Check-In with Suzanne

One of the most important ways to sustain our association and industry is by paying it forward – by professionally supporting and helping others, as others have helped you. That’s why we are excited to share that the WINiT by GBTA 1:1 Mentoring Program is making a return.  

This virtual, one-on-one global program is designed to create and foster mentoring and developmental relationships that help advance female leaders of all levels. WINiT by GBTA has partnered with Qooper, a leading online mentoring platform that supports the Mentor/Mentee relationship with tools, learning and an engaging experience. The program identifies and connects WINiT by GBTA members for meaningful mentoring relationships. It is open to GBTA members in all regions worldwide, women and men, and is self-directed by the participants across the business travel industry. Have something to give? Have something to learn? Go to the GBTA Hub and register on the WINiT by GBTA Mentor page. 

And as you’re making plans to head to Convention in San Diego, be sure to include attendance at the WINiT Summit. All are invited to attend for this half-day session on Sunday, August 14, which brings together industry professionals with the sole mission to positively change and impact the careers and lives of women in travel-related sectors. Mentorship, storytelling, and allyship are just a few of the topics on the table to empower participants to inspire, ignite and invest in themselves and their professional goals. It’s a great way to renew your commitment to this important industry cause. 

When it comes to keeping our GBTA house in order, a critical piece of the lifecycle of our association is the election of our Board of Directors. A week from today, we’ll be holding our virtual GBTA Annual Business Meeting which will also include a Board of Directors Election Candidate Forum.  

The GBTA Annual Business Meeting will take a look back at GBTA’s performance and achievements for 2021, but the Candidate Forum is all about the future and creating it together. An international slate of candidates will be vying for three open At Large Board seats – two Direct and one Allied. Register now and find out directly from each candidate how they see – and will lead – the future for GBTA and its members. Then get ready to cast your vote as a GBTA member between July 26 and August 15 for the new Board leaders who you think will best represent our member-led, member-driven association. 

Suzanne 

 

News to Know:

Travel advisors booking private jets this summer are in for turbulence

Record demand and scarcities of both aircraft and pilots have added challenges to booking private jets this summer. But charter jet brokers and operators say that travel advisors can still navigate the market efficiently for their clients, as long as expectations are adjusted. “The availability of aircraft right now across the board is down almost to nothing,” said David Mendal, owner of Miami-based Forest Travel as well as a sister private jet brokerage called Privé Jets.

Cruise lines’ Covid policies ease as destinations drop their directives

Many of the health and safety protocols that cruise lines adopted at the height of the pandemic are beginning to loosen, with both ocean and river lines citing the policies of the destinations they visit as influencing their decisions. “We are starting to see the ability for us to reduce our protocols and reduce the friction,” Carnival Corp. CFO David Bernstein said during a Q2 earnings call in June. “I think that will bring back people from the sidelines and will create additional demand, which will allow us to get better occupancy at a better price.” Cruise line protocols that stayed mostly intact, even as testing and entry requirements worldwide eased, are starting to fall.

EU lawmakers ban controversial biofuels from SAF mandate

The European Parliament on Thursday voted to prohibit the use of controversial biofuel feedstocks from Europe’s aviation green fuel mandate, known as ReFuelEU. In a narrow vote the parliament rejected a proposal that would have expanded the definition of sustainable aviation fuels to include palm oil by-products and intermediate crops. Campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E) hailed the decision an important step towards decarbonizing Europe’s aviation industry, but stressed more needs to be done.

Hong Kong Ends Covid Flight Bans That Caused Travel Chaos

Hong Kong’s new leader John Lee suspended a system that banned airlines from flying routes if they carried passengers infected with Covid, raising hopes he’ll ease onerous travel curbs that have damaged the city’s status as a financial hub. Starting Thursday, the so-called circuit breaker mechanism will end until further notice, the government said in a statement. The city will pivot to a stronger testing regimen, which it says is more effective at catching imported cases than flight bans.

 

GBTA News and Reminders:

GBTA Annual Business Meeting and Candidate Forum

GBTA will hold its virtual Annual Business Meeting and Candidate Forum. This is your chance to gain insights on important GBTA business and especially to hear directly from the candidates running for three available Board seats. Meeting topics will include the Annual Report and GBTA Board of Directors Candidate/Election Forum. You can view the candidates here.

GBTA Convention 2022

We’re getting back to business travel and back to business. GBTA Convention 2022 will bring together the best of the best from around the industry and beyond to re-connect, re-imagine and re-create the future of business travel.