News and trends, plus comment from the BTA and the ITM

BRITS To PAy vISA WAIvER To ENTER SChENgEN STATES

BRITISH nationals will have to pay a visa waiver fee to enter Europe’s Schengen Area from next year under new rules confi rmed by the European Commission. An online platform – the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) – will come into operation before the end of 2022.

ETIAS authorisation will cost €7 for all applicants between the ages of 18 and 70.

It will be a one-off fee, valid for three years, and will allow multiple entries into Schengen states.

Travellers will need to complete an online application form via an offi cial website or app to receive their approval.

The European Commission said it expects a "vast majority" of cases (expected to be over 95%) will result in automatic approval.

If further checks are needed, the authorisation may take up to 30 days.

The EC said the scheme would facilitate border checks, avoid bureaucracy and delays and substantially reduce the number of refusals of entry at border crossing points.

IAtA IntEGRAtES nHS CovId APP Into dIGItAl tRAvEl PASS

THe NHS COVID Pass and EU Digital COVID Certifi cate can now be uploaded into the IATA Travel Pass as verifi ed proof of vaccination for travel.

Nick Careen, IATA Senior VP for Operations Safety and Security, said it was “an important step forward, providing convenience for travellers, authenticity for governments and effi ciency for airlines" and urged the WHO to revisit its work to develop a global standard.

Eurostar adds trains after rise in demand

eURoSTAR is adding more rail services between the UK and the continent in response to growing demand following the relaxation of travel restrictions.

It will expand schedules from September 6 after the removal of quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers from France to the UK and the easing of restrictions for travel to Belgium and the Netherlands.

A new timetable, running until November 1, will see eight daily return services, with fi ve in each direction on the London to Paris route and three in each direction between London and Brussels, with one each way extended to Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

All tickets are fl exible with no exchange fee up to seven days before departure. Fares start from £39 each way.

98%

expect travel to return before the end of 2021

e majority (98%) of American Express GBT clients expect travel to return before the end of 2021, according to the TMC's latest report on business travel trends and insights, based on client research, traveller surveys, and data analysis

[ NEWS BITES ]

>> ADVANTAGE Global Business Travel and WIN Global Travel Network have signed two TMC partners in Australia – Bay Travel Group in New South Wales and FBI Travel in Victoria >> HYATT has opened its second property in Ekaterinburg and its fi rst Hyatt Place property in Russia, developed by LLC Hotel Development Company >> AIR CANADA is increasing its non-stop fl ights between Heathrow and its Montréal hub from three times weekly to four times weekly from September 8 >> GBTA has moved its 2021 European conference from Weisbaden on October 13-15 to Berlin on December 6-8 after a survey of members and potential delegates >> TRANSPENNINE Express has added two extra train services on its Glasgow-Manchester route <<

RISK SPECIALIST To oPEN LoNDoN CoMMAND CENTRE

WoRlD TRAVel PRoTeCTIoN has expanded into the UK with a core London-based team and has announced plans to open a purpose-built Command Centre in the city in the coming year.

The company, part of Zurich Insurance Group, already operates two Command Centres in Brisbane and Toronto, providing 24-hour emergency assistance to travellers.

CEO Adrian Leach said: “Until recently World Travel Protection didn’t have a team in place within the UK but with a growing team based in our new offi ce in London we’re working hard to raise awareness that our travel risk management services are now available for UK organisations. "Discussions are already starting on how travel has changed since Covid and our services will be even more essential as travel resumes for organisations in the UK.”

Zurich’s Global Head of Accident and Health, Drazen Jaksic, added: "The growing complexity of business travel risks has brought into sharp focus the value of assistance services helping travellers on the ground."

IAtA SuRvEY SHowS PASSEnGERS fEEl SAfE on boARd

THe MAJoRITY of travellers who have fl own since June 2020 felt safe onboard (86%), while 89% believe Covid-19 protective measures were well implemented.

According to an IATA survey of 4,700 global travellers, air passengers also strongly support mask wearing onboard fl ights (83% ) and strict enforcement of mask rules (86%), but the majority also believe mask requirements should be ended as soon as possible.

Emirates scales up UK operations

eMIRATeS is expanding services to and from fi ve UK gateways after a relaxation of travel restrictions prompted a spike in demand.

Since August Emirates has been serving London Heathrow with three daily fl ights, all operated by its fl agship A380, and by the middle of October it will have restored its Heathrow operations to six daily fl ights, four served by the A380.

It will also fl y double-daily A380 fl ights from Manchester, 10 services a week from Birmingham, daily fl ights from Glasgow and twice a week from Newcastle.

Across its entire network, Emirates will be restoring capacity across 29 cities and fi ne-tuning its schedules to boost frequencies and capacity this autumn.

