73 December/January 2018/19
RAISING
THEIR GAME
The action TMCs are taking to
stand out from the crowd
+
2019 travel trends
Premium economy
UK hotel sector update
Australia & New Zealand
BUSINESS TRAVEL DESIGN TEAM OF THE YEAR
ARRIVALS
Contents DECEMBER/JANUARY
2018/19
Features
18 2019 travel trends
32 Premium economy
38 UK hotels update
93
79
16
6
Extended feature
Travel
management
companies
(p63-91)
46
32 15
27
48
94
10
63 Extended feature:
Travel management companies
Arrivals
6 Opening Shots
9 Everyone's Talking About...
Crossrail delays
10 Six of the Best:
Luxury hotels in Shanghai
12 Event report: Advantage
Business Travel Symposium
15 The Knowledge: making the
most of corporate cards
16 Speaking Out: why basic
economy is a false economy
Regulars
20 The Conversation:
Lord Andrew Adonis
22 The Big Picture
24 Meet the Buyer: Ana Gibson
26 The Business Travel People
Awards: winner's interview
27 The Business Travel People
Awards: 2018 winners' trip
28 The Business Travel People
Awards 2019: the details
46 Technology: Data consolidation
48 Talking Travel: Zoe Lyons
92 Event gallery: Autumn Sparkle
22
The Review
51 Ten pages of news, views
and the latest developments
Departures
93 New Kid on the Block
18
38
92
100
94 Gadgets & Gear
96 On the Road
97 Meeting in... Milton Keynes
99 On Business in... Berlin
100 Focus on... Australia and
New Zealand
104 Reality Check
106 The Final Word
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
3
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ARRIVALS
Welcome
The guessing game
Forecasting the rise or fall of business
travel volumes, airfares and nightly
rates for the next year is always
fraught with difficulties, but never
more so than in 2019, when any
figures floated should be marked with
a large caveat called Brexit. Of course the unpredictable circumstances
have not prevented the usual round of forecasts being issued, most of
which anticipate marginal increases in business travel costs for the
year ahead. Find out more about what's in store for the next 12 months
in our 2019 travel trends feature on pages 18-19 and in our UK hotels
update on pages 38-44.
One thing we can say with confidence is that travel management
companies will continue to be the crutch that props up the complex
travel programmes of so many UK businesses. But it's not just a
supporting role they are playing. In a sector that is slowly consolidating,
good TMCs are diversifying their products and services and proving
increasingly innovative. We take a look at the evolution of modern
TMCs in our extended feature on pages 63-91.
Elsewhere in this issue you'll find interviews with Labour Peer and
former Transport Secretary Lord Andrew Adonis, travel buyer Ana
Gibson, globe-trotting comedian Zoe Lyons, and Natalie Payne, winner
of the Operations Manager of the Year award at The Business Travel
People Awards 2018. Nominations for the 2019 awards open on
January 1 (see pages 28-29 for details). Good luck to everyone entering
the awards and, on behalf of the team, we wish all readers a happy,
healthy and successful 2019.
the
Businesstravel
MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL
EDITOR
Andy Hoskins
andy.hoskins@thebusinesstravelmag.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Catherine Chetwynd, Linda Fox, Rob Gill,
Jools Stone, Gillian Upton,
Kerry Reals & Angela Sara West
STAFF JOURNALIST
Benjamin Coren
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Steve Hartridge
SALES
PUBLISHER
David Clare
david.clare@thebusinesstravelmag.com
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CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Matt Bonner
LEAD DESIGNERS
Louisa Horton & Monica Notarnicola
DESIGNERS
Ross Clifford & Zoe Tarrant
PRODUCTION & STUDIO MANAGER
Clare Hunter
PRODUCTION CONTROLLER
Steve Hunter
BMI PUBLISHING
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Martin Steady
Andy Hoskins, Editor
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THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
5
ARRIVALS
oPeNiNg shots
Eye-catching images of the latest news and developments
Kimpton Hotels
fitZ is a hit
IHG's boutique
Kimpton Hotels brand
has arrived in the UK
with the launch of
The Kimpton Fitzroy
London. The Grade II
listed building is set
on Russell Square and
has 334 guestrooms,
ballroom and several
bars and restaurants.
It is one of several
Principal hotels in
the UK that will be
relaunched under the
Kimpton brand.
A true homage to
British history and
design, the hotel is named
after the original architect
of the building, Charles
Fitzroy Doll, a titan of British
architecture in the Victorian
and Edwardian eras”
6 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
Hilton London Bankside
fresh ideas
The Hilton London
Bankside has teamed
up with multi-sensory
design specialists
Bompas & Parr to
launch The Angora
meeting room,
featuring interactive
screen technology,
mood-improving
lighting and a
'creativity tea station'.
The Impeccable Pig
the whole hog
An historic County
Durham coach house
has been converted into
a ten-room, porcinethemed
hotel, The
Impeccable Pig. Its luxury
rooms include The Pigsty,
The Whole Hog, Oinkers
and Globe Trotter. It is
part of the Ramside
Estates portfolio.
One Broad Street
by the sea
The One Broad Street
hotel has opened in
Brighton. The 'smart
boutique hotel for the
tech-savvy traveller'
takes its design inspiration
from 'New York
City industrial loft
minimalism' and the
concept of biophilic
design by incorporating
greenery and natural
materials.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
7
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ARRIVALS
EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT...
Crossrail delays
“THE ELIZABETH
LINE IS ONE OF THE MOST
“TECHNOLOGY COMPLEX AND CHALLENGING DOESN’T
RESCUE INFRASTRUCTURE YOU BUT PROJECTS IT PROVIDES EVER
CONFIDENCE UNDERTAKEN IN AND THE VISIBILITY. UK AND NOW YOUR IN
TMC ITS FINAL SHOULD STAGES. HAVE WE HAVE THE MADE PROCESS HUGE
AND PROGRESS PROCEDURES WITH THE TO DELIVERY RUN REPORTS
OF THIS
AND INCREDIBLE HELP YOU PROJECT REACH BUT WE THOSE NEED
AFFECTED FURTHER TIME BY TO AN COMPLETE INCIDENT” THE
TESTING OF THE NEW RAILWAY”
Ewan Kassir, Head of Sales, Clarity
Simon Wright, Former Crossrail
Chief Executive
“This project is already delivering benefits for
the whole of the UK through its cross-country
supply chain. Crossrail will be transformative
and carry up to 200 million passengers a year”
Jo Johnson MP, Former Minister of Transport
“I AM DEEPLY ANGERED AND DISAPPOINTED AT
THE DELAY TO THE OPENING OF THE ELIZABETH
LINE, WHICH IS MADE WORSE BY THE LENGTH OF
THE DELAY AND HOW LATE IN THE PROJECT IT
WAS ANNOUNCED”
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan
Our investigation will examine
the causes of the cost increases
and schedule delays,
the terms of the
additional funding
and the governance
of the programme”
Spokesperson for the National Audit Office
“WE ARE DETERMINED THAT THE FAILURES IN
GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENCY AT CROSSRAIL
MUST END IMMEDIATELY, AND CANNOT BE REPLICATED
Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM,
Chair of the Transport Committee
IN FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS”
“The public will be dismayed that yet again mismanagement
of this project has meant an extra injection of taxpayers’
money, which TfL will have to pay back. While we welcome
the decision to enable the project to go forward as soon as
possible, Transport for London and the Mayor have serious
questions to answer about the shambles that is unfolding”
Gareth Bacon AM, Chairman of the London Assembly Budget and Performance Committee
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
9
ARRIVALS
SIX OF THE BEST
Six of the best...
Luxury hotels in Shanghai
1
Shanghai Wonderland
A hotel whose location lives up
to its name, this recently opened
property from Intercontinental is
set in a former quarry to the
southwest of Shanghai. There
are two floors above ground
level, 16 that descend to the
bottom of the quarry and two
beneath water level.
2
3
Bulgari Hotel Shanghai
The Bulgari Hotel Shanghai
opened last summer and is set
across a section of a 48-storey
tower and the restored Chamber
of Commerce building that dates
from 1916. A rooftop restaurant
has views across the city.
Bellagio Shanghai
Shanghai welcomed only the
second Bellagio hotel worldwide
when this property opened in
June 2018. Located close to
The Bund, the hotel has 184
guestrooms, four restaurants,
spa and a grand ballroom.
4
W Shanghai
The upscale Marriott brand made
its debut in Shanghai in 2017
with the opening of the W
Shanghai – The Bund. Nearly all
of the 374 stylish guestrooms
have views of the Huangpu River
and Pudong skyline. There are
five dining options and nearly
6,000m 2 of events space.
6
amanyangyun
Another 2018 addition to the
city's high-end hotel stock, this
peaceful resort just outside of
downtown Shanghai has a series
of suites and villas set in restored
historic buildings. There are five
dining options, a spa and
meetings and event spaces.
5
the Middle House
Swire Hotels' latest addition
to its House Collective, the
Middle House is located in
Shanghai’s historic Dazhongli
neighbourhood and continues
the company’s philosophy of
‘intimate luxury delivered with
highly personalised service’.
10 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
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Untitled-15 1 23/11/2018 09:55
ARRIVALS
EVENT REPORT
The Advantage Business
Travel Symposium 2018
Delegates heard keynote speeches from
Lord Andrew Adonis and the University
of Liverpool’s Paul Redmond at The
Advantage Business Travel Symposium in
November, while also being given the
opportunity to ask a panel of travel
buyers their burning questions.
Benjamin Coren reports
The day’s agenda tackled major issues
affecting business travel including Brexit,
traveller wellbeing, NDC and attracting new
talent into the industry, with the event
designed to provide delegates with
actionable takeaways. The agenda had been
devised based on feedback from the
consortium's members.
Neil Armorgie, Advantage Global Product
Director and CEO of WIN, kicked off
proceedings by revealing impressive
growth: “In 2018 we added nearly
£100million to our group turnover and
there has also been significant investment
into our meetings and events offering.”
Armorgie talked about the consortium’s
dedicated technology resource. “Fraser
Nichol has taken on NDC to create a bigger
picture for our members, and a summary
booklet has been produced for members,
shared just this week”, he added. Armorgie
said the document is a line in the sand from
when it was published following Lufthansa’s
recent announcement that it would restrict
its lowest fares to NDC channels.
Former Transport Secretary Lord Andrew
Adonis delivered a keynote on Brexit and
the greater economic outlook, discussing
what it may mean for the business travel
industry and UK infrastructure. His
takeaway message was: "In the short term
nothing is going to change, so my message
is to keep calm and carry on." He did
however highlight potential long-term risks
that businesses may face.
