New Data Reveals Dramatic Bottom Line Impact On Tuesday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco heard arguments from the Department of Justice and opposing attorneys from the states of Washington and Minnesota before they decide the fate of President Trump’s executive order banning travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority…
Last Friday evening, a federal judge ruled to temporarily halt enforcement of Trump’s executive order banning travel to the U.S. from seven predominantly Muslim countries. On February 9, a federal appeals court ruled 3 to 0 to maintain the suspension, according to The Washington Post. Yahoo! News reports airlines began allowing blocked travelers back on…
Business traveler perception is business traveler reality. Regardless of how travel professionals communicate their travel policy, traveler comprehension reigns supreme. If your message doesn’t get across, there may be dire consequences for both your travelers and your company. A couple of months ago, GBTA Foundation released a new study, in partnership with HRS, exploring business…
Yahoo! Finance reports Marcou Transportation Group announced the acquisition of GroundLink and software provider Limo Anywhere. According to Reuters, a computer glitch forced United to ground all domestic flights for an hour on Sunday evening. This occurs just months after a computer glitch caused thousands of worldwide delays in October. Business Insider notes low-cost carrier…
*This post was also sent as an email to members on January 31, 2017.* I would like to wish you all a happy New Year, and I hope your first month of 2017 is off to a great start. In an effort to keep you apprised of the latest happenings within GBTA, I will continue…
#NoCallsOnPlanes Cell phone calls on U.S. airlines could soon become a reality. When it comes to cell phone calls on planes, GBTA believes silence is golden. As the late Pete Seeger, a champion of folk music and social change, said, there is a time to speak out and a time to keep silent. Under its…
In a follow-up to a poll of U.S. members earlier this week, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the voice of the business travel industry, polled its European members on President Trump’s executive order banning travel to the United States of citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Nearly half (49 percent)…
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a new proposed rule that would require airlines to disclose baggage fees alongside fares in an effort to provide travelers with more transparency. The DOT is currently seeking comment on whether other ancillary fees should also be disclosed with airfare information. LCT Magazine reports chauffeured…
If an emergency occurred at your event right this instant, would you have the proper strategies in place to handle it? When it comes to risk management, little things add up to big protection for both your attendees and organization. GBTA recently held a webinar entitled Risk Management, Safety, & Security – Little Things Add…
According to Business Traveller, a report by the National Economic Council finds hidden travel fees are a growing problem, as they accounted for an estimated $22.5 billion in airline revenue in 2015. Tnooz notes Hilton has joined TripAdvisor’s Instant Booking platform, roughly three weeks after the news of a partnership between TripAdvisor and Expedia. According…
In the not-so-distant future, technology will deliver a more seamless travel experience for us all. You’ll be able to have an app automatically check you into flights, bypass the check-out line when shopping, and have your ride-sharing app suggest destinations based on events in your calendar. Surprise! The not-so-distant future is now, as all these…
Less than one month into 2017, and we’re already hearing of mergers and acquisitions left and right. This week alone, Hyatt announced plans to acquire Miraval Group in a $215 million deal and iCARS and Limos.com finalized their merger. In the same vein, Retuers reports Delta will complete its acquisition of a 49 percent stake…
With the launch of Airbnb Trips and completion of the Starwood-Marriott merger, 2016 was a big year for the hotel industry across the globe. Hotel brands underwent major changes by re-branding, introducing new technologies, and much more. According to Travel Agent Central, Mexico’s Posadas Hotels & Resorts (Grupo Posadas) introduced La Colección as a re-branding…
Picture this: you hop off the plane after an exhausting flight and slowly head to the airport parking lot, only to realize that you have absolutely no clue where you last left your car. According to Time, author Shea Serrano recently experienced this situation and was graciously helped by a parking assistant who drove him around for…
A couple of days ago, Forbes contributor Grant Martin revealed the best airlines for business travelers by reviewing the various business class amenities offered by United, Delta and Jet Blue. Since we aren’t partial to one airline in particular and we don’t want to spoil the surprise, you can check out the article here. In addition…
As the new year begins and business travel resumes, we are reminded that travel security risks exist everywhere and the impact of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, information security and political instability is real. In order to provide you with the most relevant and meaningful material as it relates to global events, Duty of Care and…
A shooter has wounded and killed multiple people after opening fire at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida on Friday afternoon, reports Bloomberg. According to TravelPulse, American Airlines has experienced its third fume incident in the past six weeks. In the most recent incident, seven flight attendants were hospitalized as a result of a cabin…
Do you remember how you celebrated your last anniversary? Some couples enjoyed an extravagant dinner, gaming brands gave fans freebies in the form of computer games and console games, and Q&A Residential Hotel offered luxury accommodations in New York City for just $11.25. The Furnished Quarters hotel brand extended this offer to guests in honor…
From direct booking pushes to mergers and acquisitions, the hotel space was dramatically altered this year. AccorHotels entered the sharing economy with its acquisition of onefinestay, Marriott and Starwood officially completed their merger, and many hotels began actively pushing for direct bookings. Other companies like City Express Hotels (Hoteles City Express) expanded their portfolio with…
