19 minute read
News and views, plus comment from the BTA and the ITM
The free-ToaTTend evenT welcomes bookers, buyers, arrangers and managers
September 14-15, 2021 Hilton London Bankside
TheBusinessTravel Conference.com BTA to consult on TMC pricing models
A consultAtion on TMC fees by The Business Travel Association has been brought forward due to the impact of Covid-19 on the business travel sector. Originally planned for 2021, the consultation is now taking place this autumn.
The BTA has partnered with industry consultants Nina & Pinta to develop a white paper exploring approaches to three TMC models: transaction fees, subscription fees and management fees. It will be consulting with the TMC and corporate travel buyer communities on each model to develop new industry standards.
Clive Wratten, CEO of the BTA, said: “The impact of Covid-19 on our industry has made this consultation more vital than ever, and the BTA is committed to leading the industry with this catalyst for positive change.”
BCD Travel has ConfirmeD ThaT 3,000 joBs CoulD go aT The TmC Due To a DownTurn in TransaCTions anD saiD: "like so many oTher Companies in The Travel inDusTry we will emerge as a smaller organisaTion Coming ouT of The panDemiC."
tripActions has innovated its travel and expense management platform, TripActions Liquid, billing it as “the best thing to happen to finance since the spreadsheet”.
The TMC says machine learning and AI-driven automation will put an end to the hassles and compromises from out-dated, legacy expensing tools, including the “dreaded expense report”.
Auto-approval technology means managers only need to focus on approvals for flagged transactions.
“There isn’t a single person who likes expenses, expense management or expense reports,” said Jim Lundy, Founder, CEO & Lead Analyst, Aragon Research “The concept of expenses, conceived decades ago, is no longer relevant today given advancements in business, technology and user experience."
The product has been launched in the US and is set to be rolled out in Europe later this year or in early 2021.
AMEx gBT Buys TECHnology sTART-up
AmericAn Express Global Business Travel has acquired 30SecondsToFly, a technology start-up specialising in artificial intelligence and messaging for business travel.
The deal will see the start-up’s AI developers join GBT’s growing technology team.
The firm's technology allows users to book travel through a virtual assistant, called Claire, on Facebook Messenger, Slack, Skype and SMS and will be incorporated into the Amex GBT Mobile App and Apple Business Chat over the coming months.
Flybe looks set to rise from the ashes
europeAn regional airline Flybe, which collapsed in March with the loss of 2,000 jobs, is set to resume fl ights next year after being rescued by a former shareholder.
The remaining assets of the Exeter-based airline have been bought for an undisclosed sum by Thyme Opco, a company affi liated with investment adviser and former shareholder Cyrus Capital.
The deal, subject to Civil Aviation Authority approvals and regulatory requirements, will see the airline re-launch operations in early 2021 as a 'smaller regional airline' under the Flybe brand.
Before going into administration, Flybe was Europe's largest regional airline, serving more than 80 airports.
[COVID INITIATIVES]
>> HYATT HOTELS has relaxed the conditions of its loyalty scheme, World of Hyatt. Among the changes, reward points, which usually expire when a member's account is inactive for two years, will be suspended until June 30 2021. VENUEDIRECTORY.COM is providing a free automatic three-month extension to all venue distribution subscriptions to support the industry through the pandemic and is replacing its annual subscription model with a perpetual monthly model. WOMEN IN TRAVEL, the social enterprise, is off ering a free training and mentoring programme this winter for women based in London who have lost their job due to Covid-19. More details at info@womenintravelcic.com <<
BTA UPDATEBTA COMMENT
Wanted: new Minister for Travel
The Government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis has failed to hit the mark. Take the chaotic launch of the Global Travel Taskforce. Positive murmurings that a vital testing pilot would be set up became a victim of ill-informed speculation.
Instead we heard, via Twitter, that trials were being put on the back burner. Our pleas for airport tests seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
It's as if there is a huge knowledge defi cit in Government about what is required to get our industry up off its knees. Too often evidence is ignored. Some sceptical Ministers seem to conveniently set aside the facts: testing trials in other markets have demonstrated high levels of accuracy and eff ectiveness.
