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.

Scott Davies Chief Executive

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.

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.