May/June 2016

...A SELECTION OF READERS’ OPINIONS FROM OUR WEBSITE

BBT LINKEDIN GROUP: FIVE QUESTIONS EVERY CFO SHOULD ASK ABOUT THEIR CORPORATE TRAVEL SPEND CORPORATE TRAVEL REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SPEND CATEGORY, with impact on the company’s bottom line and retention of top talent. When corporate travel is managed well it contributes to company success. Here are five questions every chief financial officer should ask within their organisation about their corporate travel spend:

1. Do we have a travel policy in place and is it right for our company? 2. Do we have processes in place for planning, procuring and expensing travel? 3. Do we have spend visibility? 4. How are we managing risk? 5. Are we benchmarking and leveraging our travel spend?

Strategic sourcing and managing your travel programme, including securing an effective and cost-efficient travel management company [TMC], will drive significant return on investment on your travel spend if these areas are addressed. Robert Daykin, corporate travel category specialist

BUYERS WARN TMCS TO ADAPT TO CHANGE AMAZING! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO DUTY-OF-CARE in this debate? After all, it’s the single most important driver for a managed travel

122 BBT MAY/JUNE 2016

HAVE YOUR SAY AND SHARE YOUR VIEWS AT BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM

BBTWEETS

Travel tweeters: follow us on @BBT_online and @TravelbizPaul

@Sabre_Corp “#Airlines need a 360 degree view of their customers’ business & personal travel” – Richard Castle #CAPASummit

@TheGTMC 18% of #businesstravellers support above-inflation rail fare increases if leading to reduced demand

@thomasnewcombe Travel lawyer Jo Kolatsis tells the #advconf16 that #Brexit would be dangerous for the industry http://bit. ly/1pxGv29

@runwaysuk An agreement on a ban on night flights could be pivotal for @HeathrowAirport to secure expansion

@paultilstone

Should TMCs invest in proprietary technology to become aggregators of the future, or leverage what’s out there? Key question. #advconf16

@ACTEtweets

First-ever travel industry study probes impact of terror on business travellers and travel managers ow.ly/4mVRLk

programme. If an individual wants to use Uber and Airbnb, that’s at their risk. But when an employee is travelling on company business, then the organisation has a duty-of-care to protect that employee’s health and safety so far as is reasonably practicable. And under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, there is a legal requirement to undertake risk assessments. Are you confident that an Airbnb property is in a ‘safe’ area, has smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, fire alarm and procedures to deal with an emergency, and has all the other safety features you would expect of a branded hotel/serviced apartment? Are you confident that the Uber driver has the necessary licences and insurance to carry paying passengers? When something goes wrong, who’s going to help your traveller? Where’s the leverage?

And when one of your travellers is injured or is sexually assaulted, or perhaps dies when using one of these unregulated options, how are you going to face their next-of-kin, perhaps even have to answer questions in court? Worth a thought, don’t you think?

GDS FEE IS A ‘BRAKE ON GROWTH’ IF YOU, THE TMC, DOESN’T WANT TO INVEST in your own technology, then you are welcome to pay a premium so that a global distribution system [GDS] can provide you with the tools you need

to serve your customers. I’d be the first to say the GDSs are working hard to provide good tools. But if, instead, you are willing to invest in your own technology and connect directly with the suppliers, you can (and should) save on that GDS premium.

In none of this should your customers be impacted financially. You either invest in technology, or you pay more for GDS technology. Pick your business model and start living in the 21st century.

WEST COAST MAIN LINE RE: YOUR STORY ABOUT NEW VIRGIN AZUMA TRAINS on the East Coast routes – could we not use similar rolling stock and procedures on the West Coast Main Line, thereby increasing speeds and capacity? And if so, do we really need to spend around £60 billion on HS2?

POLICE INVESTIGATE SUSPECTED AIRCRAFT DRONE STRIKE

WHILE WE ALL AGREE THAT DRONES SHOULD NOT BE NEAR AIRCRAFT, this report is ridiculous, as it starts by stating that there was a “suspected incident of a drone hitting an aircraft”, then reports the said aircraft was struck by an object, but that it was then fine and able to make the next flight. Furthermore, no evidence of a damaged drone has been found. When birdstrikes can ground aircraft, don’t you think there is a danger of over-reaction to drones, which are, in fact, remarkably simple to fly. Let’s not overreact!

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