Those managing travel and meetings programmes can also seek accreditation while suppliers can gain recognition for their initiatives. ■ LOCAL MEMBER BENEFITS The ITMSA delivers benefits through an integrated programme of an annual conference, forums and buyers’ circles. Benefits include: • Special discounted rates to ITMSA events and workshops • Complimentary access to one forum per annum • All members receive free NBTA Europe membership • All members receive a Platinum Protea Prokard from Protea Hotels • Complimentary subscription to Business Travel Now magazine • Directory of ITM and ITMSA members • Access to members zone of website www.itm.org.uk, which includes white papers, research, educational tools, vocational qualifications and training. Members have access to the ITM Professional Certificate Course ■ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE Once-off joining fee of R1 000. R2 600 per 12-month membership. ■ PLANS FOR 2010 ‘Real issues: Real time’ is the tagline for the 2010 ITMSA conference (September 15 and 16) in Johannesburg. ■ BENEFITS FOR ONCE-OFF GUESTS The first forum is free for travel buyers. “Our conversion rate is just short of 100% of visitors becoming members.” ■ CONTACT Sharon Richards-Lund, ITMSA national sales and marketing manager: +27 (0)82 823 9720. www.itmsa.org or sharon@itmsa.org. February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

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Power Panel

A mine of

information Management information systems (MIS) remain a thorn in many a travel manager’s side, leading us to ask our three panelists the question: ‘MI – Are we getting enough quickly enough?’ By Liesl Venter.

This month’s panel of expertise

Are we getting management information quickly enough?

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Stephanie Unsted, TravelLinck gm

Ingrid von Moltke, Carlson Wagonlit Travel SA national sales and marketing manager

Felicity Meyer, Ernst & Young travel manager

By their very nature, management information reports (MIRs) take time – meaning more often than not they arrive on desks weeks, if not months, after travel. A varied number of reasons exist for this, from having to wait for travel suppliers to close their books to waiting for the accounting process to wrap up. “There is no quick solution or answer to this,” says Ernst & Young’s Felicity Meyer. “We are definitely not getting MIRs quickly enough from a corporate point of view, but then you must understand that suppliers cannot give it to you any quicker than what they are. I believe identifying and understanding the function of what the MIR is there to do is crucial for the successful use of it within a corporate organisation.” TravelLinck’s Stephanie Unsted agrees, saying for the general travel industry, most travel management providers do not offer ‘real-time’ reporting, which in essence changes ownership of the data from supplier to client, which is the way it should be. “Clients need to be able to access their MIR at any time, instantly, giving them the most valuable component of travel – data.” Systems ensuring these reports are delivered are just not being developed quickly enough. “For MIRs to be used effectively, they should be presented in a user-friendly format and according to each client’s requirements for use by all the stakeholders,” says Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s Ingrid von Moltke. “The client should be able to identify information

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

required through executive summaries in dashboard format, with the ability to drill down into specifics. The information gleaned from the MI should assist the travel manager in formulating and refining travel policy, measuring and modifying traveller behaviour, vendor selection and optimising on cost of service and supplier rates.”

What are the current challenges facing industry? For MI to be meaningful and provide real business intelligence, it needs to be as ‘live’ as possible, agrees Von Moltke. It must also be accurate, comprehensive, consistent, user-friendly and customisable as well as be available in different formats with the ability to change the view of the data. “A challenge that has been around for a long time is the consolidation of data from different sources (TMC, car rental, hotels etc.) and in different formats (i.e. credit card data),” says Von Moltke. “Discrepancies can arise due to factors such as naming conventions (traveller and supplier), booked versus ticketed data or even the reporting period used.” Unsted says you’ll always have challenges in situations where the information available at the time of booking does not correspond with the final cost of a service. “Historically, this has mainly applied to car hire and accommodation since total flight costs did not deviate from the upfront costs. Car-hire companies are certainly far more proactive than hotels at providing accurate post-trip data, hence the main

challenge at the moment is poor hotel data.” But, says Unsted, if airlines for instance start charging more for services that are not known at the time of making a reservation, today’s exception will become tomorrow’s norm, presenting industry with an entirely new challenge. Meyer says the integrity of data remains a big problem and one that is by no means uniquely South African. “The data does not always have the integrity you expect it to have – unused tickets are but one example. How does one police an unused ticket report – if it were accurate, it could be very useful, but is it accurate?”

Overcoming the challenges… The answer lies in first accepting that MIRs are not real-time reports and should not be perceived as such, says Meyer. “Expectations of the reports have been unrealistic and there has been much frustration around MIRs being late. But for MI to have any value, you must understand what you need it for and what it’s useful for and what not.” Meyer says those wanting to use MIRs to manage their travel will find themselves in murky waters. “MI is valuable to see where your travel spend has gone; it is useful in supply and negotiations. It is a wonderful guideline and one of the tools you can use to measure your travel but it is not the tool to be using to manage travel overall.” Unsted says overcoming the challenges means finding a way of getting ‘real-time’ reporting – a must for buyers and suppliers. “Partner with a local


Power Panel

technology provider who is able to move and develop solutions and customisations quickly, which act as a consolidated repository for all the client’s spend, whether using one or more TMCs”. Von Moltke says ideally all data related to any booking should be captured from the moment of inception, quoting and finalisation. “This would enable travel managers to get a more complete picture of the booking process and traveller behaviour.” She says within a TMC environment, reporting needs to be seamless across the two areas of front office and back office. “To prevent inaccuracies creeping in, automation is key. The main factor in inaccurate reporting is incorrect data capturing at source and if this process is automated, this problem can be eliminated to a large degree.”

How to get more value out of your MIR Travel managers need to assess the required outcomes for their travel programmes and identify the type of management reporting that would be relevant in assisting them to identify the opportunities to achieve this, says Von Moltke. “In other words, if used effectively, MIRs allow corporate travel managers to select and monitor their key travel programme metrics against goals and view progress made towards achieving these goals.” She adds: “With a huge amount of development, resource and cost used in the compilation of MIRs, it is a valuable tool not always used to its full potential by corporates.” Meyer says if you know how to use your MIR to its full potential,

there is definitely value in it. “Expecting too much of the systems and reports is heading for failure. It really is about understanding the limitations but also using MI for the right purpose. The perception of the function has not necessarily been correct and that is the first step in getting more value out of it.” Meyer says it’s also about establishing close relationships with all the role players in the travel chain, from booker, to supplier, to manager to the actual travellers. “It really is about relationships and outcomes and not just about relying on a piece of paper that is presented once every six or so weeks. It’s also about using your MI correctly, establishing good systems of your own, understanding the various sources of data and the anomalies of the data, and then consolidating all of this into a useful document that your organisation can use.” There is no doubt, says Unsted, that clients who manage travel have become more travel wise and it’s time to let technology work for you. ■

Ideally all management information (MI) should be as ‘live’ as possible, but the challenge is that data does not always tie up the complete picture for a trip.

– Ingrid von Moltke

Next month our Power Panel looks at social networking and how social media are becoming increasingly impossible for travel buyers to ignore.

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

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Profile

On the

road again Kim Cochrane speaks with Barloworld’s Chris Bakker about the travel management challenges experienced by a diverse group with a significant spend, implementing an online travel management solution and about why he’s chosen to move on.

