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97 July/August 2023

THE 2023 TECH H0TLIST

Shining a light on the hottest tech in travel

PLUS: PEOPLE AWARDS SHORTLIST, ONLINE BOOKING TOOLS, REALITY CHECKS

Contents

The 2023 Tech HOTLIST

Features

18 Booking tools: Will business travel OBTs ever meet the expectations and needs of travellers, corporate travel buyers and suppliers?

30 Future of distribution: We ask seven industry experts to share their insights and predictions about the future of distribution in the business travel space

Up Front

6 Opening Shots: The most exciting openings in the world of travel – in pictures

8 Everyone's Talking About: Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT

9 Speaking Out: Bex Deadman, 8 Phase Consulting, believes travel managers should step up to the mark to help their organisations handle travel risk management

News and Views

12 News and trends, plus comment from the BTA, ITM and a new regular feature –Diary of a CTO

Departures

38 Reality Check: We check in to hotels in Whitechapel, Henley, Cambridge and Dublin, new serviced apartments in Hammersmith, and hold a team meeting in Victoria

41 Final Word: The quirkier side of travel

Welcome

The human touch

Following the advice of expert speakers at a recent industry event, I decided to play around a bit with ChatGPT. With this technology-focussed issue in mind, I asked it: 'What are the hottest tech innovations in business travel?'

No prizes for guessing what was number one on its list – Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning!

The rest of the answer touched on some of the key trends, but it was far from a deep dive. Put it this way, it didn't make me worry that my job would be obselete any time soon and that the future of this magazine was under serious threat.

You (our knowledgable readers) need more than a broad (and rather bland) overview, so that's why we asked seven industry experts to share their insights on the future of business travel distribution in our feature on pages 30-35. We also know that the shortcomings of Online Booking Tools remain top of the agenda for travel managers, so that's why we've dedicated pages 18-22 to this topic.

Of course, our technology special edition wouldn't be complete without our annual Tech Hotlist, revealed on pages 24-28. Congratulations to all the innovators and innovations that made it into the top 10 this year. And a big congratulations to everyone who has made it into the shortlist for the 2023 Business Travel People Awards (see pages 10-11). We're busy gearing up for the ceremony on September 25 at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London, to celebrate our industry's best people. While technology continues to play a vital role in business travel, we still need the human touch, and that's what our People Awards are all about. We can't wait to see you all there.

EDITORIAL

EDITOR

Bev Fearis

CONTRIBUTORS

April Waterston & Charlotte Flach

DIGITAL EDITOR

April Waterston

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Steve Hartridge

ADVERTISING SALES

PUBLISHER / COMMERCIAL HEAD

Kirsty Hicks

DESIGN & PRODUCTION DESIGNERS

Matt Bonner and Caitlan Francis

PRODUCTION & STUDIO MANAGER

Clare Hunter

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

Steve Hunter

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscribe

BMI PUBLISHING

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Matt Bonner CEO

Martin Steady

Bev Fearis, Editor

Jan Luyken Amsterdam

ART HOUSE

Named after the Amsterdam-born artist and poet, this historic, 62-room townhouse is the first under a new brand of independent hotels from Zien Group, the parent of Eden Hotels. Rooms come in snug, snug single, small, medium and studio.

The ethos and design encourage guests to enjoy Jan Luyken and its spaces as if they were their own, with everything they need included”

TASTE OF ITALY

Housed within a neoclassical building that was once the city's first railway station, Avani Palazzo Moscova has 65 rooms and suites and a signature seafood restaurant, Forte Milano, with a pretty terrace. Guests can also enjoy treatments, a sauna, hammam and jacuzzi at the spa, within the confines of the station's original vaults.

Bulgari Hotel Roma HOME COMING

Bulgari has opened its first hotel in Rome, home of the luxury brand. This restored 1930s building has 114 luxurious rooms and suites, with made-tomeasure tapestries and Murano crystals. Its spa, with marble columns, stained glass windows and mosaics, recreates the atmosphere of ancient Roman baths.

MULTI-PURPOSE

This 23-room boutique hotel is the final part of a long-awaited Bromley Old Town Hall regeneration project. As well as the new accommodation, the landmark building also has workspace and meeting rooms and an all-day restaurant, Dorothy and Marshall, giving guests and locals 'connection, collaboration and community'.

Avani Palazzo Moscova, Milan

Brama Bromley

Everyone's talking about... Artificial Intelligence/ChatGPT

"THE FUTURE JUST GOT BRIGHTER FOR SURE AND IT’S DEFINITELY FUN TO MESS AROUND WITH, BUT CHATGPT AND TRAVEL REMAINS JUST THAT STILL: SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE"

"Generative AI could help the business travel industry solve travel manager needs and fulfil traveller desires in one single shot"

"WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THE INCREASING ADOPTION OF AI CHATBOTS INTO BUSINESS TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY AND WE ALREADY KNOW THAT AI CAN BE USED TO DELIVER MORE PERSONALISED TRAVEL EXPERIENCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO HELP EMPLOYEES MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR TRIPS"

“Given so much of the technology is based on data sets and the fact global business travel policies are so varied, we’re still exploring the possibilities of incorporating AI and machine learning. Saying that, we’ve already seen it add value, like in our invoicing products”

Paul Dear, Regional VP Supplier Services EMEA, SAP Concur

Stefan Cars, CEO & Founder, Snowfall

The human touch is even given the thumbs up by AI ChatGPT. That's interesting”

“ DONE SAFELY AND SECURELY, AI HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE TRANSFORMATIONAL AND GROW THE ECONOMY ”

Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister

Mel Phaure, Owner/Director, Blue Cube Travel

Simon Goddard, Chief Information Officer, Vibe

Cesc Vilanova, Strategic Protoyper and

Independent Consultant

Risky business

incident happens, what is the internal process? Is it being followed at entity and country level?

Travel managers that are benchmarking against ISO31030 are leading the way in transforming travel programmes into travel safety programmes and have recognised early that while they have a major role to play in the operation and procurement of the programme, there are other stakeholders across the business that must be involved.

Pre-pandemic travel manager roles often had an operational, procurement and cost-saving focus. Times have changed and in the last 18 months, particularly, more and more companies are thinking about travel from a security perspective.

Duty of care/risk ranks number two on ITM’s list of travel manager priorities for 2023 and supporting this there's been a shift in the executive team hierarchy, so that compliance now ranks higher than finance.

There has been a change in management, too. Where security exists in an organisation, approval for high-risk destinations, incident management and so on, now sits with senior management. The next logical step is to oversee all travel, recognising an incident can happen to anyone, anywhere. It is common now to see jobs for travel, safety and security specialists at exec level and below.

Whilst the finance and the procurement input of a travel manager’s role remain important, what is more prevalent is the mitigation of risk and compliance to policy and process, alongside sustainable practices and keeping your people safe. This moves travel from a cost to control to a strategic driver in the business that should be aligned

with the business strategy and business continuity frameworks.

We are already seeing change in the roles that travel managers are expected to play in supporting a company’s travel programme. Travel Risk Management (TRM) can support this evolution and we can create stronger programmes for it.

The management of travel from a risk perspective is a new skill for many travel managers and often responsibility for certain areas of TRM is spread out over a company, for example security (high-risk destinations), human resources (mobility), or line managers (approvals).

So, where should travel managers start and what can they do to upskill and establish a TRM strategy in their business?

The key to TRM is firstly to understand what your travel programme is, in detail. Where do you travel to, why do you travel, who travels, how do they travel, what do they do when they are there and how often they are going. From here, look at your existing policies and solutions to understand where the gaps are. For example, if your TMC doesn’t support you in every country, what happens in those countries? If an

Mapping out the traveller journey with a TRM committee with stakeholders from HR, procurement, finance, legal, IT, security, risk, operations, sales, marketing, and so on will help you to see your travel programme from different perspectives. Talking to your travellers will help you to understand if the solutions and systems you have in place are working as intended.

TRM affects any business of any size but the smaller the business, perhaps the easier it is to get started. Whatever their size, companies managing travel as a risk need someone who understands both the travel and security sides, is competent in policy and process creation, and has experience with the suppliers and technologies, whether in house or outsourced. The good news is that travel managers are already well placed to take on that role.

m AN

Bex Deadman is a travel risk management expert who set up 8 Phase Consulting in May 2022. She previously held director level roles at Blue Cube Travel, including MD, and worked for Getabed and HRS.

Travel managers have a key role to play as duty of care moves higher up the corporate agenda, says Bex Deadman

I T ' S A C e L e BRATI on

Tickets are selling fast for the 2023 Business Travel People Awards ceremony on September 25. Since the shortlist was announced, companies have been rushing to reserve tables for the glittering evening event at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London.

“The awards ceremony is the perfect opportunity to bring your people together for a night to remember, especially if an individual or team in your organisation has made the shortlist,” said Kirsty Hicks, Publisher of The Business Travel Magazine and organiser of the awards.

“But even if you’re not associated with a finalist, it’s a great way to mingle with the industry’s most influential figures, thank existing clients, make new contacts, and show your support for the wider industry.

“This year, we’re extending the welcome drinks to allow more time for guests to network before the sit-down meal in the Grand Hall. The awards will be presented during the meal so there’ll also be plenty of time to socialise and celebrate afterwards.

“We can’t wait to see you there, but book your tickets soon because last year we sold out," added Hicks.

Direct ATPI is sponsoring the welcome drinks and bar, while other leading players in business travel are sponsoring individual categories.

Agiito is supporting the Travel Tech Innovator Award, Sirius Talent Solutions is sponsoring the Rising Star category and JetBlue has been confirmed as the sponsor of the much-coveted TMC Above and Beyond Award.

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic are jointly sponsoring the award for

Sustainability Champion, while Best Workplaces In Travel is supporting the new People Manager of the Year category. Technology innovator TripStax is sponsoring the prestigious Industry Contribution Award.

There are 15 categories in total, so sponsorship opportunities still remain. Contact kirsty.hicks@ thebusinesstravelmag.com for more information.

The 20-strong judging panel got together on July 6 to select the final winners. On the same day, a number of judges also interviewed the finalists for the important Rising Star category, which identifies the business travel stars of the future.

“A big congratulations to all of those who made this year's shortlist, which is a huge achievement in itself,” said Judges Chair, Leigh Cowlishaw.