32%

increase in average EMEA air fares

Average fl ight ticket prices for the EMEA region in April to June 2021 jumped 32% compared to January to March 2021, according to the latest quarterly report from travel management company FCM, based on data from its corporate bookings

[ NEWS BITES ]

>> CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT (CTM) has been selected as Supporter Travel Provider for Arsenal FC for the 2021/2022 season >> ACCOR has teamed up with venuedirectory.com to make it easier for meeting and event planners to make bookings at its properties >> GRAY DAWES EVENTS, the MICE division of the Gray Dawes Group, has signed an agreement with venuedirectory. com for its end-to-end venue fi nding software, GRATIS >> RADIUS TRAVEL has announced that Clyde Travel Management, a specialist in corporate, maritime, off shore and renewables travel, has joined the its partner network >> ENTERPRISE has opened a new £1.8m fl agship vehicle rental site and technology hub in Sheepscar, Leeds, replacing a smaller branch on North Street <<

BTA UPDATEBTA COMMENT

It's time to go back to school

September is a time of new beginnings and this year a new start is needed more than ever. As children start a new school year, workers head to the offi ce and MPs return to Westminster, we in the business travel industry need urgent action.

Many will have enjoyed a staycation and applauded themselves for helping the UK’s economy. This is to be celebrated, but two vital sectors – business and leisure travel – are being prevented from making valuable contributions to this economy.

For MPs keen to do their homework, business travel contributes £220billion to UK GDP every year and we employ tens of thousands of people across the supply chain. Business travel is essential to the aviation sector and enables lower fares for holiday makers.

This term, we are setting three tests that MPs must pass to keep this vital sector alive. Firstly, end the arrivals testing debacle.

The expense and Wild West nature of the process is a huge barrier for the corporate traveller.

Instead, work with the business travel community to do a proper trial of daily lateral fl ow tests on arriving travellers. If it’s good enough for Michael Gove, we’re willing to give it a go.

Secondly, abolish the traffi c light system. Bring forward the fi nal review and rid travellers of the confusion around green and amber countries.

With the UK’s eff ective vaccine roll-out, we should be making it easier for people to go about their daily lives. This involves travelling for work. Travel remains the only sector being governed by Covid regulations. We need to be opened up once more.

Finally, extend furlough for our sector.

While the current conditions remain, we can’t fl ing open our doors and operate eff ectively in a pre-pandemic fashion.

We want to trade, to travel, to facilitate global Britain. We urge the hand that is taking so much away from us to give back the furlough scheme in a targeted way.

At the BTA, our door is open for MPs who need a cramming session. cramming session. AeR lINgUS has signed a 10-year franchise agreement with Emerald Airlines to operate its regional fl ights, starting from January 2023.

Emerald will replace former franchise partner, Stobart Air, which ceased trading in June.

Aer Lingus said until the agreement comes into play, it will continue to “work closely with Emerald Airlines to evaluate options with respect to an earlier contract start date".

Clive Wratten

Chief Executive Offi cer

TapTrip ventures into new waters

FolloWINg a further £1.7 million investment, TapTrip has unveiled Vessul, an online service to more effi ciently manage the movement of essential marine and energy workers.

Using similar technology to its online booking tool, TapTrip says Vessul is set to “revolutionise the industry”, where 98% of travel bookings are still made offl ine.

Vessul is a dedicated marine and energy solution, providing travel bookers with easy-to-use, hands-on, real-time travel management technology blended with human support.

A key feature of the technology is a multi-city departures function, a smart tool which gives companies the ability to book up to 50 fl ights for multiple travellers, in a single booking, to arrive at the same destination at the same time, no matter which location they have departed from.

NEW ChAPTER FoR AER LINgUS AFTER SToBART FAILURE

Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus Chief Executive, said the franchise agreement "marks a new chapter" and “signifi cantly boosts" the airline’s intent to develop Dublin Airport as a hub between Europe and the US.

She said it will also facilitate convenient connections between Ireland and regional airports in the UK, the Isle of Man and Jersey, with options for network expansion to other airports in the future.

IN BRIEF

Cairo change

British Airways will start operating a second daily flight from London Heathrow Terminal 5 to Cairo from October 31. The service will operate on BA’s short-haul Airbus fleet. Services will run year-round with a slight change in schedules from March 27 2022.

Flexi time

Accor has launched a Commute and Stay aimed at flexi workers. It gives workers a central base in a city hotel, with discounts up to 15%, enabling two days in the office and a venue for evening entertainment before commuting back home.

Train link

TapTrip has teamed up with Trainline Partner Solutions (TPS), Trainline’s B2B arm, to further streamline its service and give users greater rail coverage.