Pics: tijuana huysamen

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Chris Bakker loves cycling and it’s no surprise then that Lance Armstrong is a role model. “For someone to overcome a life-threatening disease and bounce back to become the greatest Tour de France rider ever is just inspirational.”

10 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

T is not uncommon to see Chris Bakker, outgoing travel manager for Barloworld, arriving at a travel function wearing a black leather jacket, his helmet tucked under one arm. He loves motorbikes and cycles regularly for exercise and as such “detests any vehicle with more than two wheels”. In other words, he takes his cycling seriously and as an adrenalin junkie, he can’t resist the power and speed of modern sport bikes. He also couldn’t resist the opportunity, which presented itself late last year, to take up the Cape Town-based position of mymarket.com business unit manager for the Western Cape, effective this month. Following the implementation in 2008 of mymarket.com at Barloworld, Bakker was so impressed by the technology and its impact on travel management that he wanted to become more involved in the further promotion and roll-out of the end-to-end solution at other corporations looking for enhanced automation of travel processes. “When I first started at Barloworld in 2006, we had some work to do regarding further consolidation of our travel programme and I had to find a suitable online booking tool. Since day one, my focus has been on using available technology to our advantage,” he says. The biggest travel management issue he faced was the diversity of companies forming part of the group. “Barloworld comprises Barloworld Corporate Office, Barloworld Logistics, Barloworld Logistics Africa, Barloworld Equipment, Barloworld Power, Barloworld Handling and Agriculture, Barloworld Motor Retail, Barloworld Automotive and Avis. We also manage the travel for Pretoria Portland Cement although the company is no longer part of Barloworld.” He says: “Every group company is very different to the next and there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution for the


Profile

group. The travel solutions (even where we use mymarket.com) and programmes reflect these differences. Each division has its own travel policy, approval strategy and ERP system. We do, however, consolidate all travel spend at a Barloworld level to negotiate preferred supplier deals.” While Bakker was the only travel manager for the group, sufficient resources were in place to make travel bookings within the divisions. “I’ve had regular meetings with the travel ‘champions’ at each group company to discuss problems and issues affecting that company. We also have dedicated staff in the various accounts departments who look after the financial aspect of the travel operation.”

Smarter travel Travel spend is significant in terms of total procurement commodities. “Barloworld operates in the customer service space and contact with clients – such as Nike, Sappi, Ellerines etc. – is of the utmost importance. The same applies to our equipment division (Caterpillar machines). As such, we’ll never be able to put a moratorium on travel or cut travel budgets drastically no matter how tough times are. We can, however, travel smarter and use available technology to our benefit. We responded to the economic downturn in 2009 by ensuring we used the lowest available air fares at the time of booking. We also opted for more day trips to domestic destinations, saving on accommodation and car-rental costs. Tele- and videoconferencing is not a big focus since we believe personal contact with our clients is too important.” Other travel priorities include good relationships with preferred partners. “I’ve tried to limit the number of preferred suppliers – and only use those who can add value to our business – and not to dilute our spend too much. As far as possible, excellent relationships with these suppliers are essential because despite new technologies, travel remains a highly complex and emotional commodity. The safety of our employees is of the utmost importance and so is Duty of Care. We choose our preferred suppliers carefully and our Risk department regularly sends us a list of countries to which Barloworld employees are not allowed to travel for business purposes. Green issues are another aspect and Barloworld employed a staff member specifically to look at the impact our business has on the environment and how we can reduce that effect.” He says currently Barloworld’s MICE spend is not controlled in the same manner as the travel spend but this will be a focus in the new

financial year (FY). The annual travel spend excluding MICE managed for the current FY is R43m; it was R61m in the previous year.

Where did it begin? Bakker was born and grew up in Vereeniging. When he was 14 years, the family moved to Potchefstroom where he finished school and university; he completed a BA degree majoring in Communication and Psychology. His career in the travel industry began 19 years ago when he was appointed as a junior travel consultant at Ritz Reise in Windhoek, Namibia, where he enjoyed five years. The following 16 years were spent in the retail sector of the industry, which ultimately prepared him for his move to Barloworld. He believes without a doubt that his biggest achievement during his time at Barloworld has been to source and implement the most appropriate technology solution. “I’m also proud of how we’ve consolidated our corporate travel business and the relationships I have with our preferred suppliers.” Barloworld Corporate Office, Barloworld Logistics, Barloworld Logistics Africa, Barloworld Motor Retail and Barloworld Automotive now all use mymarket.com, customised for their purposes. “The system – roll-out at the first division (Barloworld Motor Retail) started in November 2008 – has been a huge success and these companies are achieving excellent savings of up to 57% in some cases (savings on service fees of between 50% and 60%, with savings on product costs of up to 70%). On average, the roll-outs took between two and three months. We are using the full mymarket.com travel solution including automated approval (via SMS), electronic fulfilment and financial interfacing. Changes can be made on the system as well, which means there’s ‘no-touch’ at our TMC (automated fulfilment – the automation issues all air tickets, hotel and car vouchers as well as invoices and distributes these to the parties concerned). The solution is quick, efficient, user-friendly and reliable. We do all our domestic, regional and simple international bookings on the system. Complex international bookings are best handled by Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), our preferred TMC partner. If a booking is made by our TMC, it’s imported into mymarket.com, ensuring that all our bookings reside in one system. This has the obvious benefit of one source of management reporting.” The other group companies use the traditional TMC solution but by April this year all Barloworld divisions should be using the

travel tool, he adds. “My biggest lesson from this process was that there’ll always be a place for TMCs who change with the times and focus on aspects of the travel process where they still add value. I don’t believe a TMC can add any value to domestic, regional or simple international bookings.” Barloworld is also about to start the roll-out of mymarket.com for other procurement commodities – not only travel – at one of its biggest group companies, which should be online by April, Bakker advises. He suggests that the implementation of the solution made him – as a travel manager – more visible in the company due to the level of cooperation required to make the adoption a success; 100% adoption is critical. “We mandate the use of the solution so travel bookers have no choice; CWT will not accept a domestic, regional or simple international booking from bookers. People are creatures of habit. If you give them the option of using the tool or the traditional travel desk, you will not get the adoption rate and the project is set up to fail. Although I generally have a good relationship with our preferred suppliers, the mymarket.com project brought us closer since our partners form a critical part of our travel programme.”

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Travel management going forward is a critical part of our business. I believe in using state-of-the-art technology to our benefit but at the same time recognise the importance of relationships with suppliers. I believe as travel managers we must change with the industry and be open to new ways of doing business. To this end, we need to engage with suppliers who share the same view. We also need a TMC that moves with the times and puts our interests first.

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

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Profile

To relax, Chris Bakker enjoys reading and listening to music. “I can appreciate most genres but opera is my favourite. In my opinion Maria Callas is the greatest opera singer and I’ve read her biography four times over the past few years. Her determination and perfectionism really motivates me.”