“We had some excellent entries this year and I know that choosing the finalists, particularly in some categories, wasn’t easy, let alone choosing the winners.

"Thank you again to all of our judges for giving up their valuable time."

“We can’t wait to see you there, but book your tickets soon because last year we sold out.”

“A big congratulations to all of those who made the shortlist, which is a huge achievement in itself”

The countdown has begun to the Business Travel People Awards, when the industry's great and good will gather in London

ACCounT MAnAGeMenT

TeAM of The YeAR

• Corporate Sales Team, Accor

• Supplier Management Team, Agiito

• JetBlue UK Team

• EMEA Account Management Team, National Corporate Housing

• UK Account Management Team, TAG

ACCounT MAnAGeR of The YeAR

• Lindsay Cook, Agiito

• Chris Culpin, Diversity Travel

• Joanna Bruce, Nomadic

• Ross Welham, Situ

• Emma Horton, Synergy

MeeTInGS & evenTS TeAM of The YeAR

• Groups, Meetings & Events team, Reed & Mackay

• UK Events Team, TAG

• Events Team, veSpace

BuSIneSS TRAveL TeAM of The YeAR

• Travel Team, Agiito

• Reservations and Guest Service Team, Beautiful Apartments Sweden

• Reservations Department, Blue Cube Travel

• Navan and Reed & Mackay

• The Advantage Global Business Travel Team, The Advantage Travel Partnership

T he 2023 S ho RTLIST

DuTY of CARe ChAMPIon

• Supplier Relations Team, Diversity Travel

• Michelle Harrison and the IMU team, Reed & Mackay

• Christopher Ollerton, Synergy

DIveRSITY, equITY AnD

InCLuSIon ChAMPIon

• Ready & Able Inclusion Group, American Express GBT

• Tiffany Casson, Inntel

• Amber Smith & DEI Steering Council, National Corporate Housing

SuSTAInABILITY ChAMPIon

• Anna Snoep, Inntel

• Chris Truss, Reed & Mackay

• Sam Cande, Responsible Futures

• The Thrust Carbon Team, Thrust Carbon

• Nico and Elkie Nicholas, Trees4Travel

TRAveL TeChnoLoGY

InnovAToR

• Caroline Boyle, AltoVita

• Innovation & Technology Team, Nomadic

• Gary Hurst, Mysa

• Team Travelogix

• Leadership Team, TripStax

RISInG STAR

• Harriett Wall, Agiito

• Sarah Maia, Agiito

• Aron Jameson, ATPI

• Francesca Mendola, Global Travel Collection

• Marion Milazzo, Staycity Group

ShInInG STAR

• Sarah Maia, Agiito

• Maja Gedosev, JetBlue

• Jen Fackelman, Nomadic

• Nikki Banks, TripStax

• Kate Fitzpatrick, World Travel Protection

PeoPLe MAnAGeR of The YeAR

• Eden Sutherland, Agiito

• Lucy Norman, BCD Travel

• Kevin Trill, Blue Cube Travel

• Abby Penston, Focus Travel Partnership

• Jack Ramsey, TripStax

BuYeR of The YeAR

• Adam Hickingbotham, Atkins

• Kim Trenter, DAZN

TMC ABove AnD BeYonD

• Leanne Fowler, Agiito

• ATPI Commercial Team, ATPI

• UK Supplier Relations, TAG

ouTSTAnDInG InDuSTRY

ConTRIBuTIon AwARD

• Leanne Fowler, Agiito

• James Foice, Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP)

• Clive Wratten, Business Travel Association

• Suzanne Neufang, GBTA

• Neil Thomson, Nomadic

GO ONLINE FOR LATEST NEWS

EUROPEAN AIRFARES STILL RISING BUT US FARES START TO STALL

AIRFARES across Europe and to intercontinental destinations will continue to increase this summer, due to low supply and incredibly high demand.

But analysis by Advito, the consulting arm of BCD Travel, shows airfares in the US are finally stalling and US domestic flights are showing the first sign of decline.

Meanwhile, Asia yields are moderating with the reopening of major markets like China or Japan.

Gender pay gap worse for senior travel roles

THE GENDER gap in salaries for executives in the travel industry is getting wider, according to the latest figures from C&M Travel Recruitment.

Analysis of 2022 salary levels showed a stark difference in salaries for executive roles (those paying £40,000 and above), with the average male earning £55,792, which is £7,402 (or 14.21%) more than their female counterpart. This gap has increased from 11.94% in 2019 and 10.56% in 2018. However, for more junior roles (up to £22,000), salaries are almost equal, with the average man earning £85 more than a woman. For mid-level positions (those paying £22,001£29,999), females were paid £103 more than males.

The overall pay gap in the travel industry stands at 11.50% (or £3,606), which is slightly down from 14.15% in 2019.

[ NEWS BITES ]

>> DIRECT ATPI has integrated its profile, invoice, approval and itinerary platform with Microsoft Teams >> RIGH RESIDENCES will open on Edinburgh’s George Street later this year with 27 serviced apartments, ranging from studios to penthouses >> CT BUSINESS TRAVEL is now a member of business travel consortium, Focus Travel Partnership >> FCM CONSULTING has joined forces with Centre for Aviation (CAPA), to help clients address their buiness travel sustainability goals >> TRAVELODGE has opened a 393-room hotel in Dublin's city centre, its eleventh hotel in Ireland and the first Travelodge hotel to offer the group’s premium economy SuperRooms >> Swedish travel and events agency RESIA, which was acquired by Navan (then TripActions) in March 2022, is joining Reed & Mackay and will take on its name >>

Advito’s Air and Hotel Price Index for the third quarter of 2023 said the gap between demand and

capacity has diminished, which has had a "cooling effect" on airfares in intercontinental markets.

The consultancy firm expects "dramatic" airfare increases from Europe on all travel sectors –domestic, intraEurope and intercontinental – for the upcoming quarter.

It says this summer season will follow the same path as last year, which was 'upended' due to labour shortages.

But in North America, the dynamic airfare uptrend is starting to slow down.

IATA INITIATIVE WILL HELP GUIDE AVIATION EMISSIONS REPORTING

AIRLINE body IATA is to publish an annual Track Zero report to share progress towards the aviation industry's commitment to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Individual airlines can use the aggregate data, which is based on IATA’s Net Zero Tracking Methodology, to benchmark their own progress towards decarbonisation.

The first report is planned for publication in the fourth quarter of 2024.

53% of travellers have changed their hotel on arrival

Just over half of business travellers have arrived at their hotel on a work trip and decided to switch to a different property at least once in the last 12 months, according to a survey of 3,850 global business travellers by Wakefield Research, commissioned by SAP Concur.

by Trees4Travel

BTA COMMENT Go with the flow

It goes without saying that technology goes hand in hand with convenience, and the business travel industry’s continued advancement towards customer accessibility and efficiency is heavily reliant on technological innovation. Consequently, travel management companies (TMCs) have become the outstanding aggregators of technology, utilising it to enhance our industry's development.

Today, technology is part and parcel of the TMC’s role, ensuring that the new products, systems, and software desired by their corporate clients is bespoke, adapted and functional from the front to the back.

Working with the latest innovations can be complex and at times a challenge for TMCs to juggle, and can present a risk to the seamless delivery service that the industry strives to provide.

It is therefore crucial that the business travel supply chain works in collaboration with technological innovators to develop solutions and best-fit

practices together, to simplify connectivity and ensure it fits into – and improves – the existing travel and technology eco-system.

The need for technology to be integrated in a simpler way to maximise efficiency is vital.

The technologies used within the business travel industry are diverse and range from new distribution capabilities (NDC) and reshopping services to trip approval processes and traveller tracking .

Yet, regardless of the individual functions and the great benefits these systems bring, technology developments need to focus first and foremost on bringing improvements for the end users – TMCs and their clients – to provide a full service that operates smoothly, removing any potential friction.

Our TMCs are the client-facing powerhouse that carry our industry forward and ensure that businesses keep moving. Without them, and the positive advancement of technology, booking flow will fall apart.

Clive Wratten Chief Executive Officer

AIR NEW ZEALAND WAS VOTED THE OVERALL WINNER IN THE CABIN CONCEPT CATEGORY IN THIS YEAR'S ONBOARD HOSPITALITY AWARDS, WHILE VIRGIN ATLANTIC AND IBERIA TOOK SECOND AND THIRD PLACE RESPECTIVELY

TURNING ON ITS HEAD SUSTAINABILITY

Cabin Concept of the Year

GOLD WINNER

Diary of a CTO

You can achieve a lot in 10 hours. Drive from London to Inverness. Fly from Heathrow to Seattle. Even serve a term as Prime Minister (okay, I exaggerated that last one, but only slightly).

However, what you can’t necessarily do in that time any more is change a flight reservation. I have just returned from the US where I met a travel management company that spent 11 hours holding on the phone to a major airline to amend a booking. Changing this long-haul flight took longer than the flight itself.

That fare was only available through New Distribution Capability (NDC). While this particular carrier has started steering bookings via NDC, it doesn’t yet make it easy to manage those reservations post-booking.

As Chief Technology Officer of a company whose mission is to significantly drive the evolution of corporate travel’s outdated ecosystem, I passionately believe in agile innovation that delivers on every level. Therefore, when I say it’s completely bonkers to introduce ‘innovation’ which makes amending a booking far slower than half a century ago, I hope we can also agree I’m not just being an old moaner.

Such NDC shortcomings mean a terrible service for your travellers. But it’s also not working for you as travel managers. I attended a conference a few years ago where airlines and others congratulated themselves for two days on how brilliant NDC is and the focus should be NDC at scale. Then a travel manager took to the stage and told all those execs NDC was killing her ability to benchmark. The room went strangely quiet.

Let’s be clear why airlines are pushing through NDC. It’s because it works well for airlines, especially financially.

I do see advantages with NDC and I fully support change in how distribution operates. The trouble is that nearly all TMCs and online booking tools still rely on GDS technology to create a record for and to service all bookings. But without a whole lot of complex customisations for each airline, that environment can’t efficiently handle reservations originating through NDC.

As a result, some TMCs are snubbing NDC fares, or they are avoiding NDC hardliner carriers.