Interactive 'Buyer Bootcamp' sessions
gave delegates the chance to ask 'killer'
questions via guided exercises. The session
put the challenges that TMCs face centre
stage with topics including attracting buyer
attention and opening a dialogue with
them, engaging with them, how to win
business, approaching client reviews and
preparing for them.
MEMBERSHIP BOOST
"We've seen an increase in
our membership of 6.9%
which is ahead of the
market. We've had a
great year. Our
mantra continues
to be how we
will benefit
member
shareholders"
12 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
Neil Armorgie, Advantage
Global Product Director
COLD CALLING
"IT'S ALL DOWN TO PERSONAL
PREFERENCE – I PREFER
HUMAN CONTACT. COLD
CALLING IS A LITTLE HIT AND
MISS AND COLD EMAILS ARE
NOT READ AT ALL. IT'S
ALWAYS GOOD TO GET SOME
FACE-TO-FACE TIME IN AT
INDUSTRY EVENTS"
Imelda Aspinall, UK Travel Manager, ITV
POST-BREXIT VISAS
"I think we will try to do it
without visas and very rapidly
we will end up having to
introduce them. And the EU
will reciprocate and do
the same for British
citizens travelling to
those countries. We may
eventually end up with
an ESTA-type visa
system"
Lord Andrew
Adonis
Looking for a TMC?
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Travel Management Companies in the UK.
Together with its global division, WIN Global Travel
Network, Advantage has over 200 UK TMC locations and
global partners in 70 countries, meaning Advantage can
be sure to help you find the right TMC for your individual
business needs.
By using an Advantage Business Travel TMC you will
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A consultative approach to managing your
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Access to leading technology and consolidated data
The buying power of a combined turnover volume
in excess of £3bn
To find out more visit advantagemembers.com.
Follow us @AdvantageHQ
ARRIVALS
THE KNOWLEDGE
How to...
Make the most of corporate cards
The Scout Association is a long-time user
of corporate cards, but the ways in
which it deploys them has changed
THE BACKGROUND
The Scout Association
provides youth work support to
638,000 young people and adult
volunteers across the UK. A longterm
Barclaycard customer, its
staff have typically used
corporate cards for a
range of travel and
subsistence costs.
STREAMLINING
“While the kinds of things
we purchase with our
cards have stayed
consistent over the years,
we have taken advantage
of technological developments
to speed up our reconciliation
process with Barclaycard,” says The Scout
Association’s Simon Carter.
As a result, it now reconciles its corporate
card expenses digitally every month. Carter
explains: “We try to do everything
electronically. We used to reconcile expenses
by hand, but we conducted a study that
showed it would save time – and therefore
money – to move to digital reconciliation.”
He continues: “As a charity, you want to
put as much money as possible into your
cause rather than the back office.”
GO PRE-PAID
Every four years, the
organisation sends 4,000
young people from the UK
to The World Scout
Jamboree, which takes
place in destinations all
over the world – mostly
recently in Japan in 2015.
At the event, in addition to those who
already had company credit cards, The Scout
Association provided 40 staff with a pre-paid
Barclaycard corporate card, which they used
for car hire, food and other travel expenses.
“The cards mean we can control costs
really easily,” says Carter. “We can see what
our teams are spending on, and we don’t
have to provide them with lots of cash.”
NEW LIMITS
At times, corporate
cards have also helped
the team resolve
challenging situations.
“After a Jamboree we
hosted in Thailand finished, we
sent 400 young people on a home
hospitality visit to Malaysia,” explains
Carter. “I was woken up at 3am by a phone
call from the head of our contingent in
Malaysia saying that, for various reasons,
the planned accommodation wasn’t
available. I called our director of finance,
who contacted the Barclaycard out-of-hours
service, who in turn raised the credit card
limit of the person on the spot to £25,000.
“The leader of the contingent then
sourced safe and secure hotel rooms for
400 young people and their leaders. It
was so simple.”
THE BENEFITS
Corporate cards are key to The Scout
Association’s operations, whether it’s
for resolving unexpected situations or
simply paying for
food and drink.
“Cards make it
easy to control
costs and provide
excellent visibility
on spending,” says
Carter. “The key
thing for us is the
flexibility they
offer. We use a traditional purchase
order process for most of our regular
costs, but sometimes you simply don’t
have time to wait – you need to pay for
something there and then and a card
makes that possible.”
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
15
ARRIVALS
SPEAKING OUT
What price loyalty?
Basic economy is a false economy
There’s a trade-off between the cheapest
economy fares and corporate loyalty,
says Peter Gerstle, who argues there’s
more than one way to measure value
Low-cost carriers are here to stay – that's a
fact. According to the latest research from
IATA, these ‘new model airlines’ now
account for 28.3% of all passenger journeys
– with US budget carrier SouthWest and
Irish favourite Ryanair both topping the
charts in terms of passengers carried.
In response, so-called ‘legacy’ airlines have
also begun to introduce stripped down
economy fares for ‘price-sensitive’
customers in their efforts to stay
competitive. Emirates, once considered the
bastion of luxury airlines, is the latest to
consider basic economy fares that exclude
‘perks’ like food and baggage allowance.
But as more airlines embrace ‘basic
economy’, what are the implications for
business travellers and loyalty?
Increasingly, many companies have a
lowest available fare policy, or even a fare
cap, and encourage their employees to
consider the basic economy option.
However, for businesses these policies are
not without its risks.
Business travellers holding these barebones
tickets will have no choice in seat
assignment, may not be permitted to stow a
carry-on-bag in the overhead bins and will
not be able to accrue as many – or any –
frequent flier miles.
If they desire what in the past
have been considered the
fundamentals of
It’s a mistake to
assume that someone
travelling on a basic economy
fare is not a potentially
valuable customer”
business travel, they will have to pay for
them as add-ons. This is hardly a recipe for
a productive, happy employee, especially if
they are travelling for an important
meeting, and may even end up costing a
business more than a standard fare.
In addition, what happens if a meeting
overruns and an employee misses their
flight? If the employee has a non-refundable
ticket there may be may be no option but
coughing up for a last-minute, walk-up fare.
As savvy travel managers are now
realising, insisting on basic economy tickets
can cost you dearly. Short-term savings
associated with the cheapest fares can
easily be dwarfed through hidden costs and
productivity losses.
Business travel policies should be centred
on value not just the lowest fare prices.
Recognising customer loyalty and making
considerations to accommodate an
employee’s frequent flyer membership is
particularly important.
It not only has a positive contribution to
the employee’s happiness and status, but it
also plays an important role in getting fees
waived for extras like checked bags or makes
travellers eligible for upgrades. These perks
could make all the difference in how an
employee performs in that big meeting.
Airlines too must not assume that price is
the only driver for a purchase – value is
measured through an overall experience
and has a significant impact on loyalty. It’s a
mistake to assume that someone travelling
on a basic economy fare is not a potentially
valuable customer.
The key is to really understand each
customer and know why they are flying,
every time they fly. Enabling customers to
collect frequent flyer points on all flights,
including basic economy fares, is an
important part
of this.
With this
deeper
understanding,
airlines can start to see
the bigger picture. They can
recognise a frequent flyer even
if their booking is made by a
corporate travel manager and identify
which customers present the best
opportunity to create ongoing relationships
that deliver additional revenue.
PETER GERSTLE
Peter is Group Head of Travel
Products at The Collinson
Group, a leading global
consultancy in loyalty and
benefits. The company has
worked with major brands
including Avios, Radisson
Hotels, Visa and
Mastercard.
16 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
2019 TRAVEL TRENDS
back to the future
It’s difficult to look beyond Brexit when scouting ahead for the big developments coming up in 2019,
but there are of course plenty of other openings, launches and trends on the horizon too...
High five
Watch out for these five hotels
coming to London in 2019
Taking off
Notable new route launches
British Airways
• Heathrow-Osaka
four times a week from March 31
• London City-Munich
daily from Feb 16
• Heathrow-Pittsburgh
four times a week from April
• Heathrow-Charleston
twice a week from April 4
(summer only)
The Stratford
1 This hotel will open as part of
the highly anticipated Manhattan
Loft Gardens skyscraper (below) in
Stratford in April 2019. It promises
to “seamlessly merge short-term
stays with long-term hotel living”.
The Standard
2 This trendy US brand will open
its first international hotel in King’s
Cross in 2019 set in the Camden
Town Annex building.
Hard Rock Hotel
3 Hard Rock will open its first UK
hotel in London in the spring (above
right) by converting the Cumberland
Hotel into a 1,000-room property.
Belmond Cadogan
4 The luxury hotel group is due
to open its second UK hotel in the
spring, a 54-room hotel between
Kensington and Chelsea.
5
Ruby Hotels
The ‘lean luxury’ hotel brand
(below) is due to open the London
Southbank Outpost in summer
2019. The fledgling group currently
has six hotels across Germany and
one in Austria.
Virgin Atlantic
• Manchester-Los Angeles
three times weekly from May 26
Delta Air Lines
• Edinburgh-Boston
daily from May 24
Rooms for growth
Hotel room supply is set to grow 8% in London in 2019 and by
5% across the rest of the UK
With such a strong pipeline of hotels due to come on
stream, we will need healthy demand growth to avoid
a drop in occupancy percentages” says HVS Chairman, Russell Kett
18 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
2019 TRAVEL TRENDS
Brexit: March 29
iN? out? good deal? No deal?
cliff edge? secoNd refereNdum?
Uncertainty around
the Brexit deal has
not affected bookings and
our business is up year on
year. People will still need to
do business whatever happens
concerning the Brexit trade
deal – if a company needs to
travel in order to conduct
business then they are still
going to
travel, even
if airfares
go up”
Mel Phaure,
Director, Blue
Cube Travel
European airfares
2% - the predicted rise in average
ticket prices on regional routes
1% - the predicted rise in average
ticket prices for intercontinental travel
“Negotiating a good deal
with European airlines is
becoming harder as they
reduce discounts for all but
their best-performing clients:
those who either spend heavily
on premium cabins of fullfare
economy to long-haul
destinations, or fly economy
to markets where the airline
wants to gain or defend
market share”
BCD 2019 Industry Forecast
Trend-setting
technology
dataart predicts 2019 will see five
maJor tech treNds takiNg travel aNd
hospitality to the NeXt level
Ai is set to reAch
new heights
Progression will ‘skyrocket’,
helping improve customer service
and save human resources
oPen APis
Proliferation of open APIs will
enable better synchronisation
between technology systems
AugmenteD reAlity
Travel and hospitality players have
been slow to adopt AR but it will
be at the forefront of marketing
and personalisation in 2019
self-serVice
Expect more tech that eliminates
the need for customers to
interact with a human to
complete a transaction
Voice Assist
Use is already growing at an
impressive rate and will be a vital
component of the industry’s
demand for efficiency
ONE Order is
the new NDC?