Impact on the way travel is managed

Fact file

To automate travel is by no means easy. “We piloted two other online booking tools before we looked at mymarket.com but having a locally developed, locally supported tool made all the difference. With such a complex project, it’s crucial that all parties (including travel bookers, travellers, approvers, IT, accounts staff, support staff etc.) are involved from the beginning. Because CWT services a number of global accounts, they sometimes have to implement a specific tool because of a global decision and their input regarding these other tools was invaluable.” He says because of access to information (like consolidated availability of all flights

presented on one screen and real-time reporting) the focus shifted to a bigger awareness of cost saving and travel policy enforcement. “Due to the automated SMS approval, approvers get an opportunity to decline the request of a booking due to a missed saving. This is very powerful since it gives us a chance to prevent a missed saving before it happens. Missed savings are also prominently displayed at the time of booking, making it more difficult for the travel booker/traveller to choose a more expensive flight. This visual guilt factor alone is responsible for a big change in traveller behaviour. Having access to all flight options (not only what the TMC sends us)

• Preferred partners – Airlines: BA/Comair, 1time, kulula.com, SAA, Lufthansa/Swiss International Air Lines, Iberia, Qantas, SA Express. Hotels: City Lodge, selected Protea Hotels. Car rental: Avis (part of the Barloworld group). TMC: Carlson Wagonlit Travel. • Top travel destinations: Domestic – Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth,

12 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

made us realise we can’t assume that low-cost airlines are always cheaper than full-service airlines, which prompted a change to our travel policies. Instead of mandating the use of low-cost airlines, our policy is now the lowest available fare at the time of reservation irrespective of airline.” According to Bakker, change management is a big issue. “This must be a key focus of any online travel management solution project after senior buyin. Follow-up support is critical and best done by someone within the company who can put all problems and issues in context. People do not like change.” Luckily for Bakker, adrenalin junkies thrive on change.

Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg, Mbombela, Polokwane, George. Regional – Lusaka, Ndola, Lubumbashi, Luanda, Windhoek, Gaborone, Maputo, Harare, Bulawayo. International – various destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Far East. • Savings over the previous year: R22m • Number of travellers: 2 400 of whom 1 700 are regular travellers.

Advice • Change with the times and be open to new ways of doing things. • Respect the fact that travel is different to other commodities in that it is complex and emotional. • Choose your suppliers and TMC carefully; they must share your view of this commodity. Do not dilute your spend by having too many preferred suppliers. Rather focus on a few who will work for your company, support them well and build good relationships with them. • Use available technology. • Do not underestimate the need for proper change management if you decide to change anything. • Never loose the human touch. ■


On the radar

Corporate

countdown to the

World Cup

The FIFA 2010 World Cup is just months away. How are companies gearing up to manage their business travel differently, whether it be in the form of travel bans, heightened safety and security measures or revised travel policies? Words by Max Marx.

A

S we know, this year will be challenging for corporate travellers and travel buyers alike with a host of events taking place leading up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. As the tournament looms ever closer, it’s dawning on many companies that a total ban on travel may be the only option, as air fares and accommodation costs escalate. The extraordinary set of circumstances created by the World Cup requires corporates to plan their business travel in advance, as they will be hard pressed to find flights, accommodation and car rental in June and July, as well as during the period leading up to the actual event.

Inventory limited Car-rental companies, hotels and airlines are mostly working on the 80/20 principle, retaining up to 20% of inventory for regular corporate clients but corporates can expect to pay surcharges on negotiated corporates rates, and Best Available Rates (BAR) of the day in many cases. Claude Vankeirsbilck, Tourvest Travel Services chief sales officer, says most carriers, hotels and car-rental companies have committed a significant amount of inventory to Match Hospitality. He says hotel inventory will be at

significantly higher rates than current rates and airline ticket availability limited. Car-hire fleets, says Vankeirsbilck, have also not been increased to the extent required to cater for incoming guests. Through the Tourvest Event Activation Management (TEAM) business unit, Vankeirsbilck says Tourvest is in a position to facilitate accommodation and transport solutions during the Fifa World Cup. “Many of our clients are combining business with a World Cup experience. The massive challenge has been airlines, which have been holding on to their inventory for the World Cup period. They are only now starting to release it, as demand becomes clearer following the December 4, 2009 draw. “We’ve opened up access to our TEAM inventory to all Asata travel agents who can contact our TEAM division to assist with accommodation and transport for their own clients.” Julie Fredericks, chief operating officer of Alexander Forbes Risk Services, only realised the scale of the challenge after plotting all the events happening this year in the period leading up to the World Cup – Comrades Marathon, Grahamstown Festival, Cape Argus Cycle Tour, Two Oceans Marathon, Cape Epic, Durban July and a slew of public holidays. “Although the actual World Cup is

June 11 to July 11, the period between March and July 2010 will be an exceptionally busy period with pre- and post-arrangements having a huge impact on business travel.” She adds: “According to FIFA, there’s an approximate shortfall of 18 000 rooms for the World Cup. This supply and demand scenario allows B&Bs and guesthouses to offer rooms at top dollar.” Sharon Richards-Lund, national sales and marketing manager for the Institute of Travel and Meetings Southern Africa, says most corporates are banning travel outright in the run up to, during and after the World Cup because of the high costs. “Some corporates are even investigating the feasibility of re-compensating employees to relocate to more provincial areas not affected by the increase in tourist numbers for the 2010 period. It’s videoconferencing or bust for many corporates.” Monique Swart, outgoing ACTE regional director: Middle East & Africa, says travel will only be undertaken if absolutely vital. She agrees most travel managers will suspend travel during the period. Baroque Medical is one company implementing a travel ban wherever possible.

turn to page 14 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

13


On the radar

“In theory, no one from Baroque Medical will be travelling up to a month before kick-off and up to four weeks after the World Cup ends,” says Mandy Elliott, head of Travel & Events. “We’ll be utilising video and teleconferencing where appropriate and adopting a wait-and-see approach, as no one really knows how it will all pan out.” Baroque Medical will not be altering its travel policy to accommodate the World Cup but will review costs and reasons for travel prior to authorisation. Elliott says price increases over the period are justified to a certain extent, however it seems that some of the proposed costs are excessively high, although this is something that has to be planned for. “I don’t think it’s realistic to expect negotiated deals to take precedence over this period unless one’s travel budget is very extensive.” Fredericks says Alexander Forbes’ strategy is to minimise travel during the World Cup period but will aim to accommodate clients wherever possible. Alexander Forbes has set its travel budgets to current air fares. “Should they escalate, travel will become unaffordable, even for large corporates,” she says. Nomvula Mthombeni, md of Duma Travel, says in December 2009 there was already limited availability on air, hotel and car rental for the World Cup period, with prices escalating. “Only full economy fares were still available, and finding Group B cars and upwards was already a challenge.” She says air travel costs have spiralled between 50% and 55% and accommodation costs nearly doubled. Mthombeni adds that companies are encouraging staff to take annual leave during the World Cup period, as productivity is expected to fall dramatically.” Protea Hotels has reserved 10% of its rooms for corporate buyers. Danny Bryer, Protea Hotels’ revenue management, and sales and marketing director, says there will be certain minimum requirements such as prepayment and a minimum length of stay during the round of 16 and then the quarters, semis and finals. “This will be a high-demand period, so prevailing BAR rates will apply.”

What about safety and security? Fredericks says the SAPS is spending R640m on the deployment of 41 000 officers specifically for the event, and through recruitment and event-specific training, come the World Cup, SA will have a significantly larger and better-trained police service than previously. In addition, countries competing in the event will send their own specially trained police officers to assist with languages and cultural differences, and support the SAPS. “South Africa will have dedicated 2010 police stations within close proximity to each stadium, and dedicated crime-investigation teams and special courts to investigate and deal with all event-related crimes 24/7.” 14 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

International SOS (Intl.SOS) is playing a major role in providing medical, safety and security logistics for the major World Cup sponsors and their guests. Sponsors will receive a one-stop and advice emergency number, and Intl.SOS will arrange immediate medical or security assistance where necessary. Many sponsors have also opted to hire multilingual Intl.SOS medical escorts to travel with them supported by multilingual staff based in their Johannesburg Alarm Centre, says Christine Marincowitz, Intl.SOS marketing manager. The company is also providing a pre-travel pack with hints and tips on how to stay safe in SA. It will also have security liaison officers stationed in each event city.

