p30 NBTA Sept4 1/9/09 18:44 Page 30
news conference report
ttglive.com
NBTA Convention 2009 • August 23-26 • San Diego, California
TMC NETWORK.
BRITISH AIRWAYS.
Chambers joins
GlobalStar group
US flyers seek bargains
Martin Ferguson.
has made life very tough for airlines,” he said.
CHAMBERS Travel Management has joined THE BOOKING habits of business travellers in “Premium travel has been badly affected as
worldwide agency network GlobalStar. the US have become akin to those of the leisure travellers are looking for the cheapest and some-
The travel management company saw off traveller, according to a times most restricted fare
competition from a number of UK TMCs to win leading airline executive. on the day. It’s an inevitable
the role recently vacated by the ATP Interna- Simon Talling-Smith consequence of businesses
tional Group. (pictured), British Airways’ looking to keep expenditure
Speaking to TTG in San Diego, Chambers chief executive vice-president to a minimum.”
executive Chris Thelen said the move would help for the Americas, said the Talling-Smith said in
the company extend its reach in foreign markets. North American market had spite of the poor market
The TMC will have access to the consortium’s become “strongly price conditions, BA remained a
negotiated fares programme, FareStar. driven” during the recession “strong player” in the US
GlobalStar is a worldwide TMC network owned and that corporate trav- market and would continue
and managed by locally-based partners. Thelen ellers were looking for the to expand its relationships
has been invited to join its board. cheapest fares. with travel management
As part of the deal, Chambers will provide He admitted BA’s July companies.
short-term assistance to partners in Germany, sales in the US were down BA incentivises American
France, Italy, Scandinavia and the Netherlands. 17% year-on-year but was TMCs with market share
Meanwhile ATP, a founding member of confident the economic targets in the US, a practice
GlobalStar, has formed its own international crisis and corporate travel British Airways launched the it is currently prohibited
network, called ATP Network. fallout would not get any second phase of its Face-to-Face from exercising on transat-
Chief executive Graham Ramsey said: “We are worse. campaign at the National Business lantic routes because of its
now able to use the ATP brand to establish a Talling-Smith was talking Travel Association convention. dominant carrier status.
worldwide platform in our own right.” to TTG at the National The airline will award 100 small “I think we’ve reached the
Business Travel Association and medium-sized companies free bottom of the downturn
convention, where BA business-class travel anywhere on its because we have seen sales
announced the second network throughout 2010. stabilise,” said Talling-Smith.
phase of an initiative sup- The scheme, in partnership with “The question is, when
porting small and medium- Marriott, Regus Office Services and will the upturn begin?
sized companies (see box). Canon, will see successful applicants It’s difficult to forecast
“The actual volume of receive 10 round-trip transatlantic – though I don’t believe we
sales is down, and in addi- Club World tickets. will ever return to the fare
tion to the cheap fares this prices of recent years.”
Comment
Ken McLeod, Advantage director of corporate
The highest attendance ever of buyers at
the conference was reason for optimism.
“The NBTA convention exuded confidence, There was also the draw of keynote speaker
albeit on different levels. The suppliers, Bill Clinton, who echoed the ‘travel is good’
especially hotels and airlines, were the most message but perhaps for more fundamental
bullish, though perhaps a little over-optimistic reasons. His view that face-to-face relation-
about signs of recovery. TMCs are less ships break down barriers in race, religion,
convinced: they see a flat market but believe politics, education and even poverty was
we are at the bottom of the curve. probably the most powerful of all messages.
“However, corporates – probably best “I came away from the conference feeling
placed of all – struggle to see how their travel the attitude from delegates was to embrace
budgets will change in the short term. change but also to recognise the US is not the
“‘Travel is Good’ signs were seen all over the be-all and end-all – there was a recognition
MOTORMOUTH: Talk show host, comedian convention centre, but who were they trying to that embracing internationalism and
and petrolhead Jay Leno entertained a convince? Themselves or the corporate world globalisation can benefit all, lead to economic
packed auditorium of NBTA delegates with at large? stability and, in turn, prosperity.”
a lively, 90-minute stand-up performance.
30 04.09.2009
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