Those tired of hearing about
IATA’s NDC standard can look
forward to hearing plenty about
the organisation’s ONE Order
programme in 2019 – which in fact
is made possible by NDC advances.
“Today, an air booking creates both
a passenger name record (PNR) and
an electronic ticket, plus an
electronic miscellaneous document
for any ancillary purchases like
checked bag fees. Under ONE Order,
all these documents will be replaced
with a single, retail-type digital order
management process,”
explains travel management
company BCD.
For passengers and their
employers, the potential
benefits include more
coordinated disruption
management when flights are
delayed, better customer
recognition, improved MI
and better understanding of
total trip cost
THEbusinesstraVeLMag.COM
19
THE CONVERSATION
Labour Peer & Former Transport Secretary
LORD ANDREW ADONIS
The staunch Remainer speaks to Andy Hoskins ahead of his
keynote address at the Advantage Business Travel Symposium
Keep calm and carry on," are Lord
Andrew Adonis's words of advice
for the travel industry as the UK
moves towards its scheduled March 29
departure from the European Union.
"There’s a lot of alarmism around at the
moment and people are right to be
concerned about the long-term future for
the country if we Brexit, but people shouldn’t
worry about going off a cliff edge next year.
Parliament isn’t that stupid," he says.
"In the long-term, however, Brexit will
make us much less attractive to inward
investment and it will start imposing
impediments to trade and travel."
Speaking before EU leaders had agreed
the Brexit deal that will be voted on by
parliament in December, Adonis says: "Any
form of Brexit is bad for the country and we
should have a referendum so people can
give their view on what they really want."
He believes there is "a serious chance" of
the so-called People's Vote taking place in
2019 and claims: "Even Brexiters are coming
round to this view as well – that this half-in,
half-out deal that Theresa May is proposing
may actually be worse than staying fully in.
Both sides regard it as a sell-out."
He continues: "It's increasingly clear that
the deal is going to hit the buffers and the
question is what happens when it does."
Adonis believes there are three possible
scenarios the country could find itself in on
March 29. Firstly, a continuation of Article
50 – potentially under a new Prime Minister
– in order to "get a credible deal over a
longer period". Secondly, that the country
will leave the EU but "with everything
essentially still to be negotiated"; and lastly,
the referendum he desires.
So there's no chance of planes being
grounded overnight and gridlocked ports?
"That's a straight scare. It’s deplorable that
the government has allowed the public to
think this could happen. There’s simply no
way you're going to get 325 MPs – half the
House – that are going to agree to us
leaving the European Union with no deal
and the country grinding to a halt."
Having served as Transport Secretary
under Gordon Brown's Labour government,
the UK's air, road and rail networks are a
subject close to his heart. He pioneered
plans for High Speed 2 – the high-speed
railway that will connect London with the
Midlands and potentially cities further north
– and offers unwavering support to the
expansion of London Heathrow Airport.
"I can't take credit for being a genius," he
says of HS2. "All I was doing was copying
With a third runway at
Heathrow from 2028,
soon after the opening of HS2,
Adonis heralds a transport
infrastructure revolution for
England in the mid-2020s”
what pretty much every developed country
in the world has done over the last 50 years
which is to build high-speed rail lines
between the major cities."
The London to Birmingham line is currently
under construction – and is due to open in
2026 – and he believes plans to extend it to
Leeds and Manchester will happen "with or
without Brexit".
"Once the high speed lines get to Leeds
and Manchester the journey times from
London to Scotland will come down a lot.
You’ll be able to do both of those trips
[to Glasgow and Edinburgh] in 3.5 hours
or less, which will make trains highly
competitive with planes for the first time,"
Adonis explains.
And he says expansion at Heathrow is
"vitally important for bringing inward
investment into the country and for
promoting business travel internationally
including to new and emerging markets."
He is also confident that, with parliament
voting almost 10-1 in favour of expansion –
and with a majority in all the political parties
– it is a "done deal". He adds: "My view is
that this is irreversible".
With a third runway at Heathrow
potentially operational from 2028, not long
after the scheduled opening of HS2, Adonis
heralds a "transport infrastructure
revolution for England in the mid-2020s".
Brexit or no Brexit, the UK's connectivity
both at home and with foreign nations is set
for a welcome shot in the arm.
20 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
THE CONVERSATION
in brief...
Expansion at Heathrow is
set to go ahead and HS2
is underway, but where is
the country's transport
network falling short?
The northern cities are very
badly connected and what I
call HS3 – which is the eastwest
line linking Liverpool,
Manchester, Leeds,
Newcastle and Hull – that’s
hugely important and
there’s still no proper plan
for that. We’ve got big
North-South improvements
with HS2 underway but
there’s no equivalent
improvement taking place
east to west in the North.
LORD ANDREW ADONIS
Rt Hon Lord (Andrew) Adonis is a Labour peer, former
Transport Secretary and former Chairman of the
National Infrastructure Commission. Both as advisor
and then minister, Andrew Adonis was a key architect
of Tony Blair's public service reforms in education,
health, local government, policing and transport. He is
the author of books on parliamentary reform, the class
system and the poll tax.
According to your Twitter
bio, you've been called a
'twisted weasel' by Nigel
Farage and a 'cave man'
by Jacob Rees-Mogg – you
seem to revel in being
something of a villain...
I do because I’m deliberately
taking on Nigel Farage and
Boris Johnson and Jacob
Rees-Mogg because they're
the chief Brexiters. So I
relish an argument and a
battle with them because
the issues are so big for the
country. Over the medium
to long-term I think Brexit
will be extremely damaging
which is the reason I’m
doing battle ferociously
with the leading Brexiters.
However much Boris
Johnson, Nigel Farage, Kate
Hoey and co dislike me,
they dislike Theresa May
even more. They are falling
apart. The question is
whether it falls apart in
such a way that we can get
a referendum and put a
stop to Brexit.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
21
THE BIG PICTURE
Copenhagen
MORE THAN
MERMAIDS
The Danish capital city
has been named Lonely
Planet’s number one
city for 2019, propelled
to the top by its “worldrenowned
food scene”,
craft beer culture and
its reputation as a
“design powerhouse”.
In second place was
Shenzhen – the ‘Silicon
Valley of China’ – and in
third was up-and-coming
Serbian city Novi Sad.
22 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
ADRIA AIRWAYS • AEGEAN AIRLINES • AIR CANADA • AIR CHINA • AIR INDIA • AIR NEW ZEALAND • ANA • ASIANA AIRLINES • AUSTRIAN • AVIANCA • AVIANCA BRASIL
BRUSSELS AIRLINES • COPA AIRLINES • CROATIA AIRLINES • EGYPTAIR • ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES • EVA AIR • LOT POLISH AIRLINES • LUFTHANSA • SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES
SHENZHEN AIRLINES • SINGAPORE AIRLINES • SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS • SWISS • TAP AIR PORTUGAL • THAI • TURKISH AIRLINES • UNITED
MEET THE BUYER
meet
ANA GIBSON
Ana Gibson is Supply Manager, Travel, at Hilti, having recently
moved from the supplier side of the travel industry
Hilti is a global company operating in
120 countries with more than 27,000
employees. We design and manufacture
leading-edge technology, software and
services which power the construction
industry. I have been here since the end of
July 2018 and am discovering every day
what a great company it is to work for;
people are at the forefront of everything
Hilti does. The headcount is growing by 10%
year on year and currently we have around
950 staff in the UK. Around half of these
have regular business trips and many more
travel on an ad hoc basis.
My career in travel started as soon as
I graduated from university 15 years
ago when I joined Emirates. I saw it as a
temporary role, but once the “travel bug”
gets hold of you, not many tend to leave the
industry. Soon after joining, I moved into
sales support and eventually corporate
sales. After seven years, I swapped the hot
climate of Dubai for Santa’s official airline,
Finnair, as client manager.
My main responsibilities are to help
drive productivity, through sourcing and
negotiating with suppliers. I also
look at the spend patterns and
look at how behaviour can
be influenced to achieve
cost savings. My role is
based in the UK but
I work closely with
my counterparts in
Northern Europe
and the global
procurement
managers to benchmark
our policy and activity
against our peers.
Employees are empowered to
make their own travel bookings through
our TMC and its online booking tool. Apart
from the PAs to the Directors and MD, we
do not have dedicated travel bookers
except for when it comes to our Training
School. This has a significant need for
hotel accommodation, and once I have
negotiated the contracts with the preferred
suppliers, our HR Shared Services team are
tasked with managing the booking process.
We work closely with countries in
Northern Europe so there is a lot
of travel to key destinations
such as Copenhagen, and
Helsinki, as well as
OUT OF THE OFFICE
Dublin. Our global
"I am originally from
headquarters are
Romania. My dad was born in a based in Schaan so we
castle in Transylvania so I am a travel there via Zurich
distant relative to Dracula! But – or via Munich is also
unlike most vampires, I tend to common. We also try
favour bright sunshine for to use digital solutions
my holiday destinations" such as Skype and
Microsoft Hubs to reduce
the amount of corporate
travel needed.
We only use two TMCs globally, with the
UK and US using one, and the rest another.
We actively encourage employees to use
the online booking tools provided. In the
UK, our OBT adoption is around 87%.
We have a strong travel policy in place
which considers all aspects. As adherence
to policy is high, I would say that it is very
effective, but we are always looking for
improvements. We want employees to have
a positive and safe experience when they
travel on business as employee wellbeing is
very important to us as a company.
My biggest challenge is to ensure the
varied stakeholders’ needs are met. The
standards required are high and it can
sometimes be a challenge to meet the
expectations while adhering to the policy
and the need to manage costs.
We want employees
to have a positive
and safe experience when
they travel on business as
wellbeing is very important
to us as a company”
24 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE
2018 CHRISTMAS PARTY
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11
THE GRANGE ST PAUL'S, LONDON
To book your place, or for further information, see thebusinesstravelmag.com
awards
meet the winner
Natalie Payne
Fello’s Natalie Payne was named Operations Manager of the Year
at The Business Travel People Awards 2018
How did it feel to win
the Operations Manager
of the Year award?
I was very surprised and
obviously delighted! I
knew it was a popular
category as there is a lot
of talent in our industry, so it was a huge
honour to be recognised.
Why did you decide to enter the awards
or how did you come to be nominated?