Your wheels during the World Cup Dawn Nathan-Jones, Europcar ceo in SA, says between 20%-30% of Europcar’s fleet will be reserved for its loyal corporate customers, partners and Platinum Class members. “Europcar has no intention of increasing its corporate rates in the economy and compact categories. The luxury, premium and people carrier groups will attract a slight surcharge due to availability and demand.” She urges corporate clients who need bulk vehicles (five to ten at a time) to secure reservations as soon as possible. “Due to limited availability, a deposit will be required upfront to secure the booking.” She adds it’s difficult to predict whether there will be cars available for last-minute travel during the World Cup. “Reservations have increased substantially since the draw, but we will only know the take-up and availability in real terms in June 2010.” Wayne Duvenage, Avis Rent A Car’s ce, says Avis will be honouring all corporate customers rates over the period. “There will be a slight daily surcharge over the six-week period, which in effect will increase the average corporate car rental bill by around 10%.” The company will retain a percentage of is fleet to accommodate corporate customers but Duvenage expects this fleet to come under pressure during the event. “The advice is to book as early in advance as possible. Pressure will be greatest on the larger vehicle categories (automatics).” Avis will have a specialised corporate customer control centre in place.

Air travel 1Time has entered into deals with some of its corporate clients whereby an allocation of seats will be held at an agreed price. “The seats will have release periods, so if not used will be released into our system for sale to the public,” says ceo Rodney James. James adds that airfares will be higher than off-peak periods, but expects fares to be similar to those during peak season. “Our

“It’s difficult to predict whether there will be cars available for last-minute travel during the World Cup. Reservations have increased substantially since the draw, but we will only know the take-up and availability in real terms in June 2010.” – Dawn Nathan-Jones, Europcar

corporate fares vary over peak periods, but we’ve negotiated fares with our corporates for the World Cup period.” He says lastminute seat and booking changes will be subject to availability. Gidon Novick, joint ceo Comair Ltd (British Airways and kulula.com), says Comair Ltd is gearing up to add a significant amount of additional capacity over the period. “We’ve just taken delivery of our first 737800 and will take delivery of a second early in 2010. This will help a lot. Also, we’ll be flying through the night on certain dates.” Novick does not anticipate a problem getting seats other than on a few very busy days. “I think many corporates will change their normal travel patterns, particularly if there are insufficient hotel rooms available.” He added that corporate deals would remain valid for the period.

Alternative accommodation For corporates seeking affordable accommodation during the World Cup period, the Thebe Tourism Group is offering an excellent alternative. The Group has contracted the exclusive use of 14 hotels for the period and has negotiated cost-effective rates. Several rooms are still available with rates and packages designed specifically for the corporate market. Alida Canevari, Thebe Tourism Group’s 2010 project manager, says the hotels are all in the three- to five-star range and are centrally located in several host cities. “As a value-add to the accommodation offering, Thebe Tourism is customising and tailormaking specific packages to suit the needs of small and large groups.”


How to cope with business travel during the

World Cup

Monique Swart (ACTE): • Avoid all non-critical travel. • Be prepared for possible severe delays (up to three hours) getting to/from the airport. • Any changes to pre-booked travel itinerary will be close to impossible and very expensive so plan trips carefully. • Don’t plan to park at the airport – arrange for a drop-off.

Nomvula Mthombeni (Duma Travel): • Plan and book travel early. • Fly in and out on the same day to avoid accommodation costs. • Use shuttle services instead of car rental where possible, however they will be booked up and expensive. • Corporates should investigate when and where games are scheduled and buy inventory on their ‘business critical’ busy routes. Changes and bookings will be subject to availability and a client’s frequent flyer status.

Julie Fredericks (Alexander Forbes Risk Management): • Shop around for air travel or request staff to travel by car and reimburse their costs. • Try and make appointments at locations in the opposite direction of a stadium or fan park. • Book flights at times when games are being played. Games will be played at 13h30, 16h00 and 20h30. • Get someone to drop off and pick up travellers at the airport to avoid parking hassles. Transfer companies will be busy transporting tourists and will be very expensive.

Fast facts ALL indications are that about 220 000 longhaul visitors will attend, 180 000 visitors from Africa and an average of 150 000 local supporters. On any match day it is envisaged that 100 000 travellers will need to use a travel commodity, be it flight, road or rail transportation. An additional 2 000 buses have been imported to carry these supporters. It is predicted that supporters will watch their teams play every three or four days, and when not playing, will frequent fan parks or go on city tours. ■

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

15




On the radar

Economy

Class

It’s the start of a new year. The economy is up and SA is hosting the FIFA World Cup. What does this mean for economy class travel? Natasha Tippel takes a look at the latest trends… Generally load factors have been improving and this includes economy class travel.

E

VERYONE around the world is looking forward to better times, as we continue ploughing our way out of the economic depression. But the question remains: will companies retain their cost-effective travel policies or revert back to more ‘comfortable’ means of travel? Air France/KLM commercial director for Southern Africa and Angola, Ralf Karsenbarg, says: “In general, we see the market being more critical on their travel spend, both individuals and corporate clients. As a result, we see more demand for economy and less for business class seats.” Multinational sales director EMEA for American Airlines, Julie Lerch, agrees: “Generally load factors have been improving and this includes economy class travel.” Group travel manager of Group Five, Mandy Diggle, notes a definite increase in economy class travel on international flights. “We struggled with waitlists for a good month before the festive season and had to resort to booking business class in certain instances. There has been a lot of marketing from the airlines. European destinations have become very competitive, with both European and Middle Eastern carriers offering some excellent specials.”

Saving costs still a priority

We’ve seen an uptake of economy class tickets, even for international travel especially on the shorter hauls for example Europe and Africa. This indicates a strong willingness to maintain budgets, notwithstanding policy allowance. – Rogan Taylor, SAB

Gm of Central and Southern Africa for Singapore Airlines, Benjamin Chan, says: “At the height of the economic downturn last year, we noticed system-wide that some business travellers had opted to downgrade their travel from business class to economy or deferred non-essential travel. Everyone has become more value-conscious now, although demand has picked up recently in both economy and business classes leading into 2010.” Delta Air Line’s commercial manager for South Africa, Margaret Copeland, agrees: “We’ve seen a strong demand for business class travel. Although some companies cut their travel spend, meaning business travellers flew in economy, others imposed a rule that flights longer than eight hours could upgrade.” Commodity manager of non production spend at South African Breweries, Rogan Taylor, says: “Our policy is quite clear. All employees are obliged to select the lowest cost mode of transport for domestic travel. When it comes to international travel, our policy allows travellers to choose business class for any flight duration exceeding four hours. We have, however, seen an uptake of economy class tickets, even for international travel especially on the shorter hauls for example Europe and Africa. This indicates a strong willingness to maintain budgets, notwithstanding policy allowance.”

