Navigating Business Travel Through the Pandemic With some employees returning to the office, and many states now permitting non-essential business travel, business managers are beginning to reassess the feasibility of a mobile workforce. One barrier to business travel, however, is state by state travel restrictions which vary substantially and may be inconsistent. In addition, the…

U.S. International Airline Passenger Contact Tracing Plan Stalls, Sources Say The Trump administration’s efforts to require airlines to collect contact tracing information from U.S.-bound international passengers has stalled, five people briefed on the matter told Reuters on Friday, adding such a mandate is unlikely this year. Major airlines and administration officials have held talks for…

GBTA Collaboratory 2020 Continues Next Week Navigating Procurement in Light of a Pandemic Monday, August 24 | 12:00 PM ET Overseeing sourcing, procurement and supply chain management is no small task in normal times, but how can organizations control spend, manage supplier relationships, minimize risk to the company, drive change, and enforce compliance during a pandemic?…

Airport COVID Testing Hubs and New Travel Corridors Are Part of a Plan to Revive U.S.-Europe Air Travel Germany’s main aviation industry group has proposed the creation of limited air-travel corridors between major U.S. and European hubs, in a bid to crack open the nearly shuttered market for trans-Atlantic flight. The pilot project would link…

The Road to Recovery Continues Next Week GBTA Collaboratory 2020 continues August 24 and is designed to provide perspectives, best practices, expert insight, and actionable takeaways to address the issues facing the business travel industry. The topic for Week 2 is Travel Sourcing: Buyer & Supplier Relationships. Webinars include: Are We Witnessing the Demise of…

TSA Notches Two Straight Sundays of 800k+ Passenger Screenings Passenger screenings surpassed 800,000 in one day for the first time since March on August 9th. A week later, on August 16th, the TSA again notched over 800,000 travelers. While this is still a new milestone, the slow growth in passenger numbers indicates that it is…

New Saliva-Based COVID-19 Test Could Be a Fast and Cheap ‘Game Changer’ After months of frustration over testing shortages and delays, a new saliva test could give Americans a fast and inexpensive option to learn if they have Covid-19. Researchers from the Yale School of Public Health created the SalivaDirect test, which received emergency use…

The Risk of Catching COVID-19 in a Hotel Room Is Very Low If It’s Properly Cleaned, Experts Say Sharing beds, silverware, and showers with strangers during a pandemic is understandably scary. That makes staying overnight in a hotel a no-no for many people these days. But according to two experts, the risk of catching COVID-19…

Domestic Business Travel Continues to Trend Toward Recovery PPE becomes the next ‘must have’ business travel accessory GBTA member companies worldwide, report an emerging willingness to permit employees to engage in domestic business travel, according to the latest poll conducted between August 5-9, 2020. Respondents to the poll; the 10th bi-weekly survey conducted among GBTA’s members…

GBTA Urges for Enhanced Transatlantic Cooperation to Restore Safe Travels Harmonised health protocols and coordinated contact-tracing technologies can prevent further outbreaks GBTA, the Global Business Travel Association, reiterates the importance of cooperation between the EU, Canada and the US to restore safe travels and reboot the economy. GBTA is urging the European Commission, EU governments,…

GBTA Collaboratory 2020 The GBTA Collaboratory launched yesterday with an insightful discussion between GBTA Interim Executive Director, Dave Hilfman and President, Avrio Institute, Dr. Shawn DuBravac regarding the economics of the business travel recovery. The Collaboratory webinar series will continue over the next 10-weeks and will provide global perspectives, best practices, expert insight, and actionable…

Calls on Congress to Take Action on Expanded Relief for Distressed Business Travel Industry As the US Congress negotiates a new coronavirus relief package for individuals and businesses, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – the leading voice of business travel worldwide – has called on Congressional leadership to enact measures to renew business travelers’…