Instead, I believe the solution, if you’re a travel manager, is to persuade your TMC to move to modern core technology

“It’s completely bonkers to introduce ‘innovation’ which makes amending a booking far slower than half a century ago”

that isn’t GDS-dependent. Newer agency technologies create digital booking IDs to handle all post-reservation management regardless of where or how a booking is made. That means you can also benchmark data from all bookings wherever they are made: low-cost airline websites, NDC direct or GDS scheduled fares filed with ATPCO. Right now, NDC is proving a huge pain in the backside for corporate travel. But we can seize this moment of transition to move to a more modern digital environment that truly benefits everyone. Including travel managers.

IN BRIEF

Going for gold

Eurostar Group will be the official travel partner of The British Olympic Association, the National Olympic Committee behind Team GB, providing travel to and from Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games

In an instant Agiito has launched Instant Book for its meetings booking platform, Meetingspro, developed by the TMC's in-house Business Solutions and Venue Find teams.

Heading east

Norse Atlantic will start flights from London Gatwick to Boston on September 2, one of six new transatlantic routes from the airport where it began services to New York last summer.

High alert

Travel risk intelligence company Riskline has launched Travel Search Widget, a tool designed to assist travel providers in giving their customers instantaneous personalised travel information

Fast track

Avis Budget Group has opened a new location at Glasgow Central Station, with its streamlined pick-up and drop-off process, QuickPass.

Stacking up

Scott Wylie Chief Technology Officer TripStax

TripStax has added a ninth module in its proprietary stack – the next evolution of B2B hotel booking platform, Hotelzon, which TripStax acquired in December 2022.

ITM COMMENT Good relations

BTA UPDATE

Gatwick submits plans for expansion

LONDON GATWICK has submitted plans to bring its existing Northern Runway, currently used as a taxiway, into routine use to increase capacity.

The runway would be for departing flights only and, if the plans are approved, Gatwick could serve around 75 million passengers a year by the late 2030s. Its current full capacity, last used in 2019, is 46.6 million passengers.

Construction could start in 2025 and could be completed and ready for operational use by the end of the decade.

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick, said: “The consultation and engagement activity over the past two years has been hugely valuable in shaping our plans to ensure they best meet the needs and requirements of local people, as well as our airlines, passengers and other stakeholders."

DATA SHOWS EXTENT OF RAIL TRAVEL'S GREEN CREDENTIALS

NEWLY-RELEASED rail data has shown rail travel creates 10 times less carbon emissions per passenger than the equivalent car journey and 13 times less than travelling by plane.

The figures, which take into account engine type, fuel type, journey distance, occupancy and carriage layout, suggest that long distance rail travel is significantly more sustainable than the industry initially believed.

Until now, comparisons have been based on data and analysis from Defra, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

These new figures were calculated as part of Green Travel Pledge, an initiative from the Rail Delivery Group, GBR Transition Team, Thrust Carbon, Fabrik and Black Box Partnerships.

The detailed carbon emission data will be made fully available to businesses later this year.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships. Are they valued in business as much they once were?

It’s a little clichéd and hard to comprehend now how much business was done over long lunches, in pubs, or on boats, or whilst enjoying hospitality of various kinds just a decade or more ago.

Few would argue that those days are largely gone, but how important are relationships in our industry today and what represents best practice?

There are two unarguable truths to acknowledge.

Firstly, supplier partners increasingly base their key sourcing and distribution decisions on data from many sophisticated sources, rather than anecdotal market feedback from the commercial teams and customers. Many sectors have seen quite dramatic reductions in the size of their sales teams in the last decade, not unrelatedly.

Secondly, people don’t work for companies for as long as they used to. That 10-year relationship with your account manager just doesn’t happen anymore.

As a result, sales teams are often less influential in the supplier’s strategic leadership than before. They change more quickly, so you have to start again, and more often, and there are less of them to have a relationship with anyway!

So should buyers and TMCs alike be trying to sidle up to the VP of Distribution, or the CFO, rather than the Head of Sales? This is unlikely to be fruitful based on sheer maths. The top of the pyramid isn’t going to be able to know many corporate customers by name. But it’s certainly worth gaining an understanding of what is deemed negotiable these days, especially in terms of discounts and commitments. Because it all seems to be rather fluid just now!

When it seems that corporate relationships are sometimes valued less, remember that strong relationships are about supporting each other when times are tough as well as good. Both parties must be communicated with, heard and encouraged to succeed with mutual respect and understanding.

Scott Davies Chief Executive

MAJORITY OF TRAVEL MANAGERS HAPPY WITH THEIR JOBS

A SURVEY of travel managers by the GBTA and Cvent found 58% ‘like’ working in the sector and 31% ‘love’ their jobs and are satisfied with their work-life balance and engagement with day-to-day responsibilities.

The poll also found travel managers in the EU expect to earn an average of €70,000 in 2023, a 1.9% increase from last year.

In the US, travel managers expect to earn an average of

$117,500, a 3.5% rise from 2022.

However, slary increases in both regions are not expected to keep pace with inflation rates.

The online survey of US, Canada, Europe and UK travel managers found 49% had prior experience working for a travel supplier, such as an airline or hotel goup, while 28% held previous positions in procurement in non- travel sectors, and 17% came from a finance or accounting background.

Silverdoor report says cost is still key

COST CONTROL remains the top priority when booking and managing accommodation, according to the latest quarterly market update from extended-stay specialist SilverDoor.

It says the trend is driven by economic challenges and hiring slowdowns, plus the growing influence and impact of sustainability and ESG targets.

Many EMEA businesses are asking their employees to travel further to not only get cheaper rates but also access higher quality accommodation. In the UK, for example, commuter belt locations such as Reading and Milton Keynes have seen a marked rise in demand as companies look to save on city-based rates.

For many, the standard commute time tipping point is 30-45 minutes but can be as much as an hour.

Multi-modal travel not being encouraged

TWO-THIRDS of business travellers say their employers do not currently encourage multi-modal travel, according to new research from Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

The research, based on an Opinium Research survey of 1,000 UK office workers who travel domestically for their job, showed younger Generation Z workers are especially keen on multi-modal travel, with 88% having made a multi-modal journey in the last 12 months, compared with only 57% among Baby Boomers.

Gen Z are keener to avoid using their own car for a business trip (60%), compared to 41% of Baby Boomers. Around 85% of all business travellers think they and/or their employers should be incentivised for multi-modal journeys, with tax breaks or similar rewards.

JOINS: Good Travel Management

AS: Commercial Director

FROM: Gray Dawes

Good Travel Management has appointed Laura Busby as Commercial Director. She previously held roles at Corporate Traveller, HRG and, most recently, Gray Dawes.

JOINS: Festive Road

AS: Client Solutions Lead

FROM: easyJet

Mark Wilkinson has joined Festive Road as Client Solutions Lead after more than nine years with easyJet, most recently as Senior Business Development Manager UK.

JOINS: Black Box Partnerships

AS: Associate Tech & Project Management

FROM: Reed & Mackay

Katie Thomas, formerly Global Product Delivery Director at Reed & Mackay, has joined Black Box Partnerships as an Associate for Technology & Project Management.

EVENTS

AUGUST 13-16 2023

GBTA conven T ion Dallas, Texas gbta.org

S E p TEMBER 11-13 2023

BTA conference Antwerp thebta.org.uk

S E p TEMBER 14 2023

Business Tr Avel l u n c h f orum r A il The Caledonian Club, London thebusinesstravelmag.com

S E p TEMBER 25 2023

The Business TrAvel people AwArds Grand Connaught Rooms, London thebusinesstravelmag.com

Oc TOBER 5 2023

PROMOTED AT: Situ

FROM: Commercial Director

TO: Managing Director

Serviced accommodation specialist Situ has promoted Commercial Director Rebecca Gonzaga to the role of Managing Director. She joined Situ in October 2022.

PROMOTED AT: World Travel Protection

FROM: Director Global Provider Networks

TO: Chief Operating Officer

Alerah Turner has relocated from Sydney to London to take up the role of Chief Operating Officer for World Travel Protection, the global travel risk management company.

PROMOTED AT: Delta Air Lines

FROM: Vice President Asia Pacific

TO: Senior Vice President EMEA

Delta Air Lines has appointed Matteo Curcio as Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. He was previously Vice President for the Asia Pacific region.

ALSO ON THE MOVE... >> COCO+ has appointed James Dent as Sustainability Director. Dent founded Susterra, a green-tech company which was acquired by TravelPerk >> TROOP has appointed three new executives to its leadership team: Matt Berg, VP Customer Success, previously Global VP Customer Success at Concur; Frank Roeder, VP Global Sales, previously SVP of Sales at Center and VP SMB Sales at Concur; and Heather Singh, VP Marketing, previously CMO at Center, all based in the US >> Virgin Experience Days has appointed Christoph Homann as CEO. He was most recently CEO of Wishcard Technologies >> Travel Places has expanded it management team with the appointment of Heidi Greenacre as Head of F1 Operations and Pete Gill as Head of Account Management

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Great EXPECTATIONS

Online booking tools in business travel are falling short of what today’s travellers expect, but will they ever match the consumer experience? Bev Fearis investigates

I’ve found that hotel cheaper elsewhere. I can’t see all the fares.

Why is it so complicated? Why isn’t it giving me the option to book a train?"

These traveller frustrations with online booking tools will be all too familiar to travel managers and arrangers, who will have frustrations of their own with the technology.

The fact remains that the user experience when booking a business trip does not yet match the experience we’re becoming accustomed to in other aspects of our lives.

“Having booked travel experiences for leisure, travelling employees are hyper aware of the options and keen to replicate the same level of flexibility in their professional experiences within the boundaries of business policies, like choosing inbound and outbound flights or layover locations,” says Paul Dear, Regional VP Supplier Services› EMEA at SAP Concur, which is set to launch its next generation, cloud-based OBT later this year.

“In this new era of travel, to encourage travelling employees to use travel managers' preferred channels, it's important for OBTs to have consumergrade user interfaces which provide managers with oversight of all the business travel bookings and the option to delegate flexibilities within business policies for employees to personalise their business travel experiences.”

If the online booking experience doesn’t live up to expectations, travellers will simply look elsewhere, causing the policy leakage that every travel manager strives to prevent.

