p30-31 biz trav jan16 13/1/09 16:07 Page 30
Business travel
Martin Ferguson
020 7921 8011
maferguson@ttgbusiness.com
Keep up with the latest business travel news at
ttgbusiness.com
Chambers signs
up with network
CHAMBERS Travel Management has joined
Lufthansa City Center, the global independent
agents’ network.
Chambers is only the second UK travel
management company to join the alliance after
Capita Business Travel.
The deal means Chambers will benefit from
local representation in 78 countries.
Fiona Vandersluys, Chambers sales and mar-
keting director, said: “If we need representation
on the ground in a place where we don’t have a
presence we will now be able to rely on our LCC
members’ partners.”
Vandersluys said the benefits of membership
included assistance with visa and consular
services.
Chambers brings major representation in
the UK to the LCC network with its offices in
London, Cheltenham and Glasgow as well as the
A Dubai shopping mall. Corporates in the region are
Chambers Travel Europe location in Paris.
tipped to turn to TMCs to control business travel costs
The LCC network is equivalent to the fifth-
largest agency in Europe, with annual sales of
¤4.13 billion and 4,550 staff.
Dubai crisis opens
‘Auto check-in’
at Premier Inn
the door for TMCs
Martin Ferguson.
but now there was greater need for cost control.
PREMIER INN has opened a hotel where business THE DOWNTURN in Dubai is creating opportuni- “This means booking flights in advance, stay-
travellers can check themselves in. ties for travel management firms as previously ing in budget hotels, renting lower-spec vehicles
The hotel chain’s first self-check-in property is cash-rich corporates try to reduce travel spend. or taking taxis rather than hiring limousines.
at the 120-room St Mary’s Gate, Sheffield. The global financial crisis is catching up with TMCs will have an opportunity to sell their
The automated kiosks had been successfully the emirate and Sally Maltby, event director of expertise,” she said.
trialled at Premier Inn’s property in King’s Cross the Business Travel Show Dubai, believes a gap And although TMCs may increase their pres-
in London. in the market has opened up. ence in Dubai, Duncan Alexander, vice-president
Premier Inn bosses said the standard check-in Maltby said Dubai was “feeling the pinch” but of IT company Mercator, part of the Emirates
process took an average of nine minutes, but the leisure travel was being hit harder than business. Group, said the outlook was bleak for some
new technology would cut this time substantially. Fewer leisure travellers were flying to Dubai sectors in the emirate.
Sarah Simpson, product and service manager from Europe because of the downturn and the “With an economy built on real estate, finance
for Premier Inn, said: “We check in more than state of the pound against the dollar but there and tourism, Dubai is being hit by a reversal in
23,000 guests every day across the UK. were new opportunities for business travel growth unlike it has ever seen,” he said.
“Feedback showed that business travellers like agents, she said. “No loans, means no purchases, a slowdown
the time saving benefits the kiosks provide.” Maltby said in the past wealthy Dubai-based in building and decrease in car sales. Redun-
British Hospitality Association chief executive companies put little emphasis on travel dancy was never a word here before, but those
Bob Cotton praised the “innovative technology”. management as budgets were never scrutinised, involved in these sectors are being hit.”
30 16.01.2009
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