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Email your views to BBT editor Paul Revel at
editor@buyingbusinesstravel.com 108
I’VE BEEN ASKED several times recently why the rail industry is lagging behind others in the digital-retailing revolution. While the railways may have taken longer to embrace new technologies compared to some industries, I would say we are now pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in this area. Train operators are working with business travel retailers to ensure their clients have access to the same suite of fulfilment options as customers buying direct, including ‘print your own’ tickets. Customers are able to change their seat allocation after booking, and this service will soon be available to travel retailers. Customers can also check their journey in ‘real time’ using Crosscountry’s train running information facility. The industry is reviewing the options for business customers who are forced to buy at the last minute. We are running a trial of reservations available to book by text up to ten minutes before the customer’s train departs their station and, on behalf of the rail industry, are testing the retailing of cheaper advance (train specific) tickets up to ten minutes prior to departure. We hope our business travel retailers will adopt these new, more flexible options for their clients as they become available, to ensure the business traveller is able to control cost and maximise convenience, even at very short notice. So we are not behind the times, as has been suggested – in fact, we’re leading the way and setting the agenda at the forefront of the digital revolution. Clare Shufflebotham
Partnership manager, Crosscountry
DATA CAPTURE plays a fundamental role in a corporate travel programme, as it allows companies to better understand travel volumes and trends – knowledge which can be used to help shape future travel policies and negotiations with suppliers. However, as new technology has enabled an abundance of data to be collected, managing this can be a difficult task. We believe data will play a key role in the future of travel and travellers, which is why travel managers should work with their service providers to help manage this data. Travel management companies (TMCs) should consult with key business leaders on value- added travel spend by creating benchmarks and evaluating returns. The most successful travel managers are those that gain insight from, and act on, the right data. It is important that travel managers partner with their TMC to gather the right data so that they can ensure the rates provided by a supplier are the best attainable, are aligned to business travel policies, and are taken full advantage of by the company and its travellers. Travel managers should also work with their TMC to analyse their entire travel spend, gaining deeper insight from the combination of travel and card payment data. In addition, by analysing travel
data, companies are more likely to know about their travellers’ preferences, which allows travellers to be serviced better and encourages them to book in policy, helping their employer maintain control of, and gain insight into, its costs.
Katrina Cliffe,
Vice-president and general manager, EMEA,
American Express Global Business Travel
IT PAYS TO PROTECT YOUR EXECS T
he best business opportunities are often in some of the world’s riskiest regions Irrespective of the regional instability caused by war-
talk in North Korea, the death of Chavez, the terrorist attack on BP in Algeria, or threats against Westerners in
Benghazi, the wheels of commerce continue to turn. So if companies want to go on winning contracts rebuilding infrastructure, extracting oil, or processing chocolate, then executives have to travel – even if the situation is unstable, or their presence is unwelcome to some. The most valuable asset in any business is its employees, and as business travel to higher-risk areas increases, so does the importance of ensuring their well-being. No organisation wants disaster to strike while its employees are away on company business. However, being prepared for every eventuality can mitigate the speed and unpredictability of change. The first step in protecting your executives is to ensure your
business is covered by a comprehensive business travel policy that includes cover for a variety of zones, from stable to higher-risk locations. An appropriate policy will cover medical, personal and travel-related events, including evacuation. This should also be accompanied by high quality safety, security and pre-travel advice, plus emergency support while abroad. As business travel to more exotic markets increases, so too do the
risks associated with it. As a result, business travel cover should be top of the agenda for any HR and risk management departments of organisations that do business beyond the UK.
Jeff Dowling
Chief underwriting officer, UK and Ireland accident and health, ACE Group
This letter wins the writer a bottle of champagne
ONLINE COMMENTS
RE: ‘BA EYES POSSIBLE DEAL WITH EUROSTAR’ n The technology issues must be surmountable – after all, didn’t BMI and Eurostar operate a partnership for a short while? If I recall correctly, a full-fare BMI ticket was fully exchangeable with a full-fare Eurostar ticket and vice versa.
n Does anyone remember the BUA [British United Airways] Silver Arrow rail-air service?
RE: ‘BUYERS WANT TO BE CONSULTED ON NDC’ n The thirst for knowledge by the industry for more on NDC [New Distribution Capability] is understandable, but the reality is we just don’t know enough, because, at present, there is nothing more to know. GBTA
has engaged with IATA since 2012 on this very subject and is being updated on behalf of all buyer-members globally, including those of the Institute of Travel & Meetings [ITM] every quarter. Until the pilot trials are complete, any discussion is based on conjecture. Our fears are that it may add cost, reduce transparency and undermine managed programmes – but these are just fears and until we know more, we just don’t know.
RE: ‘ADONIS: DON’T EXPECT ANY CUTS IN APD’ n Typical government response! Reducing the tax will encourage more tourism/travel, which brings in revenue. Heathrow is not the UK. Airlines flying regionally within the UK have to pay this tax twice on return journeys, whereas those flying elsewhere only pay it once. Don’t penalise UK jobs.
MAY/JUNE 2013
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