As the workforce genuinely gets younger, and is used to the likes of booking.com, there is a general push towards a consumer-like experience”

“In our latest survey, nearly a third of travel managers shared that travellers booking directly is one of the biggest threats to company business travel as it underscores the balancing act of travel managers,” says SAP Concur's Dear.

Expectations on both sides are already high and are set to get even higher.

“At some point business travel OBTs will need to get to an Amazon model, where you just add any products into a basket and have it shipped,” says Stefan Cars, CEO & Founder, Snowfall, which acquired a user-friendly platform previously known as PSNGR1 last year and has since merged it with its own OBT product, Junction.

“The next generation of travellers won’t want separate tickets coming from different suppliers via multiple emails. On Amazon, you can add anything to your cart – from candles and hairdryers to cat food

and phone chargers – in one single order, payment and receipt.

“OBTs, particularly, will play a role with providers in making 'one order' a reality, especially for booking multi-modal travel as a true end-to-end flow," he explained.

"But in order for this to happen, the underlying infrastructure needs to be modernised, which is something that most OBTs aren't addressing, as they're simply building on top of what already exists.”

Experience driven

Travellers want a rich shopping experience and personalisation that is comparable to how they book leisure travel, Cars adds, on any device, without hidden fees or addons, and with the ability to build trips collaboratively with co-workers, clients, friends and family.

He argues that just because OBTs require more layers of complexity than OTAs – with more stakeholders involved in the planning, booking and approval process – this doesn’t mean UI and UX should take a hit.

“Modern travellers should be able to say ‘wow this corporate booking tool is on par with Expedia, it's so clean I could actually book my personal travel on here!'”

It’s not an easy task, however, especially with cultural differences to consider.

“At Snowfall, we have markets, such as India and Israel, where buyers and corporates want to be extremely rigid in policy, application and even restricting content," says Snowfall's Cars.

"In other markets, like the US, we see a huge desire to give the user the most comprehensive and enjoyable experience without feeling the application of policy.”

The approach can also vary client to client, with more lenient travel policies giving gentle nudges rather than mandating choices, particularly in relation to sustainability.

“Legacy OBTs have almost overengineered the corporate travel process, whereas, in fact, many newer businesses have a lighter travel policy because they have adopted the mantra that ‘we’re all adults here’ and travellers will make appropriate decisions,” adds Cars.

Fine balance

Scott Wylie, CTO, TripStax, says the dated look and feel of OBT user interfaces is largely because in the corporate space, function has historically been prioritised over form.

“But as the workforce genuinely gets younger, and is used to the likes of booking.com, there is a general push in the

At some point business travel OBTs will need to get to an Amazon model, where you just add any products into a basket and have it shipped”

market to move towards a consumer-like experience,” he says.

“It’s going to have to be a very creative tech provider who can marry the consumer-type experience with the feature-rich experience that corporate buyers and bookers need in order to make an informed decision.”

It’s all about balancing the wants and needs of all parties involved, including the suppliers, who have their own agendas.

“Ultimately suppliers are looking to distribute their content as efficiently as possible,” says Wylie.

“They want to get their content out there and into the OBT. However, the OBT channel isn’t necessarily working for all of them. For example, rail in particular faces challenges with distribution via the OBTs. Ground transport also isn’t incorporated into many OBTs.”

TripStax is currently looking at how to bring rail content into its technology stack, in a similar way to how it recently partnered with Jyrney to incorporate ground transport.

Snowfall's Cars says suppliers want the ability to personalise their content offering and better understand their customers' buying behaviours.

"They want to be able to give corporates a better retailing, e-commerce experience

but business travel has been lagging in this space for a long time," he says.

SAP Concur's Dear believes suppliers want transparency from any channel they put content through.

"They want transparency as to how their products and offerings are being displayed and communicated," he says.

"Travel suppliers also want to be able to retail and merchandise to travellers. In other words, they want flexibility for travellers from OBTs as they are keen to provide personalised experiences so that travelling employees can get exactly what they are looking for, whether it be baggage and seat selections or lower pricing.

"Suppliers want to be able to market the customisability of their travels to business travellers."

Scott Davies, CEO at ITM, says industrywide collaboration is required to make sure an OBT meets the requirements of all

players in the business travel eco-system.

"It needs to be a three-way discussion between the corporate, their TMC and their OBT provider, and not a siloed approach," he says.

The perfect solution

So, in an ideal world, what would constitute the perfect OBT, one that keeps all sides happy?

SAP Concur’s Dear narrows it down: “One single ticket, one purchase, all secured at one price point.”

“Regardless of the trip's technicalities, like rail licenses or the number of stops, the ideal OBT would simplify booking processes for business travel managers and/or travellers, allowing them to focus on their preferences for travel and leaving OBT providers to figure out the details behind the scenes,” he explains.

“Additionally, the ideal OBT would offer complete flexibility in payment options allowing business travellers to pay directly through the channel using their preferred methods with transparent communication on costs.”

Wylie at TripStax isn’t convinced the perfect global OBT is coming any time soon.

“I don’t think anyone in my lifetime will be able to come up with the ideal OBT that meets the requirements of all users, situations and markets,” he says.

“There are currently good platforms that work in certain markets. Other tools may today only work in one market, for example China. When you have market differences, and legal concerns around where data resides, there is no one OBT that can satisfy the hugely diverse world of business travel. There will be fantastic individual OBT products, but not one absolute ideal OBT globally.”

Nor is he putting much faith into Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a game changer, at least not in the short term.

“AI is not yet at the level where it can truly help. At the moment, AI is very good when you have a bound question and a bound response, for example what is 1 + 1, where the answer is always 2.

“But AI can’t yet handle the nuances of business travel. For example, you

I don't think anyone in my lifetime will be able to come up with the ideal OBT that meets the requirements of all users, situations and markets”

couldn’t ask an AI chatbot for the lowest logical fare and get the answer that would take into account the traveller’s personal itinerary needs and or preferences.”

Snowfall's Cars says machine learning can help identify traveller preferences from previous interactions and transactions and make appropriate decisions.

"For example, it might be used for rebooking preferred aircraft seats or proactively managing more significant disruption, like offering fast-track access if they’re running late, lounge access in the event of a flight delay, or re-routing and re-booking if their flight is cancelled," he explains.

Hyper intuitive

As Chat GPT and other LLMs (Large Language Models) become increasingly sophisticated, some believe this kind of technology will not only bring significant improvements to the OBT experience in the future, it could eventually render OBTs obsolete altogether.

Barcelona-based consultant and strategic protyper Cesc Vilanova points out that models like GPT-4 can already extract meaning from traveller requests, such as “I want to change my flight later today” and can also recognise shared calendar appointments, historical booking data and

even unrelated conversations like “my last meeting has been cancelled”. They can also extract meaning from an organisation's travel policies and traveller preferences.

This will allow the AI to suggest options to a traveller based on factors like preferred airlines, type of seat or departure time, also factoring in what the employer needs in terms of preferred suppliers, cost restrictions or CO2 impact.

“I think we will see a gradual change from travel-initiated requests to AI suggested options,” he says.

“It takes 10 times less time to accept a relevant trip suggestion by typing 'yes' to a Slack message sent by AI than to initiate a booking request from scratch by using an Online Booking Tool."

If AI can combine relevant suggestions with a frictionless user experience, this will significantly improve traveller adoption, which is music to a travel manager’s ears.

“The change will take time but the ingredients to make them a reality are already here,” says Vilanova.

The key, says Brian Sheerin, CTM Chief Technology Officer, is "not to move too fast, too quickly, just because we can".

"It’s important to not race too far ahead of the understanding and needs of your clients and their travellers."

(See insight on page 23).

If AI can combine relevant suggestions with a frictionless user experience, this will significantly improve traveller adoption”

Force

F or good

It’s hard to believe, but AI (artificial intelligence) has been around since the 1940s. Yet, only now does it feel like we are on the cusp of a revolution in the way it impacts our lives. I think the tipping point was the launch of Chat GPT last year, followed by much debate around safety and regulation.

Currently, it feels like the AI debate is dominated by the negatives – legislation, safety and job losses – all of which are fair game but also spotlight just how much humans resist change.

Like all tech, though, AI can be a force for good, too. It’s enabled everything from e-commerce upselling and personal viewing recommendations on Netflix, to the likely success of autonomous vehicles and facial recognition. It gets even bigger than that when we start talking how AI could be used in healthcare. It’s suggested that AI could build machines sophisticated enough to detect diseases, identify cancer cells and create customised

prevention as well as customised treatment. Who wouldn’t want that?

It’s AI’s ability to personalise offerings that makes it so powerful and relevant to the business travel industry. In the short term, I think we’ll see the biggest impact through ChatBots, online booking tools and offline service desks. At CTM, we’ve already deployed AI across our online booking tool Lightning to deliver personalised results that consider historical booking data and traveller preferences that are also – and this is the important bit – compliant with the company’s travel policy. As more bookings are made, the machine will learn, and accuracy will increase in line with traveller trust and adoption.

AI is already bringing major improvements in terms of product matches, speed of responses and overall customer experience and we are now looking to extend its use across all our products, reducing the need for user intervention and automating as much of the process as possible. If we can proactively deal with travel

requests and remove search forms and other administrative tasks without compromising on quality and the human element, that will be a big next step.

Data day

Of course, AI is nothing without data, so it’s key for TMCs and other business travel suppliers to continually feed it with supplier and customer data, ensuring it learns how to match requirements and deliverables with increasing accuracy.

In my opinion, if we use AI sensibly, it will provide quality products and services far speedier than those employed today. In fact, speed of response when it comes to delivering results/bookings and handling queries and questions, is one of the top three benefits to the business travel industry of using AI. The other two are accuracy of requirement/deliverable matching based on previous client experience and demands, and cost savings with service costs being driven down, and preferential pricing being reliably offered across multiple sources.

Given buyers are still under pressure to cut costs and make budgets work harder, this makes using a TMC with AI-integrated technology a very attractive option.

So, in my opinion, there are many good things to look forward to when it comes to AI in relation to travel technology, but I would also warn against moving too fast, too quickly, just because we can. It’s important to not race too far ahead of the understanding and needs of your clients (and their travellers), especially as our own research has shown that just 3.73% of customers indicated they want to use ChatGPT for booking business travel, compared to more than 60% who prefer to use an OBT or book through our portal. That’s not to say their needs won’t evolve. History shows they will, and that’s why we will continue to invest in developing proprietary technology at speed, but always in line with our customer-driven timelines.