turn to page 20 18 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW


Destinations

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

29


On the radar

Will corporates continue to fly economy? continued from page 18

In general, we see the market being more critical on their travel spend, both individuals and corporate clients. As a result, we see more demand for economy and less for business class seats. – Ralf Karsenbarg, Air France/KLM

Says Karsenbarg: “I believe the economic crisis has definitely changed travel patterns for the future, although there will always be a demand for premium cabins”. JHI executive of support services, Thea Bezuidenhout, thinks corporates will continue to travel economy to achieve cost savings based on recession travel budgets. “To motivate a huge increase will be rather difficult!” Taylor agrees: “It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce staff to alternative travel service providers, as well as completely alternative methods of conducting business meetings. If you can ingrain in the minds of your travellers that certain ‘low-cost’ options are actually more than adequate for domestic travel requirements, you’ll definitely see the upside once the green shoots have grown into shrubs! Create a travel culture that you can sustain in the long term.” Of the same mind, group head of procurement (non-merchandise) and BBBEE for Ellerine Holdings, Rod Ward, notes that cost consciousness and cost savings are being embedded in the culture and tapestry of organisations and corporations. “The

degree to which this focus continues to be observed and pursued depends on a number of factors, such as the example set from board level downwards, the governance culture of the organisation, shareholder pressures and economic realities at both micro (organisational) and macro (national or international) levels.” Diggle says, however, it’s not just about booking economy class travel. “We’ve adopted ‘best fare of the day’ for domestic travel – we still shop around for the best deal within economy class. We consider restrictions and flight schedules for each booking before deciding which option to choose. Our support of LCCs has increased to 45% of our domestic spend over the last six months.” She continues: “Now that our travellers have adapted well to flying economy class, I don’t believe it’s necessary to switch them back to business class. If we can continue to keep our travel costs down by smarter booking, have an economy class travel policy that has been adopted well and have content travellers, we are a step closer to achieving our goals.”

American Airlines expands cashless cabins to all flights The degree to which this focus on cost continues to be observed and pursued depends on a number of factors, such as the example set from board level downwards, the governance culture of the organisation, shareholder pressures and economic realities. - Rod Ward, Ellerine Holdings

Effective February 1, American Airlines will be cashless in all cabins, including economy class, onboard all flights. The airline will accept Citi/AAdvantage MasterCard, as well as other major credit and debit cards, for purchases made in flight. Cash will not be accepted. Flight attendants will utilise a hand-held onboard sales recorder, a device the airline has used since May 2006, to charge credit and debit cards, eliminating the need to search for small bills or change. Receipts are provided to passengers upon request. American Eagle and AmericanConnection flights will continue to accept only cash for onboard purchases.

turn to page 22

20 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW


Destinations

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

21


On the radar

I envisage that current economy class corporate travellers would still try to book economy class if they have to travel, but may have to revert to business class if the flights are full. – Mandy Diggle, Group Five

How will the FIFA World Cup impact Economy Class? AIRLINES are already seeing strong demand for the World Cup period in all cabins and as it’s been reported, corporates are preparing for two primary impacts on air travel – cost and availability. Group head of procurement (non-merchandise) and BBBEE for Ellerine Holdings, Rod Ward, says: “We’re dealing with an extra-normal situation where for two months the normal supply and demand drivers will be totally out of kilter and we expect the demand to far outstrip supply, despite talks in the corridors of the airlines providing additional aircraft and flights during that time.” On the other hand, there are those who think business travel might grow over the period, despite many companies recommending travel bans.

Tip ravel

My real concern is the speed of reduction in pricing after the World Cup euphoria. Will this reduction be fast and will it be commensurate to the increase experienced during the World Cup period? This is a specific area where service providers have a chance to maintain and reinforce customer loyalty. – Rogan Taylor, SAB

22 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

for

booking flights during the

World Cup

Multinational sales director EMEA for American Airlines, Julie Lerch, says: “The FIFA World Cup takes place during a period more commonly associated with leisure rather than business travel, so it’s difficult to say what will happen. But it’s possible that business travel will increase as people seek to combine this with the leisure element of the World Cup.” Gm of Central and Southern Africa for Singapore Airlines, Benjamin Chan, says: “Although we believe that there will be a lot of buzz during the Soccer World Cup and that travel during this period will be given a boost, business travel will likely see less impact. There may also be some capacity constraints so early booking will be recommended.”

Corporates should check for carriers that are increasing capacity to South Africa for that period. For example, Air France will operate three additional weekly flights during the five-week period next to their daily A380 flight

while Delta Air Lines also plans to increase services. Ward says the unexpected is sure to happen, so plan for the unexpected and agree now with your TMC how these eventualities will be dealt with as a team.

Delta to operate extra flights during World Cup TO support increased demand for travel to SA for the FIFA World Cup, Delta Air Lines will be adding six additional non-stop services throughout June and July, offering more than 1 600 seats. The flights will be operated using a B777-200LR aircraft with 278 seats. The scheduled dates are: Atlanta-Johannesburg (June 9, 11, 14, 19, 22 and July 11) and Johannesburg-Atlanta (June 10, 12, 15, 20, 23 and July 12). Delta Air Lines offers economy class passengers video on demand on its B777LR aircraft. Other features in economy class are music and video games, an amenity pack and complimentary alcohol service.


On the radar

Lufthansa amends baggage policy Lufthansa has changed its economy class free baggage allowance between North America and Europe. For passengers travelling in economy class on Lufthansa flights between the US, Canada, Mexico and the EU, the new free baggage allowance is one piece of a maximum 23kg and 158cm, plus one additional free ski. For a second bag, a fee of

€40 (R428) or US$50 (R371) will apply. The standard fees for additional, oversized or overweight bags remain. The new regulation will not apply to other regions with a piece concept application and also not to first or business class and status passengers. HON, SEN and Star Gold Card Members will still be permitted three pieces of luggage.

Secure additional leg room in Cathay’s economy CATHAY Pacific now offers passengers the option to secure seats with extra leg room in economy class by paying an additional charge. These seats could previously be reserved only by passengers such as Marco Polo Club members of a certain level and those in the highest booking classes. Cathay Pacific passengers are able to secure an extra leg room seat on longhaul flights by paying US$100 (R700) per sector. Passengers will also be able to pay for these seats by redeeming 20 000 Asia Miles. The option is available on flights to

mainland China and regional destinations for US$25 (R175) or 5 000 Asia Miles. Members of Cathay Pacific’s Marco Polo Club loyalty programme, who are already able to reserve the seats, will continue to enjoy the service free of charge. The seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The extra leg room seats have significantly more space than other seats in the economy class cabins. For most flights, there are between two and four of these seats available. Passengers are able to secure the seats through the airline’s website.

