Innovation Row exhibitor Nour Mouakke, Founder and CEO of Wizme, joined GBTA’s Mike McCormick at our Broadcast Studio in Frankfurt. Nour shared that his time in the hospitality industry inspired him to create his start-up as he saw outdated systems used for booking on the hotel side and buyers who lacked visibility into the process.
The dreaded conference call – what some view as a miracle of modern technology, others view as the bane of their work existence. All etiquette seems to go out the door. Some people start zoning out, while others forget to hit mute, transporting you to a world full of fingers clattering across keyboards, children screaming,…
Keep these travel and safety tips in mind so that your holiday season stays safe and memorable for all the right reasons.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Colleen Lerro Gallagher, +1 315-447-2331, cgallagher@gbta.org Marianne Varkiani, +1 703-236-1164, mvarkiani@gbta.org Access to Risk Management Services Still Far From Universal Duty of Care Made Difficult by Lack of Visibility into Travel Plans FRANKFURT (November 28, 2017) – The vast majority of business travellers feel their companies take…
A federal appeals court in California allowed the Trump administration’s third travel ban to go into partial effect on Monday, NPR reports. The government may now bar foreign nationals from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the country if they have no ties to the United States. In other policy news, Business Traveller reports Trump has…
Today, the Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao, announced a new initiative to support military veterans as they prepare for careers as airline pilots. Forces to Flyers is a three-year program aimed at helping our veterans receive the training they need to become certified as new commercial pilots, preserving and increasing air service to rural and…
As many of you already know, GBTA is unveiling a new and improved website this winter. We asked what you wanted to improve your user experience – and we got the message loud and clear! We decided to have a little fun with this project and have staff and Board members read aloud some of…
According to Bloomberg, Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson says Trump’s divisive languages and policies are pushing travelers to Canada. Business Traveler notes Air Canada now offers alternative payment options for its international customers. 4Hoteliers reports Singapore Changi Airport’s new Terminal 4 debuted this week. According to Skift, Storm Herwart’s high winds disrupted travel across Central Europe…
The recent Las Vegas attack, where at least 59 people died and more than 500 others were injured by an active gunman on the 32nd floor of a hotel, has re-ignited the thought in everyone’s mind around active shooter preparedness and the best way to respond in emergency situations. The definition of an active shooter…
As recent events have shown us, emergency preparedness can often be the difference between life and death. Over the past few months alone, we have witnessed the utter devastation caused by multiple natural disasters in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Texas and California. The question that comes to mind is: what happens to your employees…
The GBTA Foundation recently released a study in partnership with Sabre Corporation on creating a frictionless travel experience. The study explored traveller friction around the globe from the business traveller perspective as well as through the lens of managed travel and human resource professionals. Depending on an organization’s culture and resources, a travel program tends…
Last week on the blog, I wrote about how managed travel programs and organizations as a whole can work to improve the business travel experience for their travelers. While common sense says this is an important thing to do, our stats also back it up. Check out this earlier post on why the business travel…
What value can a travel management company (TMC) bring to your program? How do you find a TMC that fits your programmatic and organizational needs? What’s a reasonable agreement? These are just some of the many questions that individuals in the managed travel space may have. Regardless of size or spend, bringing on a TMC…
Last week, a federal judge in Hawaii blocked the third iteration of Trump’s travel ban. According to Skift, the Trump administration is now appealing the judge’s order. NPR reports passengers flying to the U.S. will face heightened security screenings and new questionnaires. LCT Magazine notes Marcou Transportation Group, owner of Dav El | BostonCoach, acquired…
Nearly three months ago marked the final day of our 49th annual Convention in Boston. GBTA Convention 2017 featured over 400 exhibitors, including nearly 100 first-time exhibitors, giving both buyers and suppliers the unique opportunity to establish new relationships as well as fortify existing ones. GBTA has long been a proponent of face-to-face meetings and…
*The following is a guest blog post by Ann Brennan, executive vice president of GBTA – Wisconsin* This past August, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and the Wisconsin Business Travel Association hosted our first ever, “Travel Talk Roundtable” with U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee,…
Shortly before it was set to take effect, two federal judges in Hawaii and Maryland blocked Trump’s third travel ban, reports Mother Jones. According to USA TODAY, United Airlines estimates hurricanes cost $210 million in revenue with 8,300 canceled flights. Travel Trade Daily reports Singapore Airlines added Android Pay and Apple Pay as payment options…
*The following is a guest blog post by Kati Ihamäki, GBTA member and Finnair’s Director of Corporate Sustainability* The business sector and the way companies operate have a major impact on the future of the Earth. We can’t simply focus on minimising the impacts of our operations — instead, we must find opportunities for developing…
The GBTA Foundation, in partnership with Sabre Corporation, set out to explore the topic of traveler friction around the world. The recently released study looked at traveler friction from both the business traveler perspective and also from the perspective of the managed travel and human resource professional. The objective was to identify the main challenges…
According to The Verge, Delta will automatically check in passengers with its mobile app. Passengers who use the iOS app will automatically be sent boarding passes 24 hours prior to their flight, forgoing the need to check-in online. Skift reports Lufthansa is closing in on a deal to buy part of bankrupt carrier Air Berlin….
Earlier this week, the GBTA Foundation released a new study, in partnership with Sabre Corporation, focused on creating a frictionless travel experience. The study surveyed business travelers across the globe and revealed the dramatic impact business travel has on employee retention, recruitment and results. Three R’s that are important to every company’s bottom line. Retention…
When reading the American Conservative Union’s (ACU) recent op-ed in The Hill, “’Conservative’ air traffic control bill fails to privatize industry”, I couldn’t decide if ACU’s opposition is a good thing. ACU’s support hinges on its “Seven Principles of Privatization,” essentially a guide for lawmakers to privatize for the sake of privatizing. Broad-brush principles seldom…
Average compensation for U.S. travel buyers saw a 5.5 percent year-over-year increase in 2017, reaching an average of $107,000, according to new findings released today. Median salaries are also up, increasing 7.5 percent to $98,000. The GBTA Foundation’s 2017 Compensation and Benefits study delves into salaries, bonuses and benefits for U.S. travel buyers and reveals…
Through the lifecycle of a trip, the business traveler will encounter different challenges that can impact their travel experience. Last week, the GBTA Foundation released a new study, in partnership with Sabre Corporation, identifying the most challenging aspects of business travel. While there are many similarities among business travelers around the globe, there are also…
According to MarketWatch, Monarch Airlines declared bankruptcy and collapsed, leaving 110,000 passengers without flights. TTG Media reports AccorHotels snapped up hotel reservation company Gekko in a deal worth €100 million. Business Traveller notes that American Airlines made a $200 million equity investment in China Southern, with plans to begin codesharing before the end of 2017….
The following post is written by Reade Bush, PA-C, Assistant Medical Director, Generali Global Assistance on behalf of the GBTA Risk Committee. Three recent hurricanes that struck Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico, have left many short- and long-term health effects which will make for a very difficult recovery process. In the first days of a…
Winsome Lenfert, Deputy Associate Administrator for Airports, FAA spoke about passenger facility charges (PFCs) and funding for airport infrastructure at the 15th Annual Legislative Summit, an event that brings more than 100 travel professionals to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers to share opinions on key issues. She told attendees that she has visited hundreds…
Holly Woodruff Lyons, Deputy General Counsel, House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Staff Director, Subcommittee on Aviation, discussed committee efforts regarding the FAA Reauthorization Bill and modernizing infrastructure at the 15th Annual Legislative Summit, an event that brings more than 100 travel professionals to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers to share opinions…
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