preferences, and corporate policies. The Amadeus smart-search system does the ‘heavy lifting’ for travel bookers by learning about individual and peer booking profiles, and tailors both process and results accord- ingly. The system allows the travel buyer to configure how results are weighted towards price and convenience criteria. Pozo said: “If you want to enhance adop- tion and stickiness to your programme, you need to be able to define how results are represented to traveller.”
TECH ADDICTION Meanwhile Google’s head of media outreach advised delegates to break their tech addictions. Daniel Sieberg, TV cor- respondent and author of The Digital Diet, described himself as a digital native with impeccable geek credentials – but urged delegates to wean themselves off their addiction to smartphones and connectivity for the sake of their physical and mental well-being – and their productivity. Sieberg said that being an early adopter
and advocate of all forms of social media and connectivity, meant he found impor- tant occasions for family and friends were passing him by. “I was good at broadcasting, but disconnected from key events,” he said. He cited research showing that the human brain is only able to work effectively on one or two things at the same time, and that employees lose, on average, 2.1 hours a day to distractions. “We don’t function as well as we think we do,” said Sieberg. “Monotasking adds to your company’s bottom line.” Sieberg recommended policies such
as device-free meetings and no company emails after 6pm. And he warned against undermining face-to-face interractions by always having your smartphone on the table. He recalled a young entrepreneur meeting a senior director to discuss a
“To enhance adoption and stickiness to your programme, you need to be able to define how results are represented to the traveller”
US$1 million start-up loan, who was con- stantly making and receiving communica- tions throughout the meeting – assuming it would put him in a favourable light as a “committed, 24-7 switched-on guy”. Not surprisingly the director was unimpressed and the loan not forthcoming. Sieberg also noted the trend for ‘sequen- tial usage multiscreening’ – when a task such as booking travel is started on one device, such as a smartphone, and then resumed and completed later on another device, often a desktop computer. This trend is driving the advances in single sign-on technology for booking systems, he said.
BESPOKE POLICY Delegates discussed the evolution of travel policy, with several speakers raising the point that an effective travel policy should recognise different roles within an organisation. HRG director Paul Dear said policy should “drill down to individuals”. He said advanced bookings and restricted fares work well in some roles, but not, for example, in sales where people regularly have to cancel and rebook trips. “In the next five years, behaviour will drive travel policy,” he said.
IN BRIEF ■ Easyjet has
launched a passport scanning function on its app. The airline’s app, which has been downloaded more than 10 million times, enables passengers using an iPhone or Android device to scan their passport details using their mobile-phone camera.
■ The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has ruled that airlines can allow the use of electronic devices throughout the flight, following a safety assessment process. This means travellers will be able to leave any device switched on and in any mode.
■ KLM is offering a route planner app for passengers transferring at
Amsterdam Schiphol airport, using beacon technology. On arrival, passengers with the KLM
smartphone app will receive a notification asking if they would like assistance finding their gate. The app then displays the
route to the gate, and the estimated walking time.
■ Japanese airline ANA is expanding its in-flight wifi services across its international network and on selected domestic routes. From April 2015 ANA will introduce wifi on 30 additional services operating on international routes.
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM BBT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 13
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