Did you know? SINGAPORE Airlines is the largest A380 operator in the world with ten A380s in its fleet. In 2009, the airline launched the superjumbo to Paris in June, Hong Kong in July and Melbourne in September. From March 28 2010, Singapore Airlines’ customers travelling between Singapore and Zurich will get to fly on the A380 when the superjumbo makes its way to the Swiss city. Daily A380 services between Singapore and Zurich will replace the existing 12 weekly frequencies between the two cities, which are operated with smaller Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

23


On the radar

ECONOMY CLASS AT A GLANCE AIRLINE

AIRCRAFT

SEAT SEAT WIDTH (CM) PITCH (CM)

AMENITY PACK

ENTERTAINMENT

EXTRAS

1time

MD82 MD83 MD87

45-46 45-46 45-46

79-86 79-86 79-86

Boarding music, in-flight magazine, kiddies packs, onboard promotions

No

-

Afriqiyah

A330-200

53

77

Individual backrest screens, movies, TV, games, interactive maps, live camera

-

Footrest rollers, USB port, baggage 48kg and 10kg hand luggage allowance

Air Austral

B737 B777

-

79 83

Videos and movies on B777 aircraft

Yes on B777

Hot towels

Air Canada

B777-300 B777-200 B767-300 B767-300 A330-300 A330-300 A321-200 A320-200 A319-100 Embraer 190 Embraer 175 CRJ-705 CRJ100/200

48 48 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 46 43 43

81 81 81 79/81 79/84 79/84 81 76/81 79/81 81 81/86 86/104 79/84

XM Satellite radio on every AC flight. Audio, TV, movies

-

-

Air France

B777-300

44

76-81

Audio and video programmes and games

Mask, earplugs, relaxation guide, refreshing towel, pillow and blanket

Air Madagascar

B767-300ER B737-300ER

44 44

79-84 74

-

No

No

Air Malawi

B737-200

43

76

No

No

No

Airlink

Jetstream Series 4100 39 Embraer 135 BAE 146 43 RJ 85 47 47

76

N/A

N/A

N/A

Air Mauritius

A319-100 A340-300 A340-300E A330-220

45 45 46 -

81-84 81-84 79-81 79

Overhead video screens and individual headsets; selection of films and documentaries; selection of music AVOD (Audio Visual On Demand); touch screen control screens; 16 interactive games

No

Onboard telephone and credit card readable handsets for in-flight shopping

Air Namibia

B737-500

43

76

No

B737-500

Biltong on request, 20kg free baggage allowance (30kg for students)

Air Seychelles B767-200ER

46

86

Selection of movies

No

Towelettes, European and Creole menus

American Airlines

B777 B767-300 B767-200 B757-200

46 45 45 45

79 79 79 79

Individual screens, video monitors

No

-

British Airways

B747-400

44

79

Personal video screen; eight channels of entertainment, three with dual language facility; complimentary headphones. Passengers under 12 have special Skyflyers service, dedicated TV and audio channel, and activity pack

Socks, eyeshades, toothbrush and toothpaste, earplugs, blanket and pillow

BA Comair

B737-200 B737-300 B737-400

43 43 43

84 84 79

In-flight magazines

No

-

Cathay Pacific B747-400 (Nov-Mar)

44 44

81 81

Personal TV with selection of 26 channels

Socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, and lanyard

Chinese Ambassadors to provide language assistance; redemption upgrade at the airport

Continental

45 45 45 45 44 44 44 44 44

79 79 79 81 81 81 81 81 79

Continental AIRWaves, Continental Magazine, audio on demand

No

Continental is now installing DIRECTV® satellite programming on select aircraft. The service is complimentary in first class and is available at each seat in economy class for $6 (R42) per flight

Delta Air Lines B777-200LR

43-46 43-46

79-84 79-84

Video on demand, music, video games, Sky magazine

-

Leather seats, complimentary alcohol service

El Al

44

81-86

Movies, music channels, and sitcoms

No

Free baggage wrap ex-JNB, hot towels

A340-600 (Apr-Oct) B777-200 B767-400 B767-200 B757-300 B757-200 B737-900 B737-800 B737-700 B737-500

B767-200ER B767-300ER

24 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

79 79 79


On the radar

AIRLINE

AIRCRAFT

SEAT WIDTH (CM)

SEAT PITCH (CM)

ENTERTAINMENT

AMENITY PACK

EXTRAS

Emirates Airlines

B777 A330

43 45

87 79

Information, communication and entertainment system; one screen per seat with video, audio and games on demand; personal stereo headsets; ability to send and receive e-mail and SMS from seat; laptop recharge points; up-to-the second information about flight progress; personal satellite telephone in each seat, central fax machine; Emirates TV and radio guide

No

Free baggage wrap ex-JNB, unique mood lighting system to help combat effects of jet lag; USB connection for MP3 players. In-flight telephone service; baby kit available

Ethiopian Airlines

B757-200ER B737-700 B767

44 44

79-84 79-84

Feature films and audio

No

Lounge services for ShebaMiles passengers

Etihad Airways

A330-200

47

81-83

Personal video screen; AVOD with over 600 hours of entertainment; and telephones in every seat

Socks, eyeshades, toothbrush and toothpaste

Hot towel service, USB port and RCA power adaptors in every seat; three main meal choices; complimentary coach transfers from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain or Dubai

Iberia

A340-300

46

81

General screen located every six seat rows

No

Two pieces of baggage ex JNB, each piece not weighing more than 23kg (some exceptions apply)

Kenya Airways

B737-800 B737-300 B777-200ER B767-300 Embraer 170

44 43 46 46 44

82 82 82 82 82

Varies according to aircraft and type; movies and music

No

Hot towels

KLM

B777-200

45

78

Personal video screens in every seat; interactive entertainment; video games and personal telephone; e-mail/SMS capabilities

No

International newspapers

Kulula.com

B737-200 B737-300 B737-400 B737-800

42 45 45

74 or 76 Inflight magazine, kiddies snack and activity 74 or 76 pack available for sale on all routes bar 74 or 76 Durban 74 or 76

No

-

Lufthansa

B747-400 (JNB) A340-600 (CPT)

44 44

79-89 78

Audio-visual entertainment

No

No

Malaysia Airlines

B747-400 B777-200

44 46

86 86

Movies, TV series, 200 CDs, audio books

No

No

Mango

B737-800

43

76

Mango TV in-flight entertainment, in-flight magazine

No

Mango Plus provides Bidvest Premier lounge access, 10kg additional check-in luggage, meal voucher on board, and same route travel flexibility. Mango Flex provides flexible same route business travel at affordable fares

Qantas

B747-400

44

79-81

AVOD: select from 60 movies, 200 TV Socks, toothbrush and programmes, 20 radio Q channels, 250 CDs toothpaste, earplugs and 10 games; personal phone in every seat; reply text messaging in every seat

Pillow and blanket, snack on Q for flights ten hours or more, hot chocolate and fresh fruit throughout the flight

Qatar Airways

A330-200

44

81

Individual seat-back screens; AVOD; Al Jazeera and BBC news; audio channels and children entertainment

Eyeshades, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, earplugs, children’s packs

No

SAA

A319 B737-800 A340-600 A340-300 A340-200

44 44 43 43 43

80 80 83-85 83-85 80

Drop-down main screen entertainment on A319 and B737-800s; personal TV screens and AVOD on A340-600

On A340-600/300/200s international economy class only: eyeshades, socks, toothpaste and toothbrush

Complimentary in-flight magazine

Singapore Airlines

B777-200ER

47

84

Choice of 500 entertainment options with up Toiletries, including to 100 movie selections toothbrush, disposable razor, comb, etc. in lavatory

Interactive language courses, on-screen travel guides, headlines with weather updates and live text news, adjustable footrests and winged headrests, signature dishes

A340-300 Swiss International Air Lines

44

82-84

Personal video system with movies, sound tracks, 35 video channels on demand, and 16 audio channels

Hot towels, Swiss chocolates

TAP

A340-300

44

82-86

In-flight magazine, newspapers movies, No news and kids channel; no individual screens

Diet or special meals, baby and children meals, nappies, toys, games, colouring books and pencils

Turkish Airlines

A330-200

45

84

Digital AVOD system with selection of movies, documentaries, etc.; 250 CDs; interactive game channel

Eye mask, socks, toothbrush and toothpaste, earplugs, shoe horn

-

United Airlines

A319 A320 B747-400 B757-200 B767-300 B777-200

46 46 43 43 46 46

89/79 91/79 86-91/79 91/79 89/79 89/79

Audio B747: TV/movies on main screen monitor. B767/B777: TV/movies on individual screen monitors

-

-

Virgin Atlantic

B747-400 A340-600

43 43

78 78

Seat-back TV with choice of channels; each Eyeshades, socks, seat equipped with own video game console earplugs, toothbrush and video on demand and toothpaste

Disclaimer: BTN has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this table and accepts no responsibility for incorrect information supplied by suppliers.

