p24 Biz Apr10 6/4/09 17:27 Page 24
Business travel
Martin Ferguson
020 7921 8011
maferguson@ttgbusiness.com
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Supranational
starts star wars
HOTEL consortium Supranational has advised
hoteliers to downgrade their star ratings to
attract more custom.
The organisation says hotels should start “star
wars” to entice business travellers and help them
get round travel policy.
Since the recession started, corporates have
been tightening policies and insisting that
travellers downgrade their class of hotel.
In an email to its 1,200 members,
Supranational said downgrading classifi-
cation could help corporate guests get
around company policy.
Supranational managing director
Niels Pedersen said: “More than 70% of
our reservations are now for three-star
or equivalent hotels, up from 50% in 12
months. The key is to be more thought-
ful in this middle-market area.”
Lufthansa claims
But Worldwide Independent Travel
Network’s Julie Janzen said: “It would be
better to remove the star rating – if you
decrease it you are misrepresenting the
‘the worst is over’
product. Hotel groups such as the new
Doyle Collection do not have an official
rating for exactly that reason.”
Martin Ferguson.
But Marianne Sammann, Lufthansa’s head of
BOSSES at new airline Lufthansa Italia are sales for the UK and Ireland, said: “Buyers are
confident its Heathrow-Milan service will telling us that the worst of the travel freeze is
Tracking staff in
succeed despite the widespread trend of UK over. There is going to be an increased demand
corporations cutting back on travel spend. for mobility and it is our responsibility to
the danger zone
Milan is the business capital of Italy, and the organise that through investment.”
airline said it expected strong traffic from the Heike Birlenbach, Lufthansa Italia’s incoming
KEY TRAVEL has unveiled a traveller tracking banking, financial and fashion sectors. chief executive, said: “Corporate spend [on
system called KT Risk Manager to meet what it Last week, Institute of Travel and Meetings travel] is decreasing, so the overall cake is being
says is increasing customer demand. members said business travel, particularly air reduced. But we still want a bigger piece of it.
Many of Key’s clients are charities and NGOs, travel, would not return to previous levels “Our proposition is attractive and due to
whose employees are often exposed to disaster because of cost-cutting and the need to face the size of our network we can work with
areas, violence and disease. up to climate change corporates to help
The technology provides updates on global responsibilities. them fly smarter.”
incidents, threat levels and staff locations. The organisation’s Bowing out of Bristol: Lufthansa is stopping She added: “When
“This is becoming a key requirement for those chief executive, Paul its Bristol-Frankfurt service on May 1, in the the economy improves,
organisations keen to manage their duty of Tilstone, said the busi- wake of a 12% fall in passenger numbers in the sales people will be out
care, something heightened by changes to the ness community was last three months. The move followed a warning in force trying to catch
Corporate Manslaughter Act last year,” said seeing a “paradigm from Lufthansa sales boss Marianne Sammann the business.
Steve Summers, Key’s chief operating officer. shift” in attitudes that Bristol airport was probably too close to “What won’t change
“Our clients’ employees do a fantastic job to travel and noted Heathrow. The route was launched last year is that business people
protecting and helping vulnerable people across the rise of video- with a thrice-daily service, which was cut to still require personal
the globe,” said Summers. “It is imperative we conferencing as an 14 flights per week as demand softened. contact and will
do all we can to maximise their safety.” alternative to flying. continue to travel.”
24 10.04.2009
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