With the holidays just around the corner, Business Traveller reports on aviation strikes that may affect you. According to Buying Business Travel, risk management company iJet International acquired UK crisis management company Red24. Reuters reports American Airlines won $15 million in an antitrust case against Sabre. The jury awarded the airline $5.1 million, which will…
Expense management tools are nothing new in the business travel space. Companies rely on them to save time, gain visibility over expenses, ease the expense report process for employees, and much more. Expense management software provider Chrome River has been in business for nearly 10 years and just recently announced a partnership to deliver integrated…
According to Reuters, Qatar Airways has completed its 10 percent stake purchase of LATAM Airlines in a transaction worth $608.4 million USD. Buying Business Travel shares Etihad Airways has agreed to new codeshare deals with Montenegro Airlines and Tanzania’s Precision Air. According to USA TODAY, Delta has reached an agreement with Boeing to cancel an order…
The success of most companies relies on the relationships built around it, whether that is with customers, suppliers or other partners. Successful partnerships are not built overnight, however, and can often take years to develop, requiring great effort by all parties. When it comes to establishing solid partnerships between hoteliers and corporate travel professionals, there…
Hotel companies like Marriott International and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) are increasingly shifting their focus to Chinese travelers due to a surge in China’s travel market, according to a recent article by Business Vancouver. This shift in focus has resulted in major expansions in China, with some international hotel chains even launching brands tailored to…
A new study from the GBTA Foundation, in partnership with Concur, explores priorities and challenges corporate travel programs face today. As the travel industry evolves in response to mobile technology and employee direct-booking behavior, travel professionals are finding they need to modernize their travel programs not only to control costs, but also to increase overall…
Mergers and acquisitions are all the rage this week! Reuters reports Alaska Air completed its acquisition of Virgin America in a $2.6 billion deal. According to Buying Business Travel, Lufthansa Group completed its acquisition of Brussels Airlines, purchasing the remaining 55 percent of shares for €2.6 million. Financial Times reports car rental company Europcar announced plans to acquire…
*The following message was originally sent as an email to GBTA Members.* In the United States, we recently celebrated Thanksgiving, a time when we can take stock of all our many blessings. I continue to be thankful for the honor and privilege to serve as President of GBTA, and for all of the work that…
Earlier this year, Advito released a 2017 Industry Forecast that predicts pricing across key travel areas, noting the difficulty in projecting demand due to uncertainty surrounding the U.S. presidential election. Despite the element of uncertainty, Advito predicts a five percent to six percent increase in hotel rates and flat pricing for airfare and car rental…
At GBTA’s annual Convention this July, the Aviation Committee unveiled a new Airline Request for Proposal (RFP). GBTA is excited to announce that it is making this new RFP toolkit available free of charge to all in the industry. This new Airline RFP is a complete revamp of an eight-year-old document and will ease the…
If you’ve ever had a terrible lodging experience, you know that the accommodations you choose can make or break your trip. Choosing the right place while on business travel is especially important, as there are certain amenities you can’t afford to miss out on, like free Wi-Fi. In recent years, companies have begun capitalizing on…
In July of 2014, the GBTA Foundation announced the “Gift of Knowledge” initiative in China to bring industry-leading education to this rapidly growing market. As the world’s largest business travel market, there was a clear need for innovative, comprehensive education for business travel professionals in China. Through a collaborative partnership with a leading Chinese educational…
According to the Chicago Tribune, a new study suggests the TSA would save $34 million a year by making PreCheck free for frequent fliers. In addition to saving millions, the agency could create shorter lines and enhance security at many of the nation’s airports. Earlier this year, the GBTA Aviation Committee unveiled a new, revamped…
Late last week, Brazil’s competition regulator Cade approved Qatar Airways’ stake purchase in Latam Airlines. Earlier this year in July, Qatar Airways agreed to acquire up to 10 percent of Latam’s shares, granted they moved forward with a $613 million capital increase. Around the same time, GBTA’s Nancy Tudorache had an opportunity to chat with…
Are your employees trained to recognize and avoid threats while traveling? What perils will your business travelers face and what protective measures do you currently have in place? Top executives from iJet, International SOS, and New York Life Insurance Company addressed these questions and shared ways in which companies can safeguard their business travelers in…
A couple of months ago, Marriott International became the largest hotel chain in the world after closing on a $13 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. With 30 brands now under one umbrella, there has been much speculation over Marriott’s plan to manage them all. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Marriott began implementing a strategy…
Two weeks ago, the GBTA Foundation, in partnership with HRS, released a report identifying business traveller perspectives on company travel policies, compliance and valued amenities. Here’s a quick breakdown of highlights from the report:
What would it take to get you to spend less on a business trip? Would you embrace smart spending strategies if it meant being rewarded with a gift card? That’s the idea behind Rocketrip. With global business travel spend forecasted to reach $1.3 trillion USD in 2016, some companies are looking for new ways to…
Earlier this year the GBTA Foundation released a study in partnership with American Express Global Business Travel exploring the drivers of business travel satisfaction. In the video below, GBTA researchers Jeanne Liu and Kate Vasiloff discuss the study findings, diving into the generational divide when it comes to travel satisfaction.
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