Our industry cannot wait for months as the taskforce decides on its remit, seeks evidence, arranges its opinions and eventually delivers its recommendations. Waiting for wise words to emerge before Christmas just will not do.
We will only survive if the taskforce acts on testing in weeks, not months.
Our frustration has been further compounded by the launch of the Job Support Scheme and the relaunch of the Winter Economic Plan swiftly on its heels. Once again the Treasury blatantly failed to recognise the fi rst law of Covid economics, namely that all sectors are not aff ected equally.
By our members’ calculations, the Job Scheme will, on average, save just one job per business travel company. 50% of people in business travel are set to lose their jobs in the coming weeks, with worse to come in 2021.
Despite our disappointments, we continue to try to deepen our relationships across Government and argue for workable solutions rather than just asking for unlimited subsidies and grants.
We as an industry are ready to play our part, but we need to fi nd a new voice to represent us - a newly-established Minister for Travel, charged with shaking off the inertia around fi nding safe, positive solutions to re-ignite our economy and get Britain moving again. get Britain moving again.
Clive Wratten Chief Executive Offi cer
Network with more thaN 60 leadiNg travel suppliers at this private exhibitioN aNd CoNFereNCe
September 14-15, 2021 Hilton London Bankside
TheBusinessTravel Conference.com Study casts doubt over testing fears
AVIATION bosses have accused the Government of being 'fl awed' in its claim that air passenger testing is ineff ective.
A review of modelling by Public Health England disputes that tests on arrival might pick up only 7% of passengers with asymptomatic Covid infections and argues it would instead pick up 33%-63% of all infected passengers.
The study, commissioned by IAG, Virgin Atlantic, Heathrow, Manchester Airports Group, Airlines UK, IATA, and others, was carried out by economics consultancy Oxera and health data analytics company Edge Health.
It said the PHE paper is "based on a theoretical model and is not calibrated to real-world data" and "therefore fails to provide any real insight unto the relative risk inbound passengers pose to the UK population". See pages 29-31.
44
Number of reported Covid cases relating to air travel
Since the start of 2020, out of a total of 1.2 billion air travellers in that period, there have been just 44 reported Covid cases where transmission is thought to have been associated with a fl ight, according to IATA fi gures.
FORMER FLYBE ROUTE IS COMING BACK
EASTERN Airways is to bring back fl ights between Northern Ireland and Wales in 2021, fi lling a gap left by the collapse of Flybe earlier this year.
The services will operate daily, except for on Saturdays, from January 11. Fares start from £79.99 one-way, including taxes and charges.
Roger Hage, General Manager Commercial and Operations for Eastern Airways, said: “As the UK’s regional airline serving all four home nations, ensuring the right services and frequencies are off ered as passenger confi dence returns is essential. "The introduction of a Belfast City service from Cardiff is one so many have been asking for so connectivity between Wales and Northern Ireland is in place as the appetite for travel increases."
Meanwhile, Eastern Airways has entered a codeshare partnership with Channel Islands specialist Aurigny, focusing on their Southampton connections and aligning their booking systems.
APD TO CLIMB AGAIN DESPITE COVID HIT
AIR Passenger Duty is to rise next year on medium- and long-haul fl ights, despite widespread calls for a 12-month suspension of the tax due to the pandemic's impact on the travel sector.
From April 1, Economy travellers on medium- and long-haul fl ights will pay £82 each way, a rise of £2.
Premium class passengers – which includes Premium Economy, Business Class and First - will pay £180, an increase of £4.
But APD on short-haul fl ights will stay the same.
IN BRIEF
On the menu Qatar Airways has introduced its fi rst range of fully vegan dishes to its à la carte menu. The newly-crafted dishes use locally-sourced ingredients and are available to all Business Class passengers fl ying from its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, and selected fl ights into Doha
Crew tests Virgin Atlantic has become the fi rst UK airline to introduce Covid-19 pre-fl ight testing at its Heathrow base for cabin crew and pilots. Initially on fl ights to Shanghai and Hong Kong, Virgin plans to extend the trial to select services before a wider roll out to test every operating crew at least once per month.