Brian Sheerin, CTM Chief Technology Officer, believes there’s a place for AI in business travel, but timing is crucial

Brian Sheerin

Brian Sheerin joined CTM in the role of Chief Technology Officer EMEA in early 2016 to drive the travel management company’s technology innovation strategy from its UK-based Tech Hub, leading a large team of tech experts.

TECH HOTLIST The 2023

In no particular order, here’s our pick of the top tech innovators and innovations shaking up the business travel industry

SPOTNANA

In a world where access to content is well and truly king, Spotnana’s open Travel-asa-Service platform is emerging as a strong contender for next in line to the travel throne. Designed to replace legacy travel industry infrastructure, which it argues is “ancient and has been stifling innovation for decades” its open platform allows customers to access

content that other platforms cannot reach. And those customers are coming thick and fast – recent biggies include Solutions Travel and CWT, who were especially enticed by Spotnana’s deep direct NDC integrations, which come with full support for self-service changes and cancellations, as well as comprehensive servicing.

Personalisation is also a priority, and Spotnana’s online booking tool and agent desktop seamlessly accesses profiles, policies and more. Working directly with corporates, TMCs, suppliers and also financial and technology providers like Brex, Spotnana is hitting all parts of the travel ecosystem, backed by enthusiastic investors and a heavyweight (and often outspoken) executive team.

spotnana.com

KATANOX

Based on a proven model from fintech and other industries, Amsterdam-based Katanox is promising to bring some much-needed cohesion to the fragmented world of hospitality distribution. In a nutshell, its platform allows hotels and other accommodation to connect directly with travel sellers like TMCs, cutting out the usual 'gatekeepers' or 'middle men'. By enabling direct partnerships and payment processing in one place, it

aims to create a simpler and more transparent process, saving hoteliers time and money, giving them more consumer insights and more

control, in turn encouraging innovation. On the buyer side, Katanox provides data streaming access and the availability to directly search, book, pay and modify bookings at any time. For both sides, it can also throw in useful, tailor-made extras like price freezes, the option to travel now but pay later, or cancellation and change fees as new revenue opportunities.

katanox.com

“By enabling direct partnerships and payment processing in one place, it aims to create a simpler and more transparent process”

SNOWFALL’S JUNCTION

This cloud-based B2B travel platform allows users to create, book and manage multi-modal trips, from the first to the last mile, including air (EDIFACT & NDC), rail, bus/coach, rental cars, shared and micromobility providers and even ferries, all in one place. The platform also integrates a next-gen booking tool, Junction One, formerly PSNGR1, which, after a bit of a wobbly start (its initial owner ran out of cash, but thankfully Snowfall saw its potential and quickly snapped it up), is now back on track. Following a refresh and rebrand (with a much better name, in our opinion), Junction One offers an intuitive storefront and collaborative, self-service TripBoards,

MOBILITY IQ

to meet the expectations of digital-native generations and deliver a future-fit experience for all parties –corporates, TMCs and suppliers. The Junction platform also boasts AI-powered predictive, automated assistance and disruption management technology and integrated instant payments, enterprise-level FX rates and seamless reconciliation. snowfalltravel.com

Ground transport is sometimes dismissed as the poor relation in the business travel ecosystem and has consequently been wrongly overlooked by the technology innovators, but it’s now attracting the interest and investment it deserves.

One example comes from The Miles Consultancy in the shape of its so-called ‘super app’, Mobility iQ. It’s a B2B2E digital SaaS platform which can be used by travelling employees for pre-trip and in-trip journey planning, booking, travelling and expensing, and can be configured by a corporate to include suppliers, policy and users. Right now, it’s live and

available across Western Europe and is being rolled out to the US in the third quarter. Its mission is to promote more responsible traveller behaviour when booking ground transportation, including car rental, ride, taxi and rail, based on company preferences surrounding the four ‘Cs’ – cost, calories, carbon and clock (time). Meanwhile, integrated AI delivers real-time traveller recommendations in the event of travel disruption, such as strikes, traffic or weather. Its creators expect travellers to like it so much, they use it for their personal mobility needs too.

themilesconsultancy.com

“create, book and manage multimodal trips, from the first to the last mile, all in one tool”

TECH HOTLIST The 2023

TRIPISM

Move over clunky company travel intranet, there’s a new kid in town. As travel programmes become increasingly complex and intricate, and with suppliers wanting to share ever-changing information about how they’re tackling safety and duty of care, the latest sustainability initiatives and the overall experience, travel managers can understandably feel overwhelmed by the task of keeping their travellers properly informed. Step forward Tripism, billing itself as a ‘single source of truth’ by incorporating travel policy guidelines and supplier updates, but also integrating a clever TripAdvisorstyle review element, so travellers can share experiences – good and bad – with their colleagues. Not only does this help travellers make better choices, it also gives travel managers valuable insights into their travel programme and how their preferred suppliers are performing. A win-win. tripism.io

TROOP

Like other disruptive start-ups, this one was the brainchild of a pair who came from outside the travel space. Trying to choose the best location for a global organisation’s internal meeting, they realised how manual and opinion-driven the process was and decided there must be a better way. TROOP launched back in 2018, using technology that uses Big Data and machine learning to find the best meeting locations for corporate groups and events based on specific requirements, such as cost, ease of access, safety, visa requirements, carbon footprint and even the proximity to attractions and places to eat and drink. By streamlining the entire meeting planning process,

organisations can make informed decisions and plan meetings of any size within minutes. Since the pandemic, when so many more workforces are dispersed, TROOP has really come into its own. In the last 15 months alone, its team has grown from six people to 60 and in March 2023 TROOP completed an $11m Series B funding round to finance expansion across Europe and the US and to deliver and launch TROOP: One, its end-to-end meeting management platform. The company claims to help clients reduce, on average, 25% in costs, 20% travel time, and 17% of CO2 emissions for each planned meeting. You can’t argue with those figures. trooptravel.com

“It not only tells travellers everything they need to know about their destination pre-trip, but also empowers corporates to deliver on all the essentials”

“Not only does this help travellers make better choices, it also gives travel managers valuable insights into their travel programme”

JYRNEY

This Manchester-based ride-hail, taxi and chauffeur services start-up made it into our Tech Hotlist back in 2021 when it was still in its very early infancy. In fact, it hadn’t even officially launched at that time but we took a punt and, thankfully, we were proved right. Jyrney is back in our list for 2023 because it has just unveiled its mobile solution, claiming it will revolutionise the way travellers access and manage ground transportation. The mobile offering can be accessed as a standalone solution for corporate clients or integrated into travel companies’ mobile booking apps, with

TAGTU

This Berlin-based newcomer is still in its beta testing phase and is actively seeking partners who want to give its technology a try, but we spotted its potential and decided to include it in our 2023 list.

the data available in mid-back offices, Global Distribution Systems and risk management software. Travellers will have access to ride-hail, taxi and chauffeur services both for pre-booked and on-demand trips. By integrating with travel tech platforms, travel buyers and TMCs can get complete visibility over location, costs, and carbon emissions. What sets Jyrney apart from its competitors is that in the event of delays, it reallocates bookings to closer taxi companies, ensuring prompt and reliable pickups. It has already partnered with some key TMCs and tech companies, including TripStax, and

co-founder and CEO Daniel Price tells us there are more exciting partnerships coming soon. You heard it here first. jyrney.com

It founders, Michael Friedrich and Maxim Kahlert, are “flipping the script on business travel” by shifting the focus from the cost of the trip to the purpose and the value derived from it.

Responding to the glaring need for more efficient and conscious travel, the Tagtu platform is a fusion of technology and strategic planning, integrating contact data and address book information into travel planning to allow travellers to achieve more meetings on fewer trips and to maximise value and return.

It aims to help companies make more strategic decisions about when and how to travel, who to meet and

how often, for the best business outcomes. Crucially, in doing so, Tagtu’s platform also paves the way for more sustainable travel choices. What's not to like?

tagtu.com

“A fusion of technology and strategic planning, integrating contact data and address book information into travel planning to allow travellers to achieve more meetings on fewer trips and maximise value and return ”

TECH HOTLIST The 2023

TRAVEL PLANET

Another shining example of the benefits of developing technology in house, Travel Planet's Click & Control is a modular marketplace with speedy and limitless integration capabilities to meet the ever-evolving travel distribution eco-system. It has been designed to retrieve data from any supplier without the need for intermediary technological operators. Its easy integration capabilities were demonstrated earlier this year when Travel Planet was able to be NDC ready for American Airlines within just four weeks – yes, four weeks! Click & Control also deserves credit for displaying carbon emissions data at the point of sale. But, like all good

CTM'S CLIMATE+

When it comes to encouraging business travellers to make more responsible choices, great strides are being made across the industry, but the tech team at CTM has been working particular hard to help this TMC’s clients meet their sustainability goals. Thanks to recently added features, CTM’s Climate+ claims to be the first connected platform to support every step of a corporate’s business travel sustainability journey. With the help of granular emissions data from RDC Aviation, CTM’s booking tool and app provides CO2 calculations for flights, but also for hotels, trains

and car journeys. Clients can input business travel activity by location, route and class to create a carbon forecast and build realistic, actionable carbon budgets, which can be assigned by company, division or team by year, quarter or month. Importantly, at point of sale there are clear labels highlight greener travel options, intelligently nudging users to make more sustainable choices. The tool also provides reporting and analytics, and lets companies assign approvers and transfer carbon budgets between department and travellers. travelctm.com

“Next on the list is finding a way to integrate serviced accommodation into the platform”

innovators, the in-house techies are continually developing the platform to stay one step ahead of clients' needs. The most recent additions include a Video Teleconferencing module, available via mobile and web, enhanced Duty of Care dashboards and a ground transportation module. Next on the list is finding a way to integrate serviced accommodation into the platform. my-travelplanet.com

just rewards

brand partners with everything from retail shops to restaurants, like ASOS, John Lewis, Ticketmaster and Deliveroo. We also run bonus points programmes for specific products. You’ll get email updates on this throughout the year, ensuring you can maximise your points potential.

