RISK MANAGEMENT
Rob Gill compiles the latest news from
buyingbusinesstravel.com
Security fears grow for business travellers
AIRLINES
about their safety and security, a new global survey of travel buyers reveals. The research, carried out by ACTE and American Express Global Business Travel, found that 37 per cent of buyers had seen a rise in enquiries about traveller safety since April. What’s more, there is still plenty of work to do to improve duty-of-care to travellers, with 27 per cent of buyers admitting they did not have a detailed emergency plan in place. The study also found that 39 per cent of buyers did not have
regular emergency planning meetings within their organisations. Only 14 per cent said that these planning meetings were held “once or more per month”. More positively, the vast majority of buyers have started to take steps to reduce travellers’ fears, with 83 per cent using location technology and 79 per cent offering “proactive safety communication” to employees. Despite numerous terrorist attacks around the world in 2017, the majority of buyers (58 per cent) have not made changes to their travel policy with regard to security in the last six months.
RAIL
Branson reduces his stake in Virgin Atlantic
a 31 per cent stake in Virgin Atlantic to Air France-KLM, which means that he is no longer the majority shareholder of the airline he founded in 1984.
Branson will continue to hold a 20 per shareholding in the UK-based airline which will also become part of an “enhanced” joint venture with current partners Delta and Air France-KLM. Air France-KLM is spending £220 million to buy the minority stake in Virgin Atlantic but the carrier will continue to operate independently as a UK airline under the Virgin brand. Virgin Atlantic already operates a transatlantic joint venture with Delta, which owns 49 per cent of the UK airline. Delta also has a separate transatlantic JV with Air France, KLM and Alitalia.
The expanded joint venture, which will also include Alitalia, will offer 300 daily flights across the Atlantic. Branson, founder of Virgin Group, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to extend our network and create a stronger customer champion, as well as being extremely beneficial to our people and the Virgin Atlantic brand that our customers love dearly.” Jean-Marc Janaillac, CEO of Air France-KLM, said: “With
our partners Delta and Virgin Atlantic, we are pleased to reinforce our transatlantic partnership, offering customers even more choice between Europe, the UK and the US.” The new joint venture has yet to win approval from shareholders and regulators.
Rail fares set for highest hike in five years
their highest rate of increase in five years in 2018 after a jump in inflation.
The government bases the following year’s cap on regulated fares on July’s retail price index (RPI), which was 3.6 per cent this year, compared with 1 per cent and 1.9 per cent in the past two years respectively. Consumer groups have queried how the government works out the annual increase. David Sidebottom, director of independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Why is the government not using its preferred measure of inflation: the one that is
used to determine wages and pension increases, and one which is often lower than RPI? Why not use the Consumer Prices Index for rail fares, too? Passengers deserve a fairer deal.” Paul Plummer, CEO of
Rail Delivery Group, which represents the train operating companies, said the fare rise “pays to run and improve the railway” and the caps were set by the government. “Rail companies are
working together to improve performance, adding thousands more seats over the next 18 months and simplifying fares and ticket buying,” added Plummer.
In 2012 Willie Walsh bet “a knee in the groin” @virginatlantic brand would disappear in 5 yrs.
Branson tweets a painful reminder to IAG chief
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