Finnair trim Finnair has scaled back its fl ight schedule for the winter season but will boost frequencies from spring 2021. The airline plans to open its new Busan route to South Korea and start services to Tokyo Haneda during summer 2021, but fl ights to San Francisco, Xi’an, Beijing Daxing, and Sapporo in Japan will remain suspended.
Jet set go VistaJet has launched a new Dynamic Corporate Membership with the option to pay in arrears, get unlimited fl ying hours, a dedicated fl ight manager and a dedicated cabin steward only fl ying the company’s trips to reduce Covid-19 exposure, plus other benefi ts.
Air travel crucial for UK business chiefs
MORE than two thirds of business leaders regard air travel as key to their future prospects, according to a survey commissioned by London City Airport.
A poll of 515 top executives by WPI Strategy also found 88% in businesses with over 250 employees believe air travel is important to the future success of their business.
Just under half think the Government’s travel and quarantine restrictions is the single biggest barrier to business air travel and 76% believe airport testing would increase confi dence when travelling.
Similar fi ndings came from a mid-October GBTA poll, which found 86% of European members believe rapid testing pre-departure was the best way to open up travel. The poll also found 63% of European members cite government travel restrictions as the greatest barrier to travel.
A380 LOUNGES AND SHOWERS MAKE A RETURN ON EMIRATES
EMIRATES has reinstated its A380 Onboard Lounge and Shower Spa, with new Covid health and safety measures in place.
The Onboard Lounge, available for First and Business customers, has been transformed into a take-away bar with limited seating capacity allowing social distancing.
The bar will continue to serve wines, spirits, soft drinks and pre-packaged lounge bites for customers to enjoy in their cabin seats. Customers will also be able to place orders from their seats.
From November 1, Emirates' onboard dining experience will also return in all cabins with new strict hygiene protocols.
Meanwhile, the Emirates app has been enhanced to allow those onboard to browse the menus on their personal devices both online and offl ine.
ITM
Scott Davies Chief Executive
Pandemic challenges have meant that we have all had to re-consider what value looks like to our stakeholders and customers. Arguably no-one is an expert anymore, certainly in the medium term, and so we all need to accept and adapt to be able to thrive.
Of course, the role of each supplier in the ecosystem has needed to rapidly evolve. The catastrophic drop-off in travel has exposed the weakness in the transaction fee model, which has led to dramatic restructuring of TMCs' businesses. The skills required and value propositions off ered have needed to be re-imagined. We have said farewell (for now) to far too many of our extended family as roles have been lost.
ITM’s recent Buyer Business Recovery Survey showed that half of all travel buyers now feel increased pressure to justify their roles at this time.
During our Thrive 2.0 Conference, industry leaders told us business travel professionals need fl exibility tenacity, innovation, opportunism and limitless energy to succeed. Some good news at least, then, since we all know our industry is built on the talent, warmth and resilience of its remarkable people. We will never, ever give up.
Tribe hotel opens in Paris neighbourhood
ACCOR has opened a hotel in Paris, the second under its four-star midscale Tribe brand.
The Tribe Paris Batignolles promises “a unique urban space with a vibrant style”, with 79 guestrooms, fl exible multipurpose spaces designed for business meetings or gatherings, a bar and café, and fi tness centre.
Created in Australia with a hotel in Perth, the Tribe brand is “a collective that believes hospitality can constantly evolve to be more stylish and sophisticated while simultaneously remaining authentic and aff ordable”.
Accor said the hotel has been modifi ed for Covid, with hand sanitisers in every space, a minimum of 1 metre between all tables, and a limit of 26 people in the lobby.
SITU LAUNCHES TOOL TO ALLOW INSTANT APARTMENT BOOKINGS
campaign to help kick-start the meetings and events sector. The ‘Meet Safe, Meet Smart 30’ campaign was created after a survey revealed confusion over the Government’s rules. The research revealed many planners don't know the number of delegates allowed to attend meetings in England (currently 30) which is preventing them booking and organising events. The survey’s 40 respondents, of which 38% were from the corporate sector; 31% from charities and 31% from a mixture of government, association and education organisations, expressed continued worries over safety. In total, 71% had concerns over employee and delegate safety. Some 65% stated they would only run online meetings and events in the foreseeable future. Almost all of the other respondents said they will organise virtual or hybrid events and leave it to the delegates to decide whether to attend in-person or online. INTERNATIONAL serviced apartment agency, SITU, has launched a global network allowing operators worldwide to connect their inventory, availability and pricing to the booking tool.