Fello Group CEO Simone Buckley did it –
unbeknown to me! Simone recognised that
while I had the job title of Team Leader, I
had been performing the role of Operations
Manager for over a year following the
departure of the Head of Operations. It was
particularly challenging during this time as
Sandy Row Travel and World Club Travel
were merging, and we were preparing to
launch our new brand, Fello.
We were also without a managing director
or CEO and had just won a large account to
be serviced in the UK, US and Singapore. I
found myself in charge of a global
online and offline implementation,
a team of
consultants who were
nervous about the
merger, a GDS contract
up for renewal, and a
booking tool that was
being phased out.
Tell us about your
role and the work
you’ve done that
clinched the award?
I was responsible for the
implementation of our largest-ever
customer across three countries (two of
which didn’t have offices) while retaining
our customer base through a period of
significant change. I also set up, recruited
and trained our own in-house out-of-hours
department, available 24/7.
The Business
Travel People Awards
recognise outstanding
individuals and teams across
all aspects of the supplier
element of corporate travel.
Nominations for the 2019
awards open on
January 1
What do you particularly enjoy about
your current role?
I love working with a team and the diversity
of the job. No two days are the same. I am
constantly challenged to find
solutions to ensure the team
and I give the absolute
highest level of service to
all our clients.
What do you think
of The Business
Travel People
Awards, and of the
winners’ event?
It’s really important to
acknowledge talent and
hard work in our industry. It
is motivating for the individuals
concerned, but also for their team
and organisation. When you are in an
operational role you don’t get to attend as
many industry events so it was really
special to be at the awards with my peers.
Being taken on a winners' trip to New York
was also a fantastic privilege.
It’s important to
acknowledge talent
and hard work. It is
motivating for the individuals
concerned, but also for their
team and organisation”
What impact do you think winning an
award will have on your career?
The award has really given me the
confidence to progress, to constantly
challenge myself and to aim high. Fello has
big ambitions and I am looking forward to
being part of the journey.
What do you think are the business
travel industry’s biggest challenges
right now?
As consumers we have so much access to
content and so much choice. At Fello, our
job is to ensure we get the best value for
our clients based on their specific needs
and preferences.
26 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
GALLERY
The Business Travel
People Awards 2018
Winners trip
to New York
A bridge too far in
Central Park
The Business Travel People Awards Winners Trip ▼
The winners of The Business Travel
People Awards 2018 jetted off to New
York for a short break in November,
with flights courtesy of Virgin Atlantic
and Delta Air Lines
▲ 08.11.2018
Exclusive transport for
our group of winners
With thanks to our generous
event partners
Taking in the Manhattan skyline
NOMINATIONS OPEN JANUARY 1, 2019
THEBUSINESSTRAVELPEOPLEAWARDS.COM
RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE
IN BUSINESS TRAVEL
The annual awards recognising outstanding
individuals & teams in business travel
Now in its
8th Year!
NOMINATIONS OPEN JANUARY 1, 1, 2019
THEBUSINESSTRAVELPEOPLEAWARDS.COM
THE 2019 CATEGORIES
The Business Travel People Awards
categories cover a range of roles for both
suppliers and agency entrants. The judges
are aware that companies have many
different job titles to illustrate core business
responsibilities such as sales, account
management and business development.
It is important that nominations are
entered in the category with the description
that is the most appropriate.
TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES
AND HOTEL BOOKING AGENCIES
• Reservations Consultant of the year
Recognising the individual who has
demonstrated excellent customer
service, a can-do attitude and the ability
to go the extra mile for both colleagues
and customers.
• Reservations Team of the year
Recognising the team that has
demonstrated excellent customer
service, a can-do attitude and the ability
to go the extra mile for their customers.
• Operations Manager of the year
Recognising the individual who has
demonstrated the ability to provide
excellent customer service using an
innovative and strategic approach across
operational management.
• Operations Team of the year
Recognising the team that has
demonstrated the ability to provide
excellent customer service using an
innovative and strategic approach across
operational management.
• Account Manager of the year
Recognising the individual who takes
a proactive and consultative approach
to their role in order to provide
unrivalled customer service, care and
value to their clients.
• Account Management Team
of the year
Recognising the team that takes a
proactive and consultative approach to
providing unrivalled customer service,
care and value to their clients.
• Sales/Business Development Manager
of the year
Recognising the individual who has driven
growth through outstanding sales results
by the development and use of a creative
and successful business strategy.
• Sales/Business Development Team of
the year
Recognising the team that has driven
growth through outstanding sales results
by the development and use of a creative
and successful business strategy.
MICE CATEGORIES
• Meetings & Events Manager of the year
Recognising the individual who has
demonstrated the ability to provide
excellent customer service or
event management and project
management using an innovative,
practical, strategic approach across
the operational delivery of meetings
and/or events.
• Meetings & Events Team of the year
Recognising the team or department
that has demonstrated the ability to
provide excellent customer service or
event management and project
management using innovative,
practical, strategic approach across
the operational delivery of meetings
and/or events.
SUPPLIER CATEGORIES
(Air, accommodation, ground transport
(car hire and rail), online booking tools,
GDS, data management services)
• Account Manager of the year
Recognising the individual who
demonstrates impeccable product
knowledge and takes a proactive and
consultative approach to their role in
order to provide unrivalled customer
service, care and value to a TMC, HBA
and/or corporate customer.
• Account Management Team of the year
Recognising the team that demonstrates
impeccable product knowledge and takes
a proactive and consultative approach
to their role in order to provide unrivalled
customer service, care and value to a
TMC, HBA and/or corporate customer.
• Sales/Business Development Manager
of the year
Recognising the individual who has
driven outstanding sales growth through
the development and use of a creative
and successful business strategy.
• Sales/Business Development Team of
the year
Recognising the team that has driven
outstanding sales growth through the
development and use of a creative and
successful business strategy.
INDUSTRY CATEGORIES
• Rising Star award
Recognising an outstanding individual
from any sector of the business travel
industry who is under 35 years of age.
Entrants should have demonstrated a
desire to develop into a business
leader of the future.
• Best Newcomer
Recognising an individual from any
sector of business travel who has been
involved in the industry for less than
two years. This person will have shown
an aptitude and appetite to develop
their role in the sector.
NOMINATIONS OPEN JANUARY 1, 2019
THEBUSINESSTRAVELPEOPLEAWARDS.COM
A smarter
partnership
Whether you’re heading to New York,
LA or somewhere amazing in between,
we’ll fly you there in style
It’s the little things...
Travelling with us is about so much more than simply stepping
on a plane. It’s about the entire experience from airport
arrival to destination.
We make flying for business as fuss-free as possible, with
luxurious lounges, easy airport transfer options,
combined, convenient schedules and bags checked
through from start to finish for a seamless travel
experience. Our mutual loyalty programmes and
reciprocal lounge access* are a nice little touch
too, as is our approach to customers, who we
look after as individuals. Onboard Virgin
Atlantic Upper Class and Delta One® we
boast fully flat beds, perfect for refreshing,
undisturbed sleep, and we’re the only
fully WiFi ** connected transatlantic
joint venture, keeping customers in
touch with the outside world.
It all starts at London
Heathrow, Terminal 3
Upper Class and Delta One customers
enjoy loads of brilliant benefits at
Terminal 3, London Heathrow, where
we’re co-located.
Arrive in style
Virgin Atlantic customers can arrive
in style at the Upper Class Wing with
our chauffeur driven car service^, while
travellers on both airlines can take
advantage of the Upper Class Wing
by arriving in their own car or taxi.
Breeze through
the airport
Navigating a busy airport has
never been easier with Drive Thru
Check In and our Private Security
Channel, enabling travellers to focus
on work, not their travel itinerary. The
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse provides the
perfect stop off to continue working
or simply wind down before a flight,
while priority boarding gets customers
settled in their seats quicker.
Relaxation starts at
ground level
At London Heathrow, Delta SkyMiles®
Diamond and Platinum Medallion®
Members are invited to use the
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, while Gold
Medallion® Members can indulge in the
No.1 Traveller Lounge. Diamond and
Platinum Medallion Members can also
use the Private Security Channel and
the Virgin Atlantic Revivals Lounge.
Back in Blighty
Get straight back to business in
London Heathrow at the Virgin Atlantic
Revivals Lounge with a hot shower,
delicious breakfast and clothes
pressing/mending service, and whisked
off to onward destinations with a
pre-booked chauffeur car*.
Start spreading
the news
As well as our shared Heathrow hub we
share a convenient flight schedule,
providing eight flights to New York JFK
daily and one flight to Newark. Flights
are scheduled from London Heathrow
throughout the day, and even depart
every 30 minutes from New York JFK
to London Heathrow during the early
evening. We’re expanding services at
a regional level too, with daily flights
from Manchester, Edinburgh and
Glasgow^^ to New York JFK, and we’re
keeping customers connected to over
200 North American destinations via
Delta’s extensive network.
Frequent flyer perks
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Delta
SkyMiles Members benefit from
generous perks, brilliant news for
frequent flyers. Naturally, members
earn miles every time they fly, but
they also scoop miles on each other’s
services and across our partner
airlines’ services too. So, Flying Club
members earn miles on Delta flights,
while SkyMiles Members earn
Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs)
on eligible Virgin Atlantic flights and
can use their miles on eligible Virgin
Atlantic flights too.
That’s not all. Flying Club Gold
members will earn 60% more of
the base flown Flying Club miles
when they travel on any Delta flight
(Silver members receive 30% more)
and enjoy Sky Priority® benefits when
flying Delta, as well as gaining access
to Delta Sky Club® on any Delta
transatlantic ticket.
Please contact your TMC for more information or to book
* At certain membership levels. ** From £4.99. ^ Chauffeur driven car service available at most destinations with selected Upper Class fares.
Also available to book at a preferential rate. Mileage restrictions apply. ^^ Seasonal daily service from Glasgow to New York JFK.
premium economy
rise
of the middle class
An increasing focus on employee welfare coupled with
a more creative approach to cost-saving is breathing
new life into premium economy, writes Kerry Reals
Premium economy cabins have
come of age. After a slow and
steady rise in popularity since
taking to the skies with Virgin Atlantic
and EVA Air in the early 1990s, the area
between the highest- and lowest-yielding
seats on the aircraft is now the centre of
attention as airlines – and passengers –
increasingly realise its potential.
This previously slow-burning trend is
rapidly becoming hotter as a growing list of
airlines find the temptation of introducing a
failsafe product, capable of performing well
in both good and bad economic times, too
difficult to resist.
Sandwiched between business class and
economy, the premium economy cabin
provides a quieter, less cramped alternative
to the back of the bus at a fraction of the
cost of the pointier end, but with some of
the elevated perks.