Why is it more than just a loyalty scheme? What are the other benefits?

By being part of this exclusive club, not only do we reward you for every booking that you make, you’ll also have the opportunity to be in with a chance to attend moneycan’t-buy experiences, as well as a host of UK events – everything from concerts and experiential trips to behind-the-scenes tours.

What feedback have you had so far?

We’ve had amazing feedback from our existing community. It’s really important that our members continue to feed back to us what they love and what they’d like to see moving forward so that we can build and improve the programme as it evolves.

What's coming next?

In a nutshell, what is Sky High Club?

Sky High Club is our always-on agent reward programme. It’s exclusive to Virgin Atlantic and the only programme of its kind in the UK. Sky High Club gives front line agents points for every Virgin Atlantic flight booked and offers access to money-can’t-buy events and experiences, exclusive only to our Sky High Club community.

When was it launched and why?

Sky High was launched in November 2022 to recognise our valued partners for all the support they give Virgin Atlantic, 24/7/365.

How can TMCs join? What’s the process?

Signing up is super easy. You’ll simply need to click ‘register an account’ in our online portal – virginatlanticskyhighclub.com – and register with your personal details. Once

verified, you’ll be able to log in and you’re good to go! Every time you make a Virgin Atlantic flight booking, just log these details onto your account. Once verified, points will be added for all qualifying bookings, and you can exchange your points for vouchers whenever you like.

How does the points system work?

Points earned can be converted into lifestyle reward vouchers. These include over 150

We’ve already got some really exciting developments planned. We’re launching an app for the platform in mid July, which increases accessibility for our Sky High Club community. Later this year, we’ll be announcing news about additional opportunities for our agent partners to earn. More on this to come!

virginatlanticskyhighclub.com

You'll also have the chance to attend money-can't-buy experiences... concert tickets, experiential trips and behindthe-scene tours"

We chat with Virgin Atlantic Sales Manager, yoge Bagga, about Sky High Club, the airline’s loyalty scheme for travel agents

future

Ready

We asked seven industry experts to share their views on the future of business travel distribution

Stefan CarS CEO & FOundEr, SnOwFall

Distribution has been too fragmented for too long, trapped within the confines of travel’s legacy technology foundations, which have been around for half a century. This industry also seems fixated on compartmentalising distribution into separate travel verticals.

This is exacerbated by a lack of infrastructure and standardisation across other modes of transport other than air, which is only starting to be addressed by initiatives such as the European Commission’s Multimodal Digital Mobility Services (MDMS) and Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM).

I strongly believe that global distribution needs to be multi modal, with all travel and experience related content available through one search, booking and payment platform. This evolution is essential, especially in meeting the needs and expectations of millennials, Generation Z and going forwards, Alpha, as they become the dominant consumer segment.

These generational factors, plus the sustainable travel groundswell, will drive increasing demand for multi-modal forms of travel and seamless tech to compare and book all those options in one place – not just air, hotel, rail and car hire, but shared and micro mobility, public transport and ferry.

Gen-Z and Alpha are true digital natives and expect a consumer-grade, modern retailing experience for booking business travel.

Anything less than a great business travel tech experience, where they can book first to last mile, in one place, is going to result in significant programme leakage. Furthermore, this much-needed evolution will give travel suppliers a cost-effective and flexible way to distribute personalised content globally, especially for verticals where no distribution system currently exists.

It will also allow TMCs and agents to access full, rich multi-modal travel content via a single, global travel marketplace, thus

and in the future – is not just to bring content together. It is about making content easy, accessible, and relevant for any party to access throughout the value chain.

NDC landing with a heavy bump in the US market is a great example of how API technologies are pushing agencies to find new solutions to ever-increasing points of sale. Remaining relevant in a marketplace that now has easy access to lowest-fare pricing continues to force agencies to evolve their value proposition and leverage new content aggregators to ever-greater degrees

Looking forward, it is not just the continued evolution of the existing technology landscape that enables change, but also leveraging the new technologies coming to market. AI will revolutionise the way we build systems’ connectivity, with its ability to create the interfaces between systems in a matter of hours or even minutes, rather than days.

driving better unit economics and operational efficiencies.

Much like low cost carries in aviation and fintech companies in banking, it will be tech disruptors rather than legacy incumbents, who will drive true innovation in travel distribution.

DaviD Chappell ChiEF StratEgy OFFiCEr, tripStax

As the connected, APIdriven landscape of travel infrastructure evolves, the core priority of travel distribution right now –

Whilst this technology is not mature today, it will eventually make integrating systems a much less onerous task, with AI writing the API code directly. This in turn will remove the key obstacles of time and cost in connecting a new content provider, ultimately allowing for a much deeper and more integrated content environment across the entire travel tech landscape.

For now, distribution will continue to fragment as suppliers seek to lower their costs and gain access directly to the most prized commodity of all, their traveller’s data. But going forward, the trend will be accelerated disaggregation of content suppliers away from the traditional modes of access. This in turn will give more power to the API aggregators pulling it all back together again for a coherent point-of-sale.

It is an evolution long in coming but fast in its pace.

AI will revolutionise the way we build systems' connectivity, with its ability to create the interfaces between systems in a matter of hours or even minutes, rather than days”

ami taylor COnSultant, FEStivE rOad

Traditionally, the corporate travel industry has applied technology to address its own unique challenges in isolation. But tech giants are on the verge of revolutionising travel management to ensure we truly show up where executives naturally operate.

A recent wave of partnerships and integrations suggests a reshaping of the sector may be on the horizon; meeting employees where they are and bringing enterprise SaaS solutions into the mix.

Working in cooperation with leading travel technology providers, their open ecosystems are driving innovation and starting to evolve how businesses handle travel and expense processes.

Examples of this include Cytric’s integration with Microsoft, but a quick glance at the list of apps available in Microsoft Teams or Slack reveals a plethora of other travel-related names too.

Providing built-in travel management functionalities within the familiar collaboration-oriented interfaces and streamlining T&E processes aims to reduce disruption in the workday and increase productivity.

Similarly, SAP's Task Center now enables travel and expense approvals from Concur, creating a unified experience for businesses in the SAP ecosystem. In addition, at SAP Concur's flagship Fusion event the company unveiled a long-term vision of consolidating travel and SAP CRM data, providing the

business leaders of the future with a visual, automated dashboard that would enable them to measure the return on investment for business travel.

Integrations like these begin to blur the boundaries that have historically segregated corporate travel from broader technology ecosystems.

Combining integrated AI or robotics tools with business data, leveraged in solutions like MS Teams, expands future possibilities beyond traditional silos, offering the very real potential to enhance employee productivity and improve the overall travel experience for staff.

Maybe “making it easy” through multiple channels will also be the answer to driving greater compliance too?

The convergence of technology and corporate travel holds immense promise, but if this trend continues, the implications for travel technology procurement and TMCs will become increasingly significant.

The integration of travel management functionalities challenges the standalone travel tech approach, potentially changing how and where businesses procure travel technology, reshaping the industry's landscape.

rob Cope ChiEF tEChnOlOgy OFFiCEr, takEtwO

From a TMC perspective, distribution needs to be viewed fundamentally differently going forwards. In my view, TMCs must consider content as a module and extend their capabilities to servicing that

content way beyond only via the GDS, and way beyond NDC.

The focus will be on TMCs treating content agnostically, caring more about value to the corporate customer, and how content can be wrapped around the transaction as a service. Initially, I see this evolving around how rail and ground transportation are incorporated as merchandising opportunities throughout the trip journey.

This will also necessitate automating how TMCs make rail and ground mobility offers bookable via different entry points, whether through a client intranet or a TMC Mobile App. Distribution will be also much more about how we drive super intelligent personalisation through different technology solutions. Content will be seen as a vehicle, but not the engine driving the booking flow.

Clients will want a lot more flexibility towards the content they consume so TMCs will need to shift towards more consolidated content aggregators that encompass a more multi-modal experience within a singular platform.

However, I believe this will need to extend beyond the OBT, which has traditionally been the terrain for just about all TMCs to make content self-serve.

Content will begin to be seen as a microservice, connecting with super flexible policy and rule engines that expand how policy can be applied. Policy will be about how client frictions and tensions are handled, with distribution being a key aspect of that.

How many TMCs can message clients with personalised NDC or low-cost

Content will begin to be seen as a micro-service, connecting with super flexible policy and rule engines that expand how policy can be applied”

carrier content and make it bookable via a Mobile App, whilst retaining a frictionless experience? The ultimate goal is distribution of content in the smartest and most personalised way with automated, real-time flexibility.

riaan van SChoor CEO, agEntivity

The next five years in travel distribution will pack in more accelerated change than what we’ve seen in the past 20 years and there are three reasons why.

Firstly, leading airlines are finally understanding that taking control of their content distribution, versus merely applying different fees per channel, is key.

Secondly there is finally a greater focus among airlines on servicing via their API, and

thirdly, a younger (especially corporate) traveller will be expecting a level of retailing not on offer today, and those who won’t offer it are realising they will lose out.

We will, however, continue to live with different levels of retailing maturity by airlines, and I also worry about the corporate travel environment still being so very focused on the air product, which is actually the least impacting.

As for the newer distribution option sceptics in our industry, if you believe this is all about cost (which it absolutely was at the start and for many airlines continues to be) it’s very hard to see anything else, and the airlines don’t always make that any easier with their marketing gibberish or using a stick instead of carrot approach.

To help get over this, we need to keep applying the pressure on the airlines to demonstrate the promised advantages. For airlines, control comes at a huge cost,

and they are also now realising it’s a continuous investment they will have to keep up.

Some airlines have also been walking into their new retailing environment rather in the dark, not focused on control over their API but handing that to their product-service systems (PSS) provider. This means they’ll never really be in control.

The transition to retailing is happening, like it or not. Even American Airlines scrapping decades old corporate programmes is a retailer type move, or at the very least taking back more control. It’s just common business sense, which most airlines don’t apply today, yet then moan about their low margins.

I, for one, am very excited to be witnessing this change in our industry, I just hope the airlines will keep asking: what’s the benefit to the customer? As long as we keep asking that question, we’ll be fine.