Capital returns

Air Astana resumes direct flights from Kazakstan’s capital Nur-Sultan to London Heathrow on September 18, starting with two frequencies on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Economy Class return fares start from £511.

EasyJet seat

Former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester has been named as the new Chairman of easyJet. He initially joins as Non-Executive Director and will succeed John Barton as Chairman in December.

IAn SCHRAGER'S PublIC HotEl HAS bEComE tHE fIRSt In nEw YoRk CItY to REquIRE GuEStS And vISItoRS to SHow PRoof of CovId-19 vACCInAtIon on ARRIvAl. tHE nEw PolICY CAmE Into foRCE on SEPtEmbER 5

TRIPBAM begins trials of air solution

TRIPBAM, the hotel reshopping specialist, has begun the Beta testing phase for its air solution, working in partnership with selected global TMCs and corporate clients.

CEO Steve Reynolds said if the trials are successful the product will be officially released in mid-October.

With NDC content available from the start, the solution will give users ‘lowest qualified fares’ to accurately measure the value of air travel contracts. Clients will also be able to audit contracts to make sure they are being applied accurately. This data, along with some historical data, will be fed into a benchmarking solution called Air Intelligence.

Reynolds said the next step would be to move into the car rental space, with discussions set to start in early 2022.

QANTAS: ALL STAFF MUST BE JABBED

QANTAS is to make it compulsary for all frontline employees – including cabin crew, pilots and airport workers – to be fully vaccinated by November 15 2021 and the remainder of employees by March 31 2022.

The decision follows a major consultation with Qantas and Jetstar employees, including a survey sent to 22,000 people to seek their views on vaccination.

The results showed that of those who responded 89% had already been vaccinated or are planning to be and only 4% were unwilling or unable to get the jab.

In a separate survey of more than 1,000 Qantas customers, 92% cent said they expect Qantas crew to be fully vaccinated.

United Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Cathay Pacific are also mandating Covid vaccinations for their employees. There will be exemptions for those who have documented medical reasons for not having the vaccine.

SIA REvAMPS hIghFLyER PRogRAMME

SINgAPoRe AIRlINeS has combined its SIA Corporate Travel Programme, aimed at large corporates, with its SME-focussed programme, HighFlyer. From September 1 they will both come under the HighFlyer brand.

Current SIA Corporate Travel Programme accounts will have their contracts renewed under the new HighFlyer programme.

The airline said all benefits will be retained and new features will also be introduced, including the option to "earn and burn" options with non-air partners such as hotels and car rental services.

IN BRIEF

Delta on track

Delta has launched an Air+Rail programme in partnership with Thalys high-speed trains to provide speedy rail connections between Brussels and Antwerp. Passengers can seamlessly transfer between plane and train at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol with one ticket booking.

Kayak launch

Travel search engine KAYAK has offi cially launched its free corporate travel solution, KAYAK for Business, and is promising to bring “the leisure travel experience to the outdated interface of the corporate travel world”.

TAg app

TAG has developed a new integrated travel app, TAGgo, to help travellers and travel managers prepare for the return to business travel. Part of the TAG Digital suite, TAGgo provides real time updates and traveller essentials like gate changes and baggage collection.

Brand loyalty

Ascott has launched a single global online booking platform, discoverasr.com, for its Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) loyalty members, covering all of its brands.

Covid alerts

Shep has enlisted Riskline to provide API-driven, in-depth local, city and state-level Covid-19 travel information for its alerts and notifi cations.

Jyrney and Sixt forge mobility partnership

INTeRNATIoNAl mobility provider SIXT has announced a strategic partnership with newly-launched mobility technology platform Jyrney.

From late September, Jyrney's software will enable SIXT customers to easily access on-demand rides in 10 launch cities – London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast.

Konrad Thoma, Senior Vice President of SIXT ride, described the integration as a “step-change in the availability of on-demand services in the UK & Ireland”.

“Jyrney's algorithm will ensure we provide the closest, best-value and highest-quality off er based on our customers' individual preferences,” he added.

bRItISH AIRwAYS REoPEnS flAGSHIP lounGE At nEw YoRk Jfk

BRITISH AIRWAYS has reopened its fl agship US lounge at JFK’s Terminal 7 after a 16-month closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It came after a change in entry requirements for US customers fl ying to the UK. The lounge is available for those travelling in First, Club World and eligible card holders.

BA also recently reopened three domestic lounges in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

ITM

Scott Davies

Chief Executive

Travel managers have, for many years, been adaptable chameleons, embracing new skillsets and frames of reference. During the pandemic, their priorities have morphed from emergency response to crystal ball-style forecasting, to budget cancelling, to border immigration/ quarantine gurus – all while reviewing and improving existing suppliers and programme management.