For travel management companies this
product, the 'compromise cabin', offers a
sweet spot for cost-conscious corporations
looking to keep employees happy and
productive while simultaneously appeasing
their finance divisions.
However, TMCs “have to be able to adapt
their business to these new dynamics” to
ensure they can meet the evolving needs
and expectations of their customers,
according to Richard Johnson, Director
Solutions Group EMEA and APAC at Carlson
Wagonlit Travel.
“Premium economy has an important role
to play in the corporate travel market as
companies seek to balance the need for
strong cost management with a growing
appreciation of the importance of traveller
wellbeing and ensuring productivity when
travelling for business, ” says Johnson.
“This is likely to become even more
important when we consider the rise of
ultra-long-haul flights, where premium
economy can be compelling for companies
with tightly managed budgets.”
Indeed, Singapore Airlines has eliminated
the economy cabin entirely on its new ultralong-haul
Newark-Singapore route. Having
apparently decided that nobody in their
right mind would want to fly in economy
class non-stop for 18hr 45mins, the airline
has configured the Airbus A350-900ULR
aircraft deployed on this route in a twoclass
layout, featuring 67 business class
seats and 94 premium economy seats.
Johnson believes premium economy
“offers more comfort for a better price”
on medium- to long-haul flights when
compared to business or first class.
However, investments in technology are
key to enabling TMCs to provide their
customers with a detailed comparisonshopping
experience in a world of
expanding premium economy options.
“It’s becoming increasingly imperative for
businesses to work with TMCs with strong
technology partners, who are able to
32 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
premium economy
The number of
airlines offering
premium economy has grown
from a small handful in the
1990s to in excess of 25 today”
Cathay Pacific
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
33
premium economy
ANA
provide accurate and comprehensive
content choices for their travellers,” he says.
“The right technology can provide access
to rich images of airline seat options and
other airline products. This gives companies
better value and coverage of available
airline content,” Johnson adds.
The number of airlines offering premium
economy has grown from a small handful of
trailblazers in the 1990s to in excess of 25
today, with new carriers jumping on board
all the time. A trend that initially started in
Europe and Asia with Virgin Atlantic and EVA
Air has spread across the globe, with the
latest converts being in North America and
the Middle East.
Virgin Atlantic’s popular premium
economy cabin entered service in 1992 and
was branded Mid Class. The airline says it
was aimed at “the cost-conscious business
traveller, or leisure travellers looking to
treat themselves”.
The product was rebranded in 1994 as
Premium Economy and again in 2018 as
Premium. It is available on all routes and all
aircraft types across the carrier’s fleet.
Premium upgrades
Wise to the fact that its competitors are
jumping on the bandwagon, Virgin Atlantic
says it is “continually updating” its premium
economy product. In addition to 21-inchwide
leather seats with a 38-inch pitch,
dedicated check-in and bag drop, a meal
served on china crockery with real cutlery, a
Norwegian
glass of bubbly on boarding, an amenity kit
and an extra checked baggage allowance,
the airline has added more features designed
to make its Premium cabin stand out.
“When we introduced our Boeing 787
aircraft in 2014 we introduced a Wander
Wall at the front of the Premium cabin. We
know customers like to stretch their legs
and help themselves to snacks throughout
the flight and the Wander Wall is a social
space where they can socialise with their
fellow travellers and chat to crew while
helping themselves to complimentary
snacks and refreshments,” says the airline.
Virgin Atlantic has also spent the last 12
months working with celebrity chef Donal
Skehan to “reinvent” its in-flight dining
experience. The new Dine with Donal dishes
debuted in the airline’s Upper Class cabins
in October and will be available in the
Premium and Economy cabins next year.
When the airline adds the Airbus A350 to
its fleet in 2019, it will provide “a great
opportunity to look at all our cabins and
what they offer customers”. Details on what
the premium economy cabin on the A350s
will look like, however, remain strictly under
wraps until the New Year.
Fellow premium economy pioneer EVA Air
is also attempting to differentiate its
product as more airlines seek to emulate
what it started in 1992. The Taiwan-based
carrier announced earlier this year that it
has decided to “call it what it is” and rebrand
the ’in-between cabin’ as Premium Economy.
US carriers arrived
very late to the
premium economy party.
First to turn up was
American Airlines in 2016”
It was previously known as Elite Class.
Alongside the name change came two new
amenity kits from skincare specialists Erno
Laszlo and THANN, and new bedding too.
Cathay Pacific, which introduced a
premium economy product in March 2012,
is also in the process of upgrading its
offering. When the Hong Kong-based carrier
added the Airbus A350-900 to its fleet in
May 2016, it installed its second generation
of premium economy seats. The new seats
are also being rolled out across select
routes served by its A350-1000 aircraft.
“The A350 premium economy seat sets a
new standard for Cathay Pacific,” says the
carrier’s Marketing and Digital Sales
Manager for the UK and Ireland, Paul
Cruttenden. “It offers additional features
including dedicated tablet holders that
make it easy for passengers to enjoy
entertainment content on their own devices,
power outlets and USB power ports.
“Each premium economy class seat has a
full-length leg rest which, together with the
ergonomically designed seat, allows more
flexibility to adjust for optimal comfort.”
Late arrivals
While premium economy cabins have been
springing up throughout Europe and Asia
over the last quarter of a century, US
airlines arrived late to the party. First to
turn up was American Airlines, which began
selling the new class towards the end of
2016 across its international widebody fleet.
Next was Delta Air Lines, which began
rolling out its Premium Select product on
certain international flights in late 2017.
Delta’s Airbus A350s feature 48 Premium
Select seats, sandwiched between 32 Delta
One business class seats and 226 Main
Cabin seats. United Airlines was the last US
major to throw its hat into the ring when it
34 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
premium economy
Singapore Airlines
announced earlier this year that it will
launch a premium economy product,
branded Premium Plus, in early 2019.
The premium economy trend will head
next to the Middle East, where Emirates
will begin introducing the cabin on its new
Airbus A380s in 2020. The Dubai-based
carrier has been quiet on the details, but
Emirates President Tim Clark said earlier
this year that “it will be an Emirates
premium economy, and it will be special”.
There is no indication yet that Gulf rival
Qatar Airways plans to follow suit. Chief
Executive Akbar Al Baker has previously
ruled out the possibility of introducing
premium economy. However, Abu Dhabibased
Etihad Airways hinted earlier this
year that it might enter the fray. If the trend
does catch on in this region, Qatar Airways
could find that it has no choice but to follow
its regional competitors.
Back in Europe, Finnair recently
announced it will introduce premium
economy on long-haul flights from 2020,
but stopped short of releasing any details.
Cost benefits
For some, it is puzzling that it has taken so
long for premium economy to catch on. But
despite a slow start, a number of factors
suggest it is the product’s time to shine.
”In some ways it is surprising that it’s taken
this long for the cabin to spread through
the industry,” says Institute of Travel
Management Chief Executive Scott Davies.
With premium economy seats selling for
roughly double the amount charged in the
economy class cabin, versus quadruple the
amount for a business class seat,
businesses ”can do double the number of
trips with premium economy”, making it a
very attractive product.
Despite launching in the early 1990s,
premium economy did not really start to
take off until 2009 when the global
recession started to bite.
“Airlines saw that many companies were
cutting costs by reducing their business
class policy. Consequently, instead of having
corporate travellers fall down to economy,
the airlines began to push premium
economy,” says Eric Olson, Senior Consultant
at American Express Global Business Travel.
Carriers also began to “entice companies
who strictly bought economy seats with
premium economy, in the hope that they
would eventually upgrade,” adds Olson.
However, online travel agencies and GDSs
were initially “reluctant to incorporate it..
due to an un-streamlined process which
often required manual search”, meaning
that adoption was slow.
“We advise organisations that are
interested in premium economy to climb on
board sooner rather than later, as they are
currently in a good position to negotiate a
‘first-mover’ advantage with the airlines
before premium economy takes off
entirely,” says Olson, adding that premium
economy could soon “become a prevalent
option for corporates”.
According to Raj Sachdave, Managing
Partner at business travel consultancy Black
Box Partnerships, travel policy in corporate
markets is shifting when it comes to
managing budgets. Premium economy
products fit in well because they enable
companies to “give an experience that ticks
five out of eight boxes” normally associated
with business class, but without the skyhigh
price tag.
“Another important point is that as
millennials start rising through the corporate
ranks they bring with them different
expectations to their predecessors because
they’ve been through the [economic] pain of
the last ten years,” says Sachdave.
”Airlines are getting ready for a
refactoring of the classes,” he notes. While
there will always be a level of demand from
high net worth individuals for the highyielding
business class seats, there is an
increasing ”value and benefit of enjoying a
comfortable experience without the bells
and whistles”.
Air Canada
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
35
premium economy
Carlson Wagonlit’s Johnson points to a
market that is still very much in its infancy
but with significant potential for growth.
“Currently, we only see around a quarter of
our clients with policies that allow their
travellers to book the premium economy
cabin class, which suggests that there’s still
a lot of room for growth for premium
economy in corporate travel,” he says.
“Premium economy as an offer theoretically
gives travel buyers a few more options in
how they manage their policies on premium
travel,” says Johnson.
This includes the possibility of adopting
a mix-and-match approach of flying
employees in business class for overnight
flights and premium economy for daytime
flights, Johnson adds.
Virgin Atlantic has seen evidence of this,
noting that “we do see business travellers
choosing to fly Premium on day flights and
then investing in our Upper Class flat beds
on night flights”.
Johnson believes that premium economy
is coming to the fore as employee welfare
becomes more of an issue, with companies
moving staff up from economy, rather than
seeing it as a way of downgrading people
from business class, a point backed up by
Cathay Pacific.
“We have seen little or no trading down
on our London to Hong Kong route and find
that with larger companies, business class is
still permitted within their policies for flights
of more than an eight-hour duration,” says
Cathay's Cruttenden.
“Where we find strong and growing
demand for premium economy is from the
SME market, which traditionally has a
tighter travel budget. It is worth noting that
some SMEs who were travelling in economy
are now trading up to premium economy.”
Looking to the future, premium economy
cabins could follow the trend seen in
business class and become even more
luxurious, as airlines seek to outdo one
another in the search for incremental
business. ITM’s Davies certainly hopes so:
“It might be a pipe dream but it’s possible to
imagine bunk beds in premium economy as
well as flat beds in business class,” he says.