No

Passengers can request special meals 48 hours prior to departure.

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

25


Destinations

Development

Durbs in

booms

The Point Retail Quarter - an artist’s impression.

A wave of development is underway across Durban as the city prepares for the FIFA World Cup. BTN finds out more... Durban waterfront project well underway

W

ORK is on track to create a waterfront zone for Durban, providing a tourism attraction that stakeholders hope will rival the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The old Point area is being developed by eThekwini Municipality and the Durban Point Development Company (DPDC). It is hoped that along with uShaka Marine World, the waterfront will become one of the ‘must-see’ destinations for Durban. So far over €170m (R1,8bn) has been invested in construction in the area and once completed, this figure is expected to reach over €428m (R4,5bn). Three developments are under construction at The Point. These are the Heritage Hotel, a 70-room property that will be completed in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup; 68 apartments adjacent to the hotel, which can be used as hotel accommodation but will also be available for purchase; and renovations and an upgrade of the old ‘Ark’ building into apartments and offices. All the projects are the work of individual investors, but the DPDC has also commenced construction on the next phase of the primary development up to the edge of the Indian Ocean. This will open up a further 250 000sqm for the development of retail space, hotels, apartments, offices and various mixed use sites. The final phase of the development will be a small craft harbour. Gerhard Patzer, gm of the Hilton Durban, believes the success of the new tourism infrastructure in Durban will be very much dependent on the success of the new La Mercy airport. “By that I mean that new markets should

26 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

be tapped, which will bring new tourists into Durban and KwaZulu-Natal,” he says. “The category, in my opinion, should be geared towards local and international tourists who are happy with three- and four-star hotels and I feel these hotels should be developed between Umhlanga Ridge and Ballito, preferably on the beach or directly at the new airport.”

Three Cities expands its portfolio The 160-year-old, The Royal Hotel, in the heart of Durban’s city centre, has recently undergone major revamping, catering to various accommodation requirements that appeal to the older generation and to the younger corporate elite clientele. The hotel features a business centre, conferencing and banqueting facilities, a coffee shop and two restaurants – Ulundi and the soon to reopen Royal Grill. Another Three Cities property in Durban, the Royal Palm Hotel, has introduced value-adds for corporate guests. These include free gym training at Virgin Active Gateway, a R50 WiFi voucher for internet access and individual lady travellers a networking dinner table in the hotel’s Dish restaurant. Meanwhile, Three Cities is expanding its portfolio with the addition of two new KwaZulu-Natal properties. The Ballito Ambassador on KZN’s North Coast in Ballito will offer 40 suites, each featuring contemporary décor. It is located in close proximity to Ballito’s beaches, as well as the new La Mercy airport and the main highways. The 50-room Square Boutique Hotel and Spa is also located on the North Coast, in Umhlanga. Both properties are set to open in April 2010. ■


Destinations

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

27


Destinations

The new Peninsula Shanghai – view of the Bund.

Shanghai, China Shanghai, China’s biggest economic and transportation centre, is set on becoming one of the world’s leading financial, trading and shipping hubs. Sue Lewitton finds out more about some of the latest developments in this upcoming metropolis.

Shanghai welcomes the world in 2010 SHANGHAI will be thrust into the spotlight this year, as it hosts the 2010 World Expo, an event that aims to highlight worldwide initiatives to better urban living conditions. An influx of around 70 million tourists is anticipated during the course of the event, which will run from May 1 until October 31. The expo will be held at a site covering a total area of 5,28 sq km and spanning both sides of the Huangpu River. As construction draws to a close on the site, major construction projects on hotels and transport infrastructure are also nearing completion. A 35km across-river rail service Metro link, Line 7 opened at the end of last year and construction work on the final phases of Line 9 and Line 11 is also underway. This will boost Shanghai’s Metro network by 420km by the launch of the expo. South Africa will be showcasing the way in which the country has improved living conditions, eliminated discrimination and achieved a new image at the World Expo. South Africa is the only African country to have a stand-alone pavilion at the event and it is hoped the expo will boost trade and investment opportunities between SA and China in coming years. 28 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

■ More Shanghai flights from Singapore Airlines SINGAPORE Airlines will be upping its frequencies between Singapore and Shanghai to five flights a week from end-March this year. The airline, which departs daily from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), will be able to offer good connections to Shanghai via Singapore with the additional frequencies. Singapore Airlines’ Johannesburg-Singapore service departs on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from ORTIA and arrives in Singapore at 06h35 the following day. Flights on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays originate from Cape Town and stop over in Johannesburg, arriving in Singapore at 06h55 the following day. Connections from Shanghai into Singapore arrive at 00h25 and the flight to Johannesburg/Cape Town is at 02h05. ■ The PuLi opens for business THE PuLi Hotel and Spa has opened its doors in the heart of Shanghai’s business, shopping and entertainment district of Jing’an. Managed by Hong Kong-based hotel management company, Urban Resort Concepts, the hotel is directly linked to


Destinations

subway lines and is connected via a sky bridge to the new multi-use development, Park Place, which offers office and retail space. The PuLi comprises 26 floors and 209 rooms and offers services such as 24-hour room service as well as 24-hour concierge, laundry and valet services. The hotel features Club floors from level 20 to 26, which comprise 61 rooms and suites, all of which have a personal butler service. Guests on Club floors will have access to the hotel’s lounge, The Club, offering space for breakfast, complimentary refreshments throughout the day, a private meeting room and an outdoor patio. Other facilities include a 120-seater restaurant, a 32m long bar, gymnasium, sauna, steam shower, Jacuzzi pool, 25m infinity pool and the first Anantara spa in Shanghai. ■ Peninsula Shanghai hotel delights on the Bund THE Peninsula Shanghai, located on Shanghai’s Bund, opened for business at the end of 2009. The Art Deco hotel features 235 rooms and suites and is the first new building on the Bund in over 60 years. It is located beside the former British Consulate Gardens on the Huangpu River. The hotel offers four themed suites, The

Astor, Majestic, Palace and Peninsula Suites, each with outdoor rooftop terraces. Hotel facilities include the Rose Ballroom, able to accommodate 450 guests for a banquet or 1 000 for a cocktail reception. The hotel also features an elevator large enough to deliver a limousine to the ballroom, a custom-made 1930s Schindler cage lift and a full-scale replica of a 1930s seaplane in the Rosemonde Aviation Lounge.

A Deluxe River Suite at the Peninsula Shanghai.

