p22 biz Apr24 21/4/09 12:28 Page 22
Business travel
Martin Ferguson
020 7921 8011
maferguson@ttgbusiness.com
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Sabre signs with
German franchise
How green is boom
LUFTHANSA City Center has struck a deal with
Sabre, the global distribution system.
in web meetings?
Members of the German-based independent
travel agency franchise will be able to use Sabre
Martin Ferguson.
to book travel in addition to their existing GDS. AS A WEB conferencing firm claimed a 42% year-
UK agents Chambers Travel Management and on-year increase in customers, a key business
Capita Business Travel are both LCC members. travel figure questioned the effectiveness and
Klaus Henschel, LCC’s managing director, said: green credentials of online meetings.
“Our customers are looking for ways to extract Cisco WebEx said the growth was down to
more value from their travel spend.” corporates seeking alternatives to travel in a bid
Sabre claimed an independent study had to cut costs during the recession.
shown that LCC agents can save up to 20% on It predicted that its business would continue
fare searches using its GDS. This claim has been to grow as air passenger numbers fell.
rejected as “inaccurate” by other GDS providers. UK manager Natalie Butler said: “Air travel can
be an area of expense businesses can reduce.
“Web allows you to see who you’re talking to,
Emirates move
gauge expressions, share documents and work
as a team.
“With air passenger numbers expected to
in Manchester
decline further, I think we’ll continue to help
companies harness collaboration technologies to
save costs this year.”
EMIRATES Airlines is moving its twice-daily However, Norman Gage, director of business
Manchester-Dubai service to Terminal 1 from travel at travel agent consortium Advantage, said
June, in preparation for the opening of its there was “no way” videoconferencing would Boeing
business-class lounge later this year. replace air travel.
The move will enable the airline to introduce “WebEx is a great product, but it will never He said: “They’re quick to point out how much
an Airbus A380 on the route for the first time. replace travel,” he said. CO
2
this airline or that airline emits, but does
Emirates will be the first non-UK carrier to “I’d like to know how many deals are done by anyone ever ask how much carbon is produced
have a dedicated lounge at the airport. videoconference. Probably none.” by sending these satellites up into space that
The lounge will have floor-to-ceiling glass Gage said he believed videoconferencing allow these systems to work?
walls with views of the runway and an extensive companies, particularly those using satellites, “And of course there’s the carbon footprint of
business centre. were too quick to publicise the carbon footprints maintaining and replacing them.”
Manchester airport’s managing director, of airlines and travellers, while their own CO
2
Cisco WebEx pointed out its system did not use
Andrew Cornish, said the lounge would attract emissions were kept quiet. satellite communication.
business and luxury travellers to the airport.
Emirates senior vice-president Salem
Obaidalla said: “Our Manchester service is one of
our strongest operations from the UK and is
TMCs urged to cash in on car parking
holding up even in these tough times.”
TRAVEL management companies are missing out areas such as air, rail and hotels receive major
on peripheral revenue streams, according to a focus, some people may be missing a trick.
leading industry figure. Pollard said: “Somewhere in the region of
Wayne Pollard, sales director at Business 60-70% of business travellers will drive to an
Travel Direct, told ttgbusiness that TMCs should airport.
be revisiting their business model and looking at “But how much of that cost is accounted for?
how much focus they put on airport transfers How much is wasted that is being put through
and car parking. expenses?
He said the recession had forced companies to “This is one of a few areas where TMCs should
streamline operations, but he thought that while be actively trying to find value for clients.”
22 24.04.2009
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