[ premium picks – how the airlines compare ]
Aeroflot (Comfort Class) – Meals from
business class menu; personal travel kit;
reclining seats
Air Canada (Premium Economy) – Ambient
mood lighting; seat has 38-inch pitch and
7-inch recline; in-seat power
Air France (Premium Economy) – Seat
reclines up to 130 degrees within fixed
shell; noise-reducing headset
Air New Zealand (Premium Economy) –
41-inch pitch leather seat; winner of
Skytrax Best Premium Economy 2018
All Nippon Airways (Premium Economy)
– Lounge access; business class dessert;
38-inch seat pitch
Alitalia (Premium Economy) – Dedicated
check-in; 17 or 24 ergonomic seats with
120-degree recline
American Airlines (Premium Economy)
– Complimentary beer, wine and
spirits; bedding designed by sleep technology
company Casper
Austrian Airlines (Premium Economy) –
Welcome drink; separate central armrest
with fold-out table; 12-inch IFE screen
British Airways (World Traveller Plus) –
Ongoing interiors upgrade to include
greater seat recline and 60% larger seatback
screen
Cathay Pacific (Premium Economy) –
Dedicated tablet holders; full-length leg rest;
amenity kit; meals served on china plates
China Airlines (Premium Economy) –
39-inch pitch with fixed-back recline;
12-inch HD monitor
China Southern Airlines (Premium
Economy) – 38-inch pitch reclining seats
Delta Air Lines (Premium Select) –
Dedicated in-cabin flight attendant;
Tumi amenity kit
El Al (Premium Class) – Meals served in
porcelain dishes; 13-inch monitor
EVA Air (Premium Economy) – Dedicated
check-in; Haagen Dazs ice cream; Erno
Laszlo and THANN amenity kits
Japan Airlines (Premium Economy) –
42-inch seat pitch with fixed-back
recline; amenity kits include slippers
LOT Polish Airlines (Premium Economy)
– Dedicated check-in; meals from
business class menu
Lufthansa (Premium Economy) – Fruity
welcome drink; lounge access (for
additional charge); meals served on china plates
Norwegian (Premium) – 43-inch pitch;
lounge access; three-course meal
SAS (SAS Plus) – Lounge access; free WiFi;
three-course meal
Singapore Airlines (Premium Economy) –
Seat reclines up to 8 inches; option to
reserve 'Book the Cook' dishes 24 hours in
advance
Qantas (Premium Economy) – Cabins
have 32 to 40 seats and dedicated flight
attendant; noise-cancelling headsets
Thomas Cook Airlines (Premium Class)
– 35-inch pitch with 6-inch recline; menu
designed by celebrity chef James Martin
TUI (Premium Club) – Lounge access;
fast-track through security
United Airlines (Premium Plus) –
21-24 Premium Plus seats, depending on
aircraft, being rolled out
Vietnam Airlines (Premium Economy) –
7/8-inch seat recline; 38-inch pitch on
A350s, 42-inch pitch on B787s
Virgin Atlantic (Premium) – Dedicated
check-in and bag drop; welcome drink
and newspaper; meals served on china plates
36 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
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UK hotels update
Rooms
boom
Brexit is coming but so are thousands of new UK
hotel rooms – but will this extra capacity benefit
travel buyers in 2019 and beyond, asks Rob Gill
Premier Inn
Forecasts about the likely movement
in UK hotel prices during 2019
have arrived with a very big
asterisk marked Brexit, particularly
when it comes to the prospect of there
being no deal between the UK and EU
from March 29 onwards.
But if we ignore that ominous cloud (as
difficult as that may be), most predictions
suggest that hotel rates in the UK will rise
during 2019, although perhaps not as much
as in other parts of Europe.
BCD Travel is estimating an overall rise in
UK rates of between 3% and 5%, while rival
travel management company Carlson
Wagonlit Travel (CWT) forecasts a 3.5% yearon-year
increase, including a 4% hike for
rates at “upscale” properties. This compares
with CWT’s overall forecast for a 5.6% rise in
rates across western Europe for 2019.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) thinks that
the increase in UK rates will be even more
restrained with average daily rates (ADR) up
by just £1 to £150 for London next year, and
a similarly slow rise in the rest of the UK
from an average rate of £72 to £73.
More the merrier
Whatever happens with Brexit, it is unlikely
to derail – at least in the short term – the
development and opening of an impressive
array of new hotels around the UK.
London is expected to see the addition of
11,600 hotel rooms by 2020 on top of the
existing 140,000 rooms in the capital,
according to a report by promotional
agency London & Partners and property
manager JLL. Major projects include The
Londoner in Leicester Square, the former
US embassy in Grosvenor Square being
converted into a Rosewood property,
Hard Rock Hotel London (taking over
The Cumberland) and Art’otel London
Battersea Power Station.
But this extra capacity may not lead to
lower rates for travel buyers, especially if
the hurdle of a so-called “hard Brexit” is
successfully avoided in the coming months.
David Chappell, Technology Director at
TMC Fello, says: “I doubt that the projected
additional capacity will result in a lower
price for the end user, as even with the
uncertainty of Brexit, demand remains high
and the combination of London being both
a strong leisure and business destination
will likely not see prices fall in the near to
medium term.”
38 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
UK HoTELS UPDATE
Consolidation of
the global hotel
industry has not resulted in
a reduction in the number
of brands being operated by
these growing giants. In fact,
the opposite is true”
However, hotel booking portal HRS says
it has seen rates in London fall by 5% in
2018 following a “reduction in business
investment due to uncertainty as Brexit
nears” and adds that a period of “greater
currency volatility would be unhelpful”.
Outside London, PwC says there will be an
estimated 21,760 new rooms introduced
across the rest of the UK during 2019. Major
growth is expected in Manchester with
another 1,200 hotel rooms scheduled to be
added in 2019, while there will also be
significant new developments in other key
cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow,
Aberdeen and Liverpool.
UK-orientated budget brands, such as
Premier Inn and Travelodge, continue to
lead the way in terms of openings.
Whitbread-owned Premier Inn currently has
13,000 UK rooms in the “pipeline”, while
Travelodge opened its 395-room flagship
London City hotel earlier this year, which
will be among 20 new openings for the
brand during 2018.
But it’s not just these low-cost brands
opening new properties, CWT has estimated
there will be more than 70 independent
boutique-style hotels opening across the UK
by the end of 2019 adding 6,100 rooms.
Budget-boutique brand Point A Hotels is
typical, adding Edinburgh and London
Kensington to its existing portfolio of seven
properties in June and July respectively.
Despite more rooms coming on to the
market, Alwyn Burrage, Supplier Relations
Manager at ATPI UK, agrees there is
“upward pricing pressure” with higher
labour costs helping to push up rates.
“London is doing extremely well – tourism
is always a factor,” he says. “We see
Manchester levelling off as more capacity
comes into market but with some hotels
moving upmarket on rates and product.
“Bristol is the fastest-growing city for
mid-week rates with Hinkley Point C
[construction of a new nuclear power
station] being a factor. Birmingham rates
are rising with HS2 and more corporate
relocations into the area – such as HSBC –
are also pushing up rates.”
Penny Munn, Head of Supplier Relations
for Corporate Travel Management (CTM),
adds: “The feeling from our hotel partners is
that they are absolutely maximising their
revenues where business is strong, but
there are deals to be done where business
is softer, especially in the regions.”
What's in a name?
The consolidation of the global hotel
industry – as illustrated by Marriott’s
acquisition of Starwood and Accor’s buying
spree of smaller hotel groups such as
Movenpick – has not resulted in a reduction
in the number of brands being operated by
these growing hotel giants. In fact, the
opposite is true.
Indeed, Marriott shows no desire to
reduce its current portfolio of 30 brands,
and the name of the game seems to be in
driving product differentiation through
myriad brands as a way of capturing more
business and maintaining higher hotel
rates. For example, InterContinental Hotels
Group (IHG) has launched a new upscale
“conversion” brand called voco, which
includes the former Principal St David’s
Hotel in Cardiff.
This trend is also evident in the UK budget
sector where both Premier Inn and
Travelodge have launched new sub-brands.
Premier Inn has already established its Hub
by Premier Inn brand which offers rooms
around 45% smaller than in its standard
properties at around 11.4m 2 . While the new
ZIP by Premier Inn brand will offer even
smaller rooms (8.5m 2 ) when it launches in
Cardiff next year.
Brands focused on offering smaller rooms
(often without windows) are nothing new in
the UK, with the likes of easyHotels,
Malmaison
Macdonald Hotels
Zip by Premier Inn
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
39
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UK HoTELS UPDATE
Some brands
offer dynamic rate
programmes to accommodate
a broad range of audiences.
But multiple studies prove
they are not the best avenue to
the lowest corporate rate”
YotelAir and Z Hotels already well
established in this market. A report by
property consultant Lambert Smith Hampton
found that 18% of new UK hotel rooms in
2018 were of “compact size”, which was an
annual record for the industry.
Travelodge, meanwhile, has gone the
other way with the launch of its enhanced
SuperRooms, which are billed as being a
“premium economy” product featuring
in-room coffee machines, mood lighting and
pillow choices. These upgraded rooms form
a major part of the new Travelodge Plus
properties, which also feature bar cafes.
Consultant Raj Sachdave, Managing
Partner at Black Box Partnerships, also cites
Marriott’s Moxy brand as offering a
“differentiated product and service” from
the company’s more mainstream brands.
“Moxy’s a really interesting brand because
they are almost in B locations,” he adds.
“They may not be in the centre of a city but
Art'otel Battersea Power Station
the pitch to the traveller is that they will get
a much smarter experience than a property
in that A location.”
Dual-branded properties continue to be
a leading trend for the big players in the
market such as Accor, Marriott and IHG – a
recent example is IHG’s new Crowne Plaza/
Holiday Inn Express at Heathrow’s Terminal
4, which has a combined 761 rooms.
The price to pay
One of the biggest debates around hotel
sourcing is whether traditional corporate
rates are still the best avenue for travel
buyers – particularly in a world where hotels
are using increasingly sophisticated dynamic
pricing strategies and have been pushing
for more direct bookings from both
business and leisure travellers.
Rachel Newns, Hotel Programme Manager
at FCM Travel Solutions, says: “A fixed rate
programme still forms the core for many UK
organisations. In high-volume locations they
offer better value to companies than
dynamic pricing and offer companies the
opportunity to better predict their future
travel spend.
Jurys Inn
“However, many customers are focusing
effort into their top travel destinations and
then using dynamic pricing to provide
greater coverage in the form of chain-wide
or regional dynamic discounts.”
A lot of organisations are opting for this
two-tier strategy by looking for negotiated
rates on their highest volume hotels or
chains, and then using dynamic pricing for
the rest of their programme. But it’s not
always a simple choice as different rates
may have different inclusions and conditions.