Dining options include Cantonese cuisine at the Yi Long Court restaurant, which features a specialty tea counter, Chef’s Table and seven private dining salons.

Future additions will include Sir Elly’s restaurant Bar and Terrace on the rooftop, an international dining venue offering European cuisine. The Salon de Ning late night lounge will be constructed in the hotel basement and The Compass Bar will be located on the outdoor terrace. ■ Spanish company launches Shanghai property SOL Meliá Hotels & Resorts has opened the five-star Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel. The property is located in the district of Lujiazui, a hotspot for financial and commercial activity, with views of the Huangpu River. The 30-storey hotel features 686 rooms, including 119 premium guest rooms, 12 suites, one presidential suite and one imperial suite. Aimed at business travellers, Gran Meliá Shanghai has 17 meeting rooms able to accommodate between 20 and 150 people at a time, a large ballroom with space for up to 800 guests, as well as WiFi access throughout the hotel. Other features aimed at the business traveller include newspaper services, buffet breakfasts and lounges as well as business centres equipped with secretaries, transport, fax and e-mail. There are four on-site restaurants, each featuring a different type of cuisine. Other facilities include the YHI Spa, swimming pools and a private fitness centre. ■

February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

29


Deal detective

Top10 specials

Linda van der Pol, Travelinfo’s editor, is our Deal Detective, bringing you great specials from Travelinfo, the online travel information system in daily use by travel agents all over SA. Just book through your TMC and tell the consultant it’s a Travelinfo special. To get connected, e-mail lindav@nowmedia.co.za.

1. VICTORIA FALLS

KDR Travel and Tours. Special package rates from R3 254 pp sharing. Offer includes return flights from Johannesburg, return airport transfers, three nights’ accommodation at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, daily breakfast and complimentary traditional Boma dinner. Special is valid for travel until February 28.

3. ITALY Travel Vision. Best of Italy packages are from R8 936 pp sharing. Itinerary: RomeAssisi-Siena-Florence-VeniceTuscany-Rome. Offer is valid for selected Sunday departures until March 28. Package includes seven nights’ accommodation in superior class hotels, six breakfasts, four dinners, meet and greet transfers, transportation in deluxe coach with guide, city tours of Florence, Rome and Venice.

5. ZANZIBAR

Holiday Tours. Four-night packages are from R8 080 pp sharing. Rate includes return flights ex-Johannesburg, return airport-hotel transfers, four nights’ accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner, free non-motorised water sports, all pre-payable airport taxes, current fuel levies and Zanzibar departure tax. Offer is available until March 29.

6. DUBAI

South African Airways. Economy class promotional fares from Cape Town to Dubai – valid for travel until March 31. Fare is R5 550 return and excludes taxes.

7. KWAZULU NATAL

es S usive packag 2. MAURITIUctory. Seven-night fully incl ive of return

Fa Rate is inclus wn, return The Holiday 9 pp sharing. 38 10 R n or Cape To om fr are sburg, Durba ur-star Ambre ne an oh -J airfares ex n at the fo and unlimited commodatio nch, dinner lu t, transfers, ac as 0 kf ea ch are R1 70 a with br t taxes, whi Resort & Sp or ban. rp ur ai D d es an ud excl -Cape Town ex 0 drinks. Rate 50 el 2 R av s for tr sburg and harge applie ex-Johanne arch 23. Surc M s re pi ex l Specia 20. after March

4. DUBAI

Azure Travel. Dubai Shopping Festival – packages are from R5 630 pp sharing. Offer includes return flights ex-Johannesburg or Cape Town, four nights’ accommodation with breakfast, return transfers, UAE entry visa and half-day shopping tour. Price does not include taxes, which are about R1 700 per person. Offer is valid until February 28. Surcharges may apply for travel between February 19 and 26.

9. ZIMBABWE

Protea Hotel Empangeni. Special offer – rate is R550 pp sharing or R859 single, including breakfast. Offer is valid for standard rooms only until February 28 (Sunday to Thursday). Minimum two-night stay is required.

Travellers Choice. Imbabala Zambezi Safari Lodge – fly-in package from R3 999 pp sharing. Special includes return airfare ex-Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, return airport-hotel transfers, two nights’ accommodation with brunch or lunch, dinner and daily game drive, river cruise, night game drive, drinks served during activities, visit to the Falls en-route to the lodge and entrance fee. Add-on fares from South African domestic points are available. Special expires on March 1.

8. SEYCHELLES

10. MAURITIUS

Falcon Africa Safaris. Mahe special – rates are R6 500 pp sharing for six nights. Price includes return flights ex-Johannesburg, airport-hotel transfers, accommodation with daily breakfast. Offer excludes airport taxes and is valid until March 28.

African Shores Travel & Tours. Five-night packages are from R7 380 pp sharing. Rate is inclusive of return flights ex-Johannesburg, return coach transfers, accommodation, daily breakfast and dinner and non-motorised water sports. Rates are valid until March 15 – all travel to be completed by March 20. Airfare surcharges and block-out periods may apply. Rate excludes airport taxes, which are about R1 700 per person. ■

DISCLAIMER: All specials are subject to availability, currency fluctuations and seasonal surcharges. 30 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW


Destinations

January 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

19


New option ADVERTORIAL

Essential Access

U

with Uniglobe

NIGLOBE Essential Access is a leading secure online travel booking solution for business travel, says Uniglobe Travel Sub-Saharan Africa president, Mike Gray. “The system is one of the most widely used products to power online travel programmes around the world. It enables users to book air, car and hotel reservations through an easy to use web-based interface.” Uniglobe Essential Access enables you to integrate all the elements of your travel programme, including travel policies, preferred suppliers, negotiated rates and booking processes into one website. Benefits include travel policy compliance, cost savings and a consolidated approach, he says. With adaptable configuration options, understanding the company structure and organisational make-up is crucial, making unlimited hierarchical and division/department options available. “A unique travel policy can be applied to a specific division/department or group of travellers, such as VIPs, all within the

32 February 2010 • BUSINESS TRAVEL NOW

same site. This allows you to encompass all aspects of your travel in one managed travel portal that can grow with your business as your travel needs change.”

Key attributes that contribute to the various configuration opportunities are: • User-friendly interface • Client-specific air, car and hotel agreements, which are loaded in the system • Online service tools providing travellers with supplementary travel information and services • Pre-ticketing trip approval • Multiple user types to reflect company structure and booking process • Guest traveller functionality • Flexible search and sort options • Repeat itinerary or portions of past trips • Calendaring functionality Prior to configuring your customised Uniglobe Essential Access site, a thorough review of your requirements is done and an implementation plan developed. ■

WIN a month’s free access!

Uniglobe, in conjunction with BTN, is offering five lucky readers free use of the Uniglobe Essential Access system for one month as well as a free consultation on how to improve service and minimise the company’s cost of travel.

Question: What are the key attributes that contribute to the various configuration opportunities of Uniglobe Essential Access? To enter all you have to do is answer the easy question above and e-mail your answer to kimcochrane@telkomsa.net. Entries must reach BTN no later than March 7, 2010. Please supply us with your name, contact details, company and title clearly. Strictly one entry per person. Terms and conditions: It is taken that the entrants agree to abide by the rules, which are: the prize is not transferable and may not be exchanged for cash. Staff members of Now Media, the host company or organisation sponsoring the prize, their advertising and public relations agencies, their immediate families, and travel agents may not enter.




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