SITU Live: Global Network means travel buyers will have the option to instantly make a booking online and bypass the traditional ‘on-request’ process which is typical within the sector. "We are delighted to launch SITU Live: Global Network in answer to what has been a long-held point of contention for the business traveller and business travel buyer – that serviced apartments are harder to book than hotels," said Managing Director Phil Stapleton. "This tool allows our team to work with our clients and build bespoke accommodation programmes that blend online and offl ine bookable inventory globally which can be connected to third party booking tools or accessed via SITU’s customer portal.”
The network launches with over 40 locations across the UK, with the aim of expanding this to over
DOUBLE HYATT AT CDG AIRPORT
HYATT has opened two adjacent hotels at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, its fi rst dual-branded project in France. Managed by Cycas Hospitality, the hotels - Hyatt Place and Hyatt House - are located in Paris Nord 2 International Business Park, close to the airport. Shared facilities include the restaurants, bar, lounge meeting rooms and event spaces, fi tness centre and pool area. Guests at either hotel can also take advantage of a complimentary airport shuttle service, free high-speed internet and a pet-friendly policy.
CAMPAIGN TO KICK-START EVENTS
THE HBAA has launched a 200 worldwide by December 2020.
29.7%
Occupancy in London hotels in September
London hotel occupancy dropped by just under 66% in September year-on-year to the lowest rate of any September on record. RevPAR also fell by 81% to £27.64, according to preliminary data from STR, the hospitality data and insights group.
Expenses data shows switch to private cars
MILEAGE expenses have increased by over 290% since the March lockdown, according to data from Global Expenses App, ExpenseOnDemand.
It says mileage now accounts for 90% of all expense claims as employees opt to use private vehicles for business travel rather than other means of transport.
Public transport expenses have dropped from 18% to only 5% of total claims but hotel and air travel were the hardest hit sectors, now accounting for just 1% of claims, down from 16% and 20% respectively.
ExpenseOnDemand Founder Sunil Nigam said the data highlights that many businesses are still very active and continuing to adapt to new ways of running their business.
CAR HIRE RATES AT A CLICK
CLICK Travel has added a direct connection with Enterprise Rent-A-Car for both its Enterprise and National brands, with access to special Click Travel rates. Bookable in the same basket as hotels, fl ights and more, rates include an all-inclusive package with no insurance excesses, or for cost-conscious customers a Lite rate including mandatory charges.
Customers with existing contracts with Enterprise will see their rates honoured, with bookings also being taken on a full credit basis.
Olly Moore, Head of Travel Agency Sales at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said: “We’ve seen an increase in demand from businesses in the last few months as the Covid-19 pandemic has seen more customers turn to car hire. "We have expanded our already rigorous cleaning protocols following guidance from leading health authorities and we’re delighted to begin this new partnership with Click Travel to take even more business travellers to their destinations safely.”
FREE NOW UPDATE
Peace of mind is not just about safety
The impact of the pandemic on business travel will be seen for years to come. At the beginning there was a certain novelty to 'WFH' but fast forward seven months and there is truly a worldwide case of videocall fatigue. We have renewed appreciation for the informal conversations on business trips, the fi nal run-throughs in the back of a taxi, face-to-face meetings with valued clients, and reviews of pitches at the airport, perhaps with a cold drink.
As we look to cities re-opening in future, it is more important than ever for the business travel sector to help relieve anxiety and give travellers confi dence again, by demonstrating that safety and duty of care are at our core. FREE NOW for Business clients have electrostatic cleaned vehicles, reliable drivers, assurance they won’t be stuck in traffi c, factory-installed partition screens between them and the driver, cashless and trackable transactions and, importantly, we work to minimise waiting time in public spaces, airports,
and train stations.