Chris Crowley, HRS’s Vice President EMEA,
says: “Some brands offer dynamic rate
programmes to accommodate a broad
range of audiences. But our multiple studies
on a variety of corporate programmes have
proven that dynamic rates are not the best
avenue to the lowest corporate rate.
“The quest for the lowest rate can often
impact the flexibility and ancillary items
attached to a rate – these are items that are
often important to business travellers.”
Hotel companies’ enthusiasm for dynamic
pricing and direct bookings may also seem
to be a challenge to the traditional RFP
procurement process.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
41
UK HoTELS UPDATE
The RFP process helps
and supports hotels by
underpinning their revenue
strategy because they are
getting guaranteed business”
Steve Fitz-Costa, AccorHotels’ Director of
Sales – Business Travel, states the case for
the hotels: “Shifting to a high percentage of
dynamic pricing has huge benefits. There
are significant costs associated with
applying a detailed RFP across many
destinations – both monetary and time.
“Corporates need availability in all of their
destinations and dynamic pricing offers a
high level of availability while at the same
time delivering a guaranteed discount
based on their total global spend.”
While Accor operates a “blended model”
featuring both negotiated and dynamic
prices, Fitz-Costa adds: “While RFPs secure
a rate year-round, regardless of spikes in
prices, this could mean that in the event
of a drop, travel buyers could be seeing
their contracted rates higher on certain
days of the week.”
But Black Box’s Raj Sachdave doesn’t think
the days of the RFP are numbered because
they can still be advantageous for hotels. He
says: “The RFP process helps and supports
hotels by underpinning their revenue
strategy because they are essentially getting
guaranteed business. Hotels are still hungry
for RFPs. If you don’t participate, then you’re
throwing away that guaranteed business.”
Integration game
Another growing issue has been in how to
incorporate the likes of Premier Inn and
Travelodge, whose businesses are essentially
built around direct bookings, into corporate
booking platforms.
Technology is the obvious answer, with
content from these budget brands now fed
into online booking tools through API links.
“Travelodge content is readily available
through booking channels depending on
the tool chosen and the price plan – GDS or
booking fee – that the client wishes to pay,”
Rosewood Grosvenor Square
says ATPI’s Alwyn Burrage. “The same
can be said of Premier Inn, whose entire
inventory is accessible through API-linked
tools. We see this increasing as major hotel
chains look to reduce distribution costs
through web and API connectivity.”
David Chappell, Fello’s Technology
Director, adds: “From a buyer’s perspective,
it’s about ease of access and then return of
data. If it fulfils your business need and you
can book it easily – either direct or via
intermediaries – then so long as you can
see what’s being booked in the
management information, the choice of
supplier or access point to booking
becomes less about the actual content and
more about duty of care and policy control.”
If hotels with direct booking strategies
weren’t enough, the market has become
further complicated by major online travel
agencies such as Expedia and Booking.com
moving their tanks on to the turf of the
traditional managed travel sector.
“OTAs are increasing the amount and
choice of content available to corporate
travellers,” says FCM’s Rachel Newns.
“This doesn’t necessarily change what
[ TIPS & TRICKS ]
BCD Travel advises travel buyers to adopt a
flexible hotel programme, including both
dynamic pricing and negotiated rates. The
TMC also says organisations should only
agree to a deal with minimum room night
requirements if the hotel guarantees last
room availability. Booking cheaper nonrefundable
rates can also make sense for
travellers who are “unlikely” to cancel.
RoomIt by CWT says buyers can shave
1%-2% off their hotel programme costs by
using price tracking tools to monitor rates.
They should also encourage travellers to
stay within the managed programme by
allowing them to earn points and bonus
incentives on their bookings.
HRS advises using a data-driven sourcing
programme comparing rates from
preferred suppliers, chains and
independent hotel groups. Rates should
also be audited to ensure negotiated rates
are being delivered by hotel companies.
42 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
UK HoTELS UPDATE
[ LEADING UK HOTEL BRANDS ]
APEX HOTELS
UK hotels: 10
Apex Hotels is a family-owned collection of ten
upscale hotels in London, Bath, Edinburgh,
Glasgow and Dundee.
rural properties. Most hotels have facilities for
meetings, incentives and conferences, while
Macdonald runs The Club loyalty scheme for
guests and Club Corporate to reward PAs,
event organisers and corporate bookers.
Travelodge
corporates actually choose to book,
but meets the desire for more choice.
Content is a key request from corporate
customers at the moment.”
Newns continues: “Direct advertising and
inducements to book direct are impacting
many companies’ adherence to their travel
programme. This means that tracked
volume may drop even if actual travel
spend has increased or stayed the same.
This makes it harder to negotiate ongoing
rates and benefits.”
HRS’s Chris Crowley acknowledges the
“consumerisation” of business travel but
adds that the move by the OTAs into the
market has forced the managed travel
industry to “up its game”.
“While leisure sites still facilitate plenty of
business travel bookings, the change we see
today is that the travel managers and
procurement leaders overseeing managed
programmes have a better understanding
of the ramifications when travellers book
outside of appropriate channels,” he says.
Whatever Brexit brings in the coming
months, these distribution debates and
strategies will carry on regardless.
Meanwhile the trend for smaller hotel
rooms at UK properties looks set to
continue, although this shrinking process
may not necessarily help to bring overall
room rates down – at least, not if you
believe the predictions of the various 2019
hotel industry forecasts.
DE VERE
UK hotels: 17
De Vere Hotels (formerly De Vere Venues) runs
a series of country house hotels around the
UK, as well as conference and event centres
such as De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms
in London and De Vere East Midlands
Conference Centre.
GLH HOTELS
UK hotels: 17
Operates five brands – Amba, Guoman, Thistle,
Thistle Express and Hard Rock London –
primarily in London where it has more than
5,000 rooms. The big move in 2019 will see
giant Marble Arch property The Cumberland
being converted into London’s first Hard Rock
Hotel with 1,000 rooms – it is scheduled to
open in spring 2019.
GRANGE HOTELS
UK hotels: 17
London-based independent hotel group with
all of its upmarket properties in the UK capital
except for one hotel in Bracknell, Berkshire.
Grange offers Club Service upgrades for
business travellers to access its business
lounges, as well as an Executive Club
loyalty scheme.
JURYS INN
UK hotels: 38
The mid-range chain with around 8,000 rooms
in its portfolio was purchased by Swedish firm
Pandox and Israel’s Fattal Group in December
2017. Jurys’ UK operations now include seven
properties under the Leonardo brand. Jurys
Business Booker is an online booking service
offering negotiated rates for companies
booking direct.
MACDONALD HOTELS & RESORTS
UK hotels: 45
This upscale group has hotels across England
and Scotland, including both city centre and
MALMAISON/HOTEL DU VIN
UK hotels: 34
Frasers Hospitality Group acquired these sister
boutique-style brands in 2015 with plans for
further expansion in the UK. Currently there
are 15 Malmaison and 19 Hotel du Vin
properties. Malmaison plans to open new
properties in Edinburgh, York and
Bournemouth in the next couple of years.
PREMIER INN
UK hotels: 795
Premier Inn continues its rapid expansion with
another 13,000 rooms in its UK pipeline on top
of its current stock of 74,000 rooms. The
budget brand also operates ten Hub by
Premier Inn hotels in London and Edinburgh
with smaller bedrooms and is trialling even
smaller rooms at its new ZIP brand, which is
due to make its debut in Cardiff in March
2019. The brand also operates its Business
Booker online tool for the corporate market.
TRAVELODGE
UK hotels: 550
Fellow budget brand Travelodge currently has
around 42,000 rooms. Aggressive expansion
has seen 20 properties opening in 2018
including its new flagship 395-room Travelodge
London City which debuted in July.
With an eye on the corporate market, the
company is offering an enhanced product
through “premium economy” SuperRooms and
its Travelodge Plus “budget chic” format
which has been rolled out at six
hotels so far.
VILLAGE HOTELS
UK hotels: 29
This group of contemporary UK hotels has a
strong presence in UK cities outside London
including four properties in Manchester and
two in both Birmingham and Leeds. Village
Business Club offers meeting spaces, hotdesks,
wifi, food and refreshments, and is available
at eight hotels.
44 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
TECHNOLOGY
[ TRAVELLER EXPERIENCE ]
DATA FROM ALL DIRECTIONS
Corporates would be wise to tackle their data sources head on and put
traveller experience at the heart of their programmes, says Linda Fox
An interesting
report
emerged
from ACTE and BCD
Travel recently
saying that
despite the tons
of data that the
corporate travel
community has
access to, the metrics
used to determine the
success of a trip are not
necessarily effective.
According to the report, travel managers
continue to use decade-old factors such
as spend and savings data and booking
statistics to measure the return-oninvestment
of trips. And this is despite how
much technology and booking channels
have advanced in recent years as well as
the fact that there are newer and more
effective ways to help measure ROI.
The Quality Management in Corporate
Travel study, which surveyed about 300
travel managers, reveals that while 87%
of them felt it’s important to measure
traveller wellbeing, only 21% are actually
using it as a metric.
Measuring the traveller engagement with
a TMC or travel department is also
highlighted as important by 90% of travel
managers, but only 37% use it.
Many an airline, travel
management company or hotel
boss has talked of the power
of data at any number of
conferences in recent
months, but what's the
point if you can’t
harness it?
Thankfully, the chat
isn't all lip service.
A number of
travel technology
companies and TMCs have launched data
tools in recent months. Some such as
Egencia’s Analytics Studio are about helping
corporates understand and analyse their
data to uncover patterns and correlations
– all with a view to making savings.
Similarly, CWT Travel Consolidator aims
to capture every part of company’s travel
and expense spend to help travel
managers make more informed decisions.
The TMC says that algorithms within the
tool consolidate and clean-up the data –
for accuracy purposes – which is gathered
from air, hotel and transport spend as well
as expense and HR data.
Also flexing its data muscles is Travelport.
The company has joined forces with IBM
on a data platform called Travel Manager.
The platform uses artificial intelligence to
help corporate travel managers and their
agency partners increase spend visibility
and improve efficiency.
It uses Travelport and IBM data as well
as data from other sources such as social
media. The company says the technology
will enable the corporate travel community
to analyse the impact on spend of booking
travel a week in advance.
With annual corporate travel spend set
to rise from $1.3trillion annually now to
$1.6trillion by 2020, travel managers and
TMCs need to get a grip on their data.
As the ACTE/BCD report highlights, the
industry could benefit from following other
industries such as online retail and put
the customer experience – or traveller
experience – at the heart of everything.
