ACTE UPDATE Rail's long range forecast
LONG-DISTANCE passenger traffic in Europe is set to increase by 21 per cent in the next seven years according to an Amadeus study, The Rail Journey to 2020. The UK is forecast to be the biggest contributor to this growth with long-distance passenger journeys (classified as being trips over 100km) estimated to increase from 169 million in 2011 to 239 million in 2020. When it comes to the growth of high-speed long- distance journeys, however, the UK will lag behind both France and Germany. The report is based on over 100 authoritative sources of inform- ation, including rail operators and regulatory bodies, and is designed to identify the opportunities for the European rail industry cross- border travel in the years ahead. It identifies six key trends that will shape the evolution of the
CABFORCE ADDS NYC
BTS NEWS
CABFORCE has extended its pre-
booked taxi service beyond Europe for the first time by adding New York. It says it marks the beginning of a global expansion plan into major destinations across America, Asia and Australia during the year ahead. Cabforce currently covers
over 50 major business destinations in Europe in which users can pre-book taxi journeys through its website, free iPhone app and various partners including Travelport. The company has also announced an agreement with Amadeus that will allow travel agencies, TMCs and corporations using Amadeus e-Travel Management to tap into the facility. Cabforce customers pay
flat rate charges in advance with all mileage and tips included. The company uses certified suppliers and, for airport transfers, flight times are monitored by pick-up drivers to work around delays.
A YEAR on from the launch of Evolvi’s upgraded booking system, ng, and rail bookings via travel management companies are at record levels. Over half a million registered
users at more than 200 TMCs racked up some 5.5million transactions in 2012 to push Evolvi’s share of the corporate booking market up to 55 per cent. New entrants to the market in the last couple of years, meanwhile, have made “little progress in the corporate sector”, according to Evolvi MD Ken Cameron. “Evolvi-ng was the first major
overhaul since the introduction of the system in 2005-06, and the way people buy rail fares since
then has changed dramatically,” Cameron explains. Evolvi’s transaction volumes
have risen steadily since 2008 and, until now, the average ticket value had largely decreased, “suggesting that people are using the tool as it was intended,” says Cameron. The average ticket value recently rose by around £1 to £61.81 which Evolvi attributes to the cumulative effect of annual fare increases. Further developments planned
for the Evolvi-ng platform include electronic refunds, a ‘one-click’ Travelcard facility and policy enhancements to allow travel in first class if it’s cheaper than available standard fares.
B
market, namely liberalisation, new entrants, completion of new high- speed lines, new hubs, air and rail integration, and operating costs. Director of Amadeus Rail,
Thomas Drexler, says, “The Rail Journey to 2020 aims to inform the debate on how seamless cross-border rail services across Europe can become a reality.
“Building standards for data
exchange, booking and ticketing services will fundamentally change the way the traveller will view rail travel, and move even closer towards the EC’s proposals for rail in its Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area.” The full report can be downloaded from
www.amadeusrail.net/research.
EVOLVI UPS THE ANTE
GREELEY KOCH Executive Director, Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE)
usiness travel management executives have spent years honing the persona of the
corporate watchdog. For decades they have been regarded as the frontline of thrift when it came to squeezing the most out of a company’s travel budget. When every tuppence counted, the travel manager could be relied on to count tuppence. But that tuppence has to go a lot farther today. A recent Carlson Wagonlit Travel
survey indicated that areas of primary focus for business travel managers included savings and compliance, yet what more can we expect in these areas? Assuming all of the traditional avenues have been pursued over the years, then perhaps it's time to depart from tradition. By serving as facilitators or travel
problem solvers, the travel manager eliminates the 'us' and 'them' contention of the basic travel policy. Some of this contention stems from ancillary policy 'creep', where additional corporate regulations bleed into travel. A good example of this includes communications management policies regarding handheld devices. The concept of Bring Your Own
Device (BYOD) is one area in which travel managers can make life easier for the traveller, while saving their company money by eliminating the acquisition and maintenance of hardware. Additional gains are likely to be realised in enhanced traveller productivity as well. There are hundreds of apps that can assist business travellers in navigating the most common (and aggravating) transportation pitfalls. I recently asked a group of seasoned colleagues if they aggressively explored these and informed their travellers which would be of benefit. The response was very small. This indicates a rift in the practical knowledge of key elements that can make life more productive and easier for the business traveller. The watchdog approach may
have been effective for its time. But it is now producing economies of scale with regard to success in compliance and enhanced savings. The time has come for the travel manager to become a facilitator – and a partner – to the traveller.
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 39
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