Katie SKitterall grOup COmmErCial dirECtOr, atpi

Despite the introduction of NDC technology well over a decade ago, the explanations of what it is, how it works and its potential benefits have become a convoluted and controversial matter over the years. And, as momentum continues to build following American Airlines’ most recent shake-up, there’s little sign of it slowing down. American Airlines’ decision is likely to be a catalyst as more carriers look to follow suit in the near future as a way to boost the bottom line.

Like it or not, NDC has increasingly caused a stir amongst the sector and divided

opinions at every turn. But what’s the fuss all about? I believe it’s time the industry stopped making a mountain out of a molehill and ends this needless panicking where NDC is concerned.

TMCs are here to sit down with their clients, discuss their programme and how each carrier’s NDC content may or may not affect them.

However, issues tend to arise when TMCs aren’t clear themselves on their strategy or haven’t trained their people effectively.

In our business, we have had to take our staff on an NDC journey. We look at an update, map it to the market, check the GDS and the online booking tool for that market, and then push a clear message out to all our clients.

NDC assures greater pricing transparency, richer content for a better traveller experience and improved cost savings. And, in fact, when booking British Airways tickets through an online, non-GDS booking tool, we found prices were actually cheaper 30% of the time.

The reality is that we as an industry have made it way more complicated than it needs to be. As long as you have a TMC worth its salt, that has the knowledge and agility to work with travel buyers, there’s no need to stress.

It’s a TMC’s responsibility to learn, adjust and bear the brunt of any changes. And, as such, we must continue to evolve our processes and ensure that we remain agile to deliver what truly matters to today’s tech savvy business travellers.

Our strapline is ‘delivering what really matters’ and I can honestly say what really matters when you strip it back to basics is in fact, price.

Forget about the booking channel, forget about the GDS, forget the airline. All a buyer really wants is the best fare for their travel request, a programme with no noise, and to never hear those awful words "I’ve found it cheaper elsewhere".

In a climate where all we hear about is price hikes, buyers need the confidence that their chosen supplier can give them the best fares available. Who really cares about the nitty gritty details?

Dan norriS vp tmC partnErShSipS, katanOx

The global hospitality market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate between 20232028, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 10.43%.However, this growth will not come without challenges.

Hotels will have to find a way to be efficient and adaptable in the face of volatility across every aspect of their business in order to reduce overhead costs and ultimately drive revenue.

In particular, distribution – from content and contracting to bookings and payments –remains a largely unoptimised portion of the hospitality business, which is highly fragmented, inefficient and costly.

Fortunately, spurred on by necessitated change from the pandemic, hospitality technology has accelerated rapidly in the past two years, leading to increased interest and usage, much like the eCommerce technological transformation we saw a decade ago.

To draw another parallel, I believe the hospitality industry is entering into a shopify stage, in the sense that it’s going to become easier and more cost effective to distribute and sell items (in the case of accommodation providers, rooms and properties) and accept and process payments.

Today’s biggest and most successful

retailers, such as Walmart, were able to find such success by transforming their brick and mortar operations into digital retailing powerhouses through technological adoption.

The same will happen in the hospitality industry. The future is reserved for the entities that can free themselves from the shackles of legacy technology and old processes in favour of true innovation, which will make doing business more seamless and more transparent, while driving down costs and boosting revenue.

We are already seeing TMCs evolve from agencies providing limited technology-basic solutions into enhanced technology companies with app- and mobile-first products providing the corporates and their travellers with a greater service and booking experience.

In order for a TMC to continue to be the travel manager’s TMC of choice, the TMC will need to continue to develop the level and variety of their distribution landscape.

The travel manager’s position is also evolving into not just having to develop their travel programme and communication, but having the ability to understand and procure many different technology and distribution services to suit their travellers needs, which offer flexibility and variety but also still retain the control needed for an efficient and cost effective programme.

Travel managers want to ensure that travel is easier, smarter and safer, all of this is

currently happening with the hotel distribution evolution.

Finally, corporate travellers have known for a long time that technology in the business travel segment doesn’t always match up to the leisure space, and the expectation is that, in time, travel should be a ‘joined up journey’.

They want simple and flexible solutions providing new features to make travel easy and safe whilst encompassing their corporate travel and personal needs.

The future is reserved for the entities that can free themselves from the shackles of legacy technology and old processes in favour of true innnovation”

The Business Travel Magazine

Dinner Club

Top buyers networked with travel industry leaders at The Carlton Tower Jumeirah, London, at the May Dinner Club, the first at the five-star hotel. Surrounded by stunning, leafy views from the Garden Rooms, guests enjoyed a champagne reception and a three-course dinner, followed by an engaging talk by Robert Sinclair, CEO London City Airport. The event was sponsored by Avis, Etihad Airways, South Western Railway and 3Sixty.

Five-star service for industry leaders

Catching up with friends and colleagues

Dinner in the Garden Room

Networking at the champagne reception

PHOTOS BY GLENN FOSTER

Reality check

THE LOCATION In the ultra sustainable Eddington district of Cambridge, an easy 10-minute bike ride from the city centre, the Hyatt is next door to Turing Locke serviced apartments. Both are owned by Edyn and opened in summer 2021. Sharing a large, leafy courtyard and all communal areas, their roofs are 80% solar panels, with leftover energy fed back to the grid. Other eco initiatives include LED lighting, 200 bike parking spaces, 20 EV charging spots, and the UK's first stormwater recycling scheme.

THE CHECK-IN The Hyatt lobby was buzzing with people when we arrived. The receptionist explained that the restaurant was in the process of changing hands, but pointed us to the the lobby café, Brew, which serves expertly-crafted coffee and artisan pastries, and the adjacent Douce, a hair salon which doubles as a café and funky bar with craft beers. We were also told about various activities, including DJ yoga on the rooftop and free bike hire.

HOTEL: HYATT CENTRIC CAMBRIDGE

A new restaurant operator is expected to take over the restaurant soon.

THE ROOM There are 150 rooms. Our deluxe kingsize was on the first floor and, like most rooms, had views over the courtyard. The bathroom had a large walk-in rain shower with BeeKind toiletries. There was a 43” Smart TV, super thick bath robes, iron and ironing board, a safe, kettle and a decent-sized fridge. The style was modern with velvets furnishings, rich walnut and art deco touches. Accessible rooms are available on request.

THE FACILITIES As well as the other eating options, the complex has a popular bar, Dutch, with a daily Happy Hour and with Mexican-inspired bar snacks and charcuterie. Hyatt guests can use a small but well-equipped 24-hour gym at Turing Locke, where bikes can also be hired on a first-comefirst-serve basis. They're free but a £100 security deposit is required. There are no bike helmets. Pets are welcome and there's even a weekly dog yoga class.

PETS ARE WELCOME AND THERE'S EVEN A WEEKLY DOG YOGA CLASS

HOTEL: THE RELAIS HENLEY

FOR BUSINESS Our bedroom lacked a desk but Turing Locke has a great co-working space in its lobby, with floor to ceiling windows, and private meeting rooms for hire.

THE VERDICT With its sustainability credentials and a funky vibe, this hotel is ideal for younger business travellers.

THE DETAILS Rooms available from £99, hyatt.com

Bev Fearis

THE HOTEL This former 16th-century coaching inn on the riverside in the market town of Henley has been tastefully renovated into a luxury boutique hotel. It has 40 uniquely designed rooms inspired by Henley’s rowing tradition, the River Thames and the natural beauty of the Chiltern Valley. It is the first property to open under Relais Retreats, a collection of English waterside escapes founded in 2021.

THE CHECK-IN We arrived to a warm and friendly welcome in the charming and intimate lobby, with a distinctive Red Lion above the door in a nod to the hotel's former life as an inn. The check-in included a helpful overview of the hotel’s facilities before we were quickly heading to our room, on the first floor.

THE ROOM Our room was bright, spacious, elegantly decorated, with a carpet in rowing regatta stripes and a striking botanical-inspired wardrobe. It had all the amenities you need for a comfortable stay, including a flat screen TV and a comfortable armchair.

Although we were on the river and road side of the hotel, there was little noise. The ensuite bathroom was white marble tiled with under floor heating, a large roll-top bath and shower. Toiletries were Algotherm, vegan and cruelty-free.

THE BUSINESS The Palm Court and the Petit Palm are perfect for meetings or private dinners and have a members club feel to their design and layout. The Relais group also runs a private club, The Salon, giving members access to an elegant ‘alternative office’ environment and to networking through hosted events.

THE FACILITIES The hotel has two bars: The Quarterdeck Bar, in the oldest part of the hotel, and the cosy Clip Bar where you can sit around the log fire and enjoy river views. The Clipper restaurant is an elegant dining room with a wooden rowing boat hanging from the high ceiling. The restaurant is open all day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, with quality, locally-sourced ingredients. I enjoyed a tasty surf and turf, with a generous portion of lobster

YOU'LL FEEL RELAXED AND AT HOME FROM THE MOMENT YOU ARRIVE

meat. The service was excellent, despite the small number of waiting staff.

THE VERDICT You’ll feel relaxed and at home from the moment you arrive. There’s no better location in Henley and the excellent service from the friendly staff will leave you wanting to return.

THE DETAILS Riverside Reset delegate day rates from £55, 24-hour rate starts from £265, therelaisretreats.com Matt Bonner

THE HOTEL A two-minute walk from London Victoria train station, which links by train to Gatwick Airport (30 minutes), this 299-room hotel is ideally located for central London business trips, meetings and conferences.

FOR MEETINGS Dedicated and selfcontained conference facilities include 17 customisable meeting rooms. The largest, the Victoria Suite, can accommodate up to 500 guests theatre style. When combined with the Beatrice Suite and Victoria Lobby, it can accommodate up to 32 exhibition stands, making it a popular choice for conferences and exhibitions. For smaller meetings, the Executive Boardroom seats up to 15. The hotel holds the Meetings Industry Association's AIM Gold accreditation and is a Green Healthcare accredited venue.

THE ROOM We arrived an hour before our meeting and were escorted to our room, which turned out to be two adjoining rooms – the Executive Lounge and the Elizabeth Suite, on the first floor. We had initially planned our meeting in

MEETING: PARK PLAZA VICTORIA LONDON

the boardroom-style Elizabeth Suite but when we saw the more relaxed lay-out of the lounge area, with windows down one side giving lovely natural light, we decided to rearrange the furniture (a mixture of low-slung arm chairs, bucket chairs, leather footstools, high-backed chairs and coffee tables) and hold our meeting there. The boardroom, which also had natural light from a window, came in handy later when we had a break-out session. It came with bottles of water, paper and pens.