Safety is top priority, but clients are also increasingly choosing providers off ering greener ways to travel. This is not only to help meet their company’s own sustainability goals, but also to give travellers peace of mind that they are doing their bit to help the environment, something that the pandemic has given many a renewed appreciation for.
Jason Dunderdale FREE NOW for Business Head of Sales UK
EVENTS
NOVEMBER 9-11
WORLD TRAVEL MARKET Virtual event london.wtm.com
FEBRUARY 11 2021
TBTM DINNER CLUB Corinthia London thebusinesstravelmag.com
APRIL 27-28 2021
ITM CONFERENCE Brighton itm.org.uk
MAY 2021 (DATE TBC)
TBTM DINNER CLUB Corinthia London thebusinesstravelmag.com
MAY 21-24 2021
ADVANTAGE CONFERENCE 2021 Madeira advantageconference.co.uk
JUNE 22-23 2021
BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW ExCeL London btn.businesstravelshow.com
JULY 17-21 2021
GBTA CONVENTION 2021 Orlando convention.gbta.org
SEPTEMBER 14-15 2021
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL CONFERENCE London thebusinesstravelconference.com
SEPTEMBER 15 2021
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PEOPLE AWARDS London (evening event) thebusinesstravelpeopleawards.com
SEPTEMBER 30 2021
TBTM DINNER CLUB Corinthia London thebusinesstravelmag.com
C
M
Y
CM
MY
Please note that due to pandemic restrictions, some of the above eventsCY
might be postponed, cancelled or CMY
switch to virtual events
SIMON MATTHEWS
JOINS: Hotelbeds AS: Technology and Product Management Director FROM: GVC Holdings
Simon Matthews has been appointed in a newly-combined role at Hotelbeds to head up both the technology and the product management areas.
JENNIFER CATTO
JOINS: Travelport AS: Chief Marketing Officer FROM: Telaria Based in New York, Jennifer Catto has joined Travelport's senior leadership team as Chief Marketing Offi cer and will report directly into Greg Webb, Chief Executive Offi cer.
NIKLAS ANDRÉEN
PROMOTED AT: CWT TO: Head up new leadership team AS: President, Traveller Experience and Customer
CWT has given Niklas Andréen the task of leading a newlycreated Traveller Experience and Customer business unit to help improve global effi ciency.
CERI EDWARDS
JOINS: MIDAS Travel AS: Marketing Manager FROM: Dods Group Formerly in marketing roles at Hillgate Travel and Reed & Mackay, and most recently for Dods Group, Ceri Edwards has been appointed Marketing Manager for MIDAS Travel.
LUÍS ARAÚJO
ELECTED BY: The European Travel Commission AS: President TAKING OVER FROM: Peter De Wilde, VisitFlanders CEO
Luís Araújo, who heads up Turismo de Portugal, has been elected as ETC’s President for a three-year term to lead its
sustainability eff orts.
DANNY WAINE
JOINS: ABTA AS: Head of Membership FROM: HHD, the holiday homes division of Hotelplan Group
ITT Board Member and ViceChair of its Education and Training Committee, Danny Waine has taken on the newlycreated role of Head of Membership at ABTA.
ALSO ON THE MOVE... Travel Manager at Airbus Group UK Geoff Alwright has retired after more than 15 years with the company >> Accor has promoted Duncan O'Rourke to Chief Executive Offi cer for the extended Northern Europe division, which is a merger of the previous Northern, Central, East and New East Europe Teams >> SITU has appointed Seth Hanson as Senior Supplier Account Manager >> Jan Jacobsen has left AIG after seven years, most recently as Global Accommodation Manager, and is now on gardening leave >> The Carlton Tower Jumeirah, London, which will reopen its doors in December 2020 following a 12-month renovation, has appointed Eliot Sandiford as Director of 13225-Sirius-BritishTravelMag-AD-138x40.ai 1 11/05/2017 15:01 Communications and Charlotte Chiene as Director of Sales >>
BUSINESS TRAVEL RESOURCINGEXPERTS Wenowofferarange of recruitment, training & HR services on an outsourced, project or one-off basis. Contact us for your tailored solution