Many travel buyers have earned enhanced respect within their businesses by demonstrating their value in new forums as their companies revise their strategic understanding of the way travel oils the wheels of their operation.

Of course, some travel buyers have felt the same pressure on headcount that has bitten so hard on suppliers and providers.

The irony here is that travel is likely to be a little more complex than before as it picks up again, so the very experts that have reduced in number may be disproportionately needed and central to a recovery.

Next time you meet with a travel manager, ask what they are focussed on in the short term. I guarantee you will gain a new level of respect.

EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 14-15

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL CONFERENCE

London Hilton Bankside thebusinesstravelconference.com

SEPTEMBER 15

THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PEOPLE AWARDS

London Hilton Bankside (evening event) thebusinesstravelpeopleawards.com

SEPTEMBER 19-21

THE BTA CONFERENCE

Liverpool thebta.org.uk

SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1

BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW

ExCel London btn.businesstravelshow.com

OCTOBER 5

TBTM DINNER CLUB

Corinthia London thebusinesstravelmag.com

NOVEMBER 17-19

GBTA CONVENTION 2021

Orlando convention.gbta.org

DECEMBER 6-8

GBTA CONFERENCE EUROPE

Berlin europeconference.gbta.org

APRIL 26-27 2022

ITM CONFERENCE

Brighton Hilton Metroopole itm.org.uk

APRIL 29-MAY 2 2022

ADVANTAGE TRAVEL CONFERENCE

Savoy Palace Hotel, Madeira advantageconference.co.uk

ROB JONES

JOINS: HotelHub AS: Business Development Manager FROM: Gray Dawes Group

Formerly Global Corporate Sales Manager at Gray Dawes Group, Rob Jones has joined HotelHub to help grow its TMC customer base in the UK and across Europe.

CAROL PETERS

JOINS: Festive Road AS: Consultant FROM: American Express

Carol Peters joins the team at global consultancy fi rm Festive Road. She was previously at American Express, where she worked as Travel and Expense Consulting Manager.

MIKE WEBB

PROMOTED AT: Healix International TO: Chairman FROM: CEO

After four years as CEO, Mike Webb has been promoted to the role of Chairman for Healix International. Charlie Butcher, formerly Commercial Director, takes over as CEO.

NIKKI STIMSON

JOINS: TripActions AS: Senior Director of Communications REMAINS WITH: GBTA

TripActions has appointed Nikki Stimson as Senior Director of Communications. Stimson, who runs her own marketing and PR consultancy, continues to work with GBTA.

PETER GIANUSSO

JOINS: Flight Centre Travel Group AS: Global Chief Technology Officer FROM: Prudential Financial

Flight Centre Travel Group has appointed industry outsider Peter Gianusso to the role of Global Chief Technology Offi cer, Core Systems, for its Corporate Division.

LAURA RURODE

JOINS: CAP Worldwide AS: Director Key Accounts North America FROM: The Apartment Service

CAP Worldwide Serviced Apartments has welcomed Laura Rurode to its global senior leadership team to manage CAP service delivery in North America.

ALSO ON THE MOVE... HotelHub has appointed Andrew Harreiter, previously Marketing Manager for ACC Aviation, as Head of Marketing >> Mark Cuschieri, Executive Director Global Head of Travel UBS, has been elected Vice President of the GBTA and will serve a two-year term, while Jens Liltorp, Manager Global Travel and Meetings LEO Pharma, also joins the GBTA's Board of Directors in the role of Direct Seat, Regional European, for a three-year term >> Sarah Hanan joins Dohop as Commercial Director from Omio >> CWT has appointed Cheng Meng, Hwang as Head of Global Market Management and Development to its dedicated APAC Leadership team >> Air Transat has promoted UK and Ireland Commercial Director Adrian Keating to a role which also covers Europe and the Americas <<

EXPERTS AT TALENT RECRUITMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND RETENTION.

Dedicated to the business travel sector.

Contact us to discuss our solutions. +44 (0)1932 562007 | hello@siriustalent.co.uk | www.siriustalent.co.uk

The Business Travel Magazine Dinner Club

The first Dinner Club since the start of the pandemic was the chance for travel buyers, TMCs and suppliers to experience, once again, the joy of meeting face-to-face. The event, held at The Corinthia Hotel London, was sponsored by South Western Railway and Sixt Rent-A-Car. Pre-dinner drinks, with Covid safety measures in place, were followed by a threecourse dinner and a fascinating talk and discussion on the travel restart.

An industry overview was shared by American Express GBT CCO Drew Crawley

The after dinner talk was followed by a lively Q&A

Dinner Club ▼

The Corinthia Hotel London

▲ 12.07.2021

Guests enjoyed networking and a three-course dinner

In association with

Travega

Travel Marketing Solutions Worldwide