THE SERVICE While we prepared the room by setting up our presentation (a simple plug and play), hotel staff came in several times to check everything was okay, while others brought in the refreshments – croissants and pain au chocolat – for our 11am start. When the rest of the team arrived, everything was already in place on the long bar area –pastries, teas, coffees, sparkling and still water – and all the attentive staff quietly slipped away. Their job was done and they left us in privacy.

ROOMS WERE BRIGHT, CHEERY, COMFORTABLE AND CONDUCIVE FOR CREATIVITY

HOTEL: HOLIDAY INN WHITECHAPEL

THE VERDICT We felt in good, capable hands from start to finish, which is crucial when planning a meeting or conference. The rooms were bright, cheery, comfortable and conducive for creativity and team-bulding.

THE DETAILS Average rate for the Elizabeth Suite is £700, including use of the Executive Lounge for breaks. radissonhotels.com

Bev Fearis

THE HOTEL In the heart of East London and a five-minute walk from both Shadwell DLR and Whitechapel underground station, London’s financial districts can be reached within 10 minutes using the Hammersmith and City or DLR. London City Airport is just 15 mins by DLR from Shadwell. The hotel is well-served by public transport but as a lone, female traveller it was not the most pleasant walk to and from either local station, so taxis are advised for late night arrivals or departures.

THE CHECK-IN I was warmly welcomed and quickly whizzed through check-in with facilities highlighted and breakfast timings and location pointed out. I was handed two room keys, which I needed to swipe to activate the lifts or access the stairs, adding a nice level of security for a single traveller.

THE ROOM My standard twin room (105) was located close to the lifts and was spacious at 15 square metres. The room was well-designed with floor to ceiling windows for great light, good

hanging space, two 39’’ wide beds, desk, plenty of plug points, a large LG flat screen TV and complimentary tea and coffee. The bathroom featured a large rainforest style shower, high-quality products in pump dispensers, which felt more sustainable than plastic miniatures.

THE FACILITIES The hotel has 24-hour check-in, a restaurant with an all-day menu, a well-stocked bar in a lounge area, plus a fitness centre and meetings facilities. Full English Breakfast Buffet was included with the room rate (it's £15.95 otherwise) and there were also some nice Vegan and Vegetarian specials, which can be cooked to order.

FOR BUSINESS A newly-refurbished co-working space had the latest technology available, lots of natural light and the flexibility to be made into smaller spaces or larger spaces (maximum 60 for theatre style). While the immediate area lacked choice for dining out in the evening, the lively St Katherine’s Dock was a short cab ride away with plenty of taxis passing by the hotel.

THE VERDICT A super-friendly service throughout this Holiday Inn, the staff could not have done more to make me feel special and welcome. It’s a good choice for businesses in the area looking for some off-site co-working and meetings spaces and good quality accommodation for their employees.

THE DETAILS Standard twins start at £135, ihg.com/holidayinn Kirsty

Hicks

A GOOD CHOICE FOR BUSINESSES IN THE AREA LOOKING FOR SOME OFF-SITE CO-WORKING

Reality check

THE HOTEL Opened in May, Anantara's seventh property in Europe and first hotel in Ireland occupies the building previously occupied by The Marker Hotel. It is opposite Grand Canal Square in Dublin's dockyard district, which in recent years has attracted tech businesses such as Google. Owned by Minor Hotels, the hotel had a multimillion-euro makeover before opening.

THE CHECK-IN I left my car with the valet, then entered the spacious reception area where I was handed a wooden key – one of many sustainability initiatives at the hotel –and a complimentary glass of Bollinger.

THE ROOM The 187 rooms, spread over six floors, were completely refurbished this past winter, along with the lobby and bar. My De Luxe room was unusually shaped, with eyecatching angles. It was stylish and super-comfortable with soft purple, grey and brown colours, wood panelling and contemporary furnishings created by Irish designers.

HOTEL: ANANTARA THE MARKER, DUBLIN

Key features included a king-size bed, smart TV with Chromecast, a wall-tofloor mirror, small round table and chairs, working desk area, Nespresso coffee machine, a flat-screen TV, a stocked minibar, complimentary Wi-Fi and plenty of sockets and USB ports. The floor-to-ceiling bedside window looked down on Grand Canal Square.

THE FACILITIES The restaurant, Forbes Street by Gareth Mullins, is bright and airy, with views of the working kitchen. Modern, Irish dishes are are sourced, where possible, within 30 miles of the hotel. Entrées include a range of steaks made from dry-aged Irish beef, Stone Bass and roasted aubergine gratin. A spa offers treatments inspired by Irish ingredients, a sauna, a eucalyptus-infused steam room and a 23-metre indoor infinity pool. A rooftop terrace bar and lounge has unbeatable 360-degree city views.

FOR BUSINESS There are nine meetings rooms, for 20 to 250 guests, and a business centre.

MY DE LUXE ROOM WAS UNUSUALLY SHAPED, WITH EYE-CATCHING ANGLES

THE VERDICT A stylish and ultraluxurious urban escape committed to blurring the traditional lines between business and leisure travellers by offering facilities and excursions that even the busiest of corporate travellers can experience when they visit.

THE DETAILS De Luxe rooms from around €325 but check for offers, +353 (0) 1 687 5100, anantara.com

Steve Hartridge

APARTMENT: VIRIDIAN APARTMENTS, HAMMERSMITH - SOUTHERTON MEWS

THE APARTMENTS These newly-built apartments opened earlier this year and are managed by Viridian Apartments, previously known as Flying Butler. A fiveminute walk from Hammersmith underground station, there are lots of great restautants and cafés nearby if you don’t want to cook. The apartments are in an eco-friendly development that’s gas free, with air source heat pumps, underfloor heating and a mechanical ventilation system to filter polluted air.

THE ARRIVAL I had been given a four-digit code for the entry gate as part of clear and detailed check-in information sent by email. Once through the gate, I went down a ramp (good for wheelchair access), past the small terraces of other apartments until I reached mine (number 9) at the end of a path. Here, I entered a longer code into an electronic lock system by the door. It was all very straightforward and I didn’t need to watch the video tutorial provided.

THE ROOM There's a choice of twobedroom duplex apartments and one-

and two-bedroom mews houses, all with either a terrace or balcony. Mine was a duplex, which was perfect as I was sharing with a work colleague, giving us more more privacy. It had a cute walled terrace with garden chairs and table. I took the upstairs ensuite apartment and my colleague had the downstairs apartment with an adjacent shower room. An open plan living room/kitchen had a decent-sized fridge and a circular dining table. White Company toiletries, basic cleaning products, tea and coffee are provided. The decor was simple but stylish and everything was super clean. Beds have eco mattresses made from recycled marine plastic.

THE FACILITIES There's no reception or communal areas but there is a 24-hour helpline. I had some issues with the Wi-Fi and called the number. I’m sure it was just teething problems for a brand new property (we were the first guests).

THE BUSINESS My upstairs bedroom had a desk but I preferred to work on the dining table downstairs.

BEDS HAVE ECO MATTRESSES MADE FROM RECYCLED MARINE PLASTIC

THE VERDICT With their outside spaces, these apartments feel particularly homely and I left wishing I could spend a few more days there to enjoy the terrace. The duplex is ideal if you’re sharing and the security gates and digital entry systems made us feel safe

THE DETAILS 1-bed apartments from £200 + VAT, 2-beds from £270, +44 (0)20 3743 0331, viridianapartments.com

Bev Fearis

The pursuit of happiness

Travel managers who want to keep their frequent flyers happy, please take note: if possible, make sure they travel on a Wednesday and never, ever force them to fly on a Sunday

According to an analysis of 7 million customer data points from airports in more than 30 countries, Wednesday is the happiest day of the week to fly and Sundays are best swerved.

The revelations come from HappyOrNot, the people who make ubiquitous ‘smiley face’ customer feedback terminals in airports worldwide. If you're not convinced, when the same data was analysed at the start of 2022, the happiest and least happy days to fly were found to be exactly the same. Interesting.

Of the five airport areas compared, the most negative feedback was given by air passengers waiting for their

luggage in baggage claim, while the most positive feedback came from those passing through security.

What's most difficult to believe, however, is what the customer happiness data found to be the best time of the day to fly.

According to the analysis of positive customer feedback,

Doing the dirty work

Since the Covid pandemic, an increasing number of hotels and airports are using robot cleaners to keep their venues spick and span. But a new academic study has found it might not be making the right impression on customers.

According to research by Chi Hoang, Assistant Professor of Marketing at ESCP Business School, travellers tend to see a venue as less clean if tasks are being done by robots, which can put them off visiting. Humans are seen as a better fit for tasks that demand high levels of interpersonal interactions, while robots are seen as a better fit to deal with disgusting tasks. Poor things.

your travellers will be at their happiest if they're passing through the airport at the unearthly hour of 4am. What? We can only guess that these strangely cheery early risers are either still half asleep and don't even notice the 'smiley face' check points, or are still merrily drunk from the night before.

IT's TERMINAL

Based on the availability of shops, food and beverage options, hotels and passenger satisfaction ratings at 40 of the world's busiest airports, here are the top 10 airports for a layover, according to Betway, the online gambling company:

1 Singapore Changi

2 Incheon International

3 Hong Kong International

4 Dubai International

5 Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta

6 Dallas-Fort Worth

7 Munich

8 Chhatrapati Shivaji

9 Amsterdam Schiphol

10 Denver International

Research by Betway

At the risk of encouraging naughty behaviour, we were fascinated to learn about the latest travel buzz word, the ‘hush trip’, which is basically when crafty remote workers pretend to the boss that they're working from home, as usual, but are actually on a cheeky overseas trip. Clever hey? If you're tempted, the team at Icelandair have compared over 100 of the most prominent cities in the world on factors like quality of life, Wi-Fi speeds and happiness to uncover where's best for a 'hush trip' and reckon you're best sneaking off to Vienna, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Luxembourg or Helsinki. See you there...