While 87% of travel
managers feel it’s
important to measure traveller
wellbeing, only 21% are actually
using it as a metric”
46
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TALKING TRAVEL
Gigging the globe
ZOE LYONS
Angela Sara West talks to multi-award-winning comedian, Zoe Lyons, about cracking up
as a castaway on Survivor and her laughable life on the world’s comedy circuit
On the comedy circuit, she’s shared
the bill with Robin Williams, and
when not Live At The Apollo,
she’s on our screens or airwaves alongside
Alan Davies, Frank Skinner, Dara O’Briain,
John Bishop or Jason Manford.
We’ve also watched the Mock The Week
regular win Celebrity Mastermind and learn
useful life lessons during her castaway
experience for the first series of Survivor.
“I loved the sea and got quite good at spear
fishing. I learned that, with practice, I was able
to hold my breath for ages… and that ‘hell’ is
other people,” says Lyons.
Time on the remote Malaysian island of
Pulau Tiga pushed this quick-witted comic to
her physical and mental limits, leaving her
most unamused. “The low points were hunger,
bugs and rats… lots and lots of rats. So much
of anything like that is mind over matter. I
absolutely started to unravel by the end. There
was one night when I started to hear voices –
that’s when I knew I’d probably had enough.”
The side-splitting stand-up survived to take
the world’s stages by storm. International
tours have seen her exporting laughter around
the globe. “I have gigged all over Australia and
New Zealand, the Middle East, the Far East and
lots of places in Europe,” she says.
Her time Down Under, where she has gigged
in nearly every state, particularly stood out for
her. “I loved touring Australia. It’s just the
vastness of the place and the variety of
landscapes.” Her tour took in a few remote
outback towns. “We were basically the only
people there who weren’t working the mines.”
Currently chortling her way around Britain
on her UK tour, it’s a different hotel three or
four nights a week, and she is particularly
looking forward to a good laugh up north:
“I’m especially excited about Cumbria. I haven’t
spent much time in that part of the country.”
The Irish funny girl recently revisited her
roots for her Radio 4 series Zoe Lyons: Passport
Paddy. “We went from Cork through County
Tipperary and Waterford to Dunmore East,
where I grew up. We finished in Dublin, where
we recorded a little gig. It was a lot of fun and
bizarre to go back to my old school. The
memories came flooding back,” says Lyons.
My travels these days
entirely focus on
scuba diving. I’m planning
next year’s trip to Baja, to dive
in the sea of Cortez”
Lyons also enjoyed a trip to Jamaica this year,
to film a TUI advert and share stories with
fellow comedian Mark Watson. “The whole
experience was so much fun. Working with
Mark was hilarious. It was a dream job.”
Recently she has been cooking up a storm as
a contestant on this year’s Celebrity Masterchef,
making the semi-finals. And she favours local
cuisine on her travels. “I love food so much
and always try to seek out something
authentic wherever I am. Markets are always
good, particularly if they also serve hot food.
I ate myself stupid in Madrid,” she laughs.
As for restaurants, she says a certain Swiss
eatery – The Kronenhalle in Zürich, with its
legendary bar – offers the real feel-good
factor. She also knows the best bar for a spot
of stand-up… and singing. “The Tug Bar in
Wasilla, Alaska. I spent the funniest night of my
life there singing karaoke with my wife and
brother.” As for culture and a warm welcome,
she recommends Amsterdam. “I love the art
and adore the people.”
A big fan of British Airways, she never flies
without her noise-cancelling headphones. Her
top travel tip? “Pack light; you won’t wear half
the stuff you take anyway,” she says.
When back in Blighty, culture vulture Lyons
heads to London for a break, theatre visit and
restaurant exploration. Back in her home town
of Brighton, she lives a mere stone’s throw
away from her favourite place to chill. “I love
walking my dog on the beach every day. I
never tire of looking at the sea.”
Overseas, you’ll find her mainly underwater,
putting her new-found breath-holding skills to
good use. “My travels abroad these days
almost entirely focus on scuba diving. I’m now
planning next year’s trip to Baja, to dive in the
sea of Cortez.” You’ll sometimes also spot her
up a snowy peak too. “I love being outside and
am mad about skiing. The last few trips have
been to Austria. France is great, but some
places are so expensive these days you need
to take out a mortgage for lunch!”
Brexit is no laughing matter, so she’s taking it
seriously. How will it impact on travel? “We just
don’t know, but I have taken the precaution
of getting an Irish passport. Travelling for
business might become more complicated if
you need a visa for every trip to Europe.”
The best thing about her business travels? “It
opens your eyes to nature, to politics, and to
other human beings. It’s no lie to say that my
passport is my most precious possession.”
48 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
TALKING TRAVEL
ZOE LYONS
Lyons is currently on tour with her new show, Entry
Level Human. Gigs nationwide until March 2019. For
further information, visit: zoelyons.co.uk
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
49
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THE REVIEW
the
Review
THE NEWS & VIEWS
THAT REALLY MATTER
[ the lowdown ]
Businesses shun sharing
economy travel policies
p52
[ the room report ]
Whitbread introduces no-frills
brand ZIP by Premier Inn
p56
[ on the ground ]
All-electric airport shuttle
service hits the road
p58
[ meeting place ]
Travelodge targets UK's major
event venues in new expansion
p59
[ in the air ]
British Airways dances on
down to Charleston
p54
O N T H E M O V E I
The latest industry appointments p60
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
51
THE REVIEW
T H E L O W D O W N
Travellers
confess to
card abuse
Nearly 40% of business
travellers admit to using
corporate cards for personal
purchases, according to a Carlson Wagonlit Travel study.
The figure is highest among European and US travellers,
where 46% of business travellers surveyed confessed to
using company-issued cards for buying personal items
despite it being widely banned. While six in ten travellers
said their employer issues them with a corporate credit card,
nearly half always use their personal card when on business.
“If companies don’t want to issue credit cards – which is
understandable – virtual credit cards are a useful
compromise,” says Christophe Renard, Vice President of
CWT Solutions Group.
lure of hotel loyalty points
causes compliance issue
over two-thirds of travel managers say enforcing travel
policy compliance is among the most challenging
aspects of their job, with the pulling power of hotel
loyalty programmes remaining problematic.
The new research from GBTA and RoomIt by CWT
reveals that compliance, reducing costs and boosting
traveller satisfaction are the top tasks for buyers.
Although 78% of travellers say they are satisfied with
their rate allowances for booking hotels, there is still
evidence of employees booking out of policy to stay at
preferred properties or collect loyalty points.
Nearly three-quarters (71%) of travellers say that if
they should have the ability to earn loyalty points, while
51% would risk being reprimanded if it meant they
could book a hotel where they could earn points.
St. Ermin’s Hotel, 2 Caxton Street,
London SW1H OQW +44 (0) 207 222 7888
www.sterminshotel.co.uk
sterminshotel
Business & leisure
in equal measure
Business stays like
Untitled-5 1 16/11/2018 08:26
THE REVIEW
T H E L O W D O W N
M&As
Gray Dawes adds Giles
The Gray Dawes Group
has acquired fellow TMC
Giles Travel – and a
second acquisition is
expected to be announced
before the year’s end.
The addition of Giles
Travel and its specialist
MICE, leisure and brand
marketing divisions will
take Gray Dawes’ annual
turnover to in excess of
£150million and employee
numbers to over 200.
Raptim has the Key
London-based Key Travel
and Holland’s Raptim
Humanitarian Travel are
merging their operations
to form the world’s largest
‘third sector’ travel
management company.
Focusing exclusively on
the humanitarian,
faith-based and academic
sectors, the combined
business will have annual
sales in the region of
£350million.
EFR moves for WD
The EFR Travel Group has
acquired Glasgow’s WD
Travel, accelerating EFR’s
annual turnover to around
£50million, of which
approximately £38m
derives from corporate
travel. Established in 1995,
WD Travel serves clients
across a range of sectors
including shipping,
oil and gas, advertising,
bioscience and IT.
Sabre eyes Farelogix
Travel technology provider
Sabre is poised to acquire
airline technology
specialist Farelogix.
Sabre says the deal will
accelerate delivery of its
NDC-enabled retailing,
distribution and fulfilment
solutions.
Hammond Budget is
mixed bag for sector
Chancellor Philip Hammond’s last Budget before Brexit
elicited both praise and criticism from travel industry players.
Hammond announced 30% growth in infrastructure
spending and a £30billion package to improve England’s
roads, while extending the use of e-passport gates at
airports to citizens of the US, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand and Japan – a move that won widespread support
from the TMC community and airlines.
GTMC Chief Executive Adrian Parkes said further increases
in the long-haul APD rate should “be reconsidered with
Brexit fast approaching”, while Louise Goalen, HBAA
Chairwoman, said: “There is not enough to address the
major talent gap we are facing”. UKinbound’s Chairman,
Mark McVay, added that cuts to APD and VAT would raise
more revenue for the government in the long term.
only 21% of businesses address
sharing economy services in their
travel and expense policies, according
to research by chrome river.
25% plan to incorporate it in the
future and 54% have no plans to
cover it in their travel policy
© AIrBNB
dynamic
travel policy
is the future
new technology will transform
traditional travel policies,
according to BCD Travel's second
of six Inform research papers.
Today’s travellers don’t look at
policy documents, can easily book
outside of company guidelines
and see no motive for following
the rules, notes the report, yet
companies rely on travel policies
to achieve the greatest return on
travel investment and to keep
employees safe on the road.
Companies must therefore
implement new technology to
replace today's static, predefined
policies with dynamic, intuitive and
personalised behaviour management
engines, the report advises.
“The days of using travel policy
as a blunt instrument are
numbered. Technology is already
changing travel policy by giving
travel managers the ability to
nudge travellers toward compliant
choices via more dynamic, sensitive
and personalised methods,” says
BCD Travel's Mike Eggleton.
travelperk
WIns funding
for groWTH
Business travel platform
TravelPerk has secured a
£39million investment from top
tech investors and is adding bases
in Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris
following the opening of a London
office. The new funding for the
Barcelona-based company
includes investments from
Kinnevik, Yuri Milner and Tom
Stafford, and will enable Europe's
fastest-growing Software as a
Service company to expand into
new markets and accelerate
growth as it aims to become the
world’s largest corporate travel
management platform.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
53
THE REVIEW
I N T H E A I R
SHENZHEN AIRLINES INTRODUCES
TECH HUB WITH LONG-HAUL FIRST
New summer routes
from BA and Delta
BRITISH Airways and Delta Air Lines have both announced
additional transatlantic services for summer 2019.
BA will launch a twice-weekly route from London Heathrow
to Charleston for the summer from April 4 – the first direct
service between Europe and the South Carolina city.
BA recently announced the introduction of a four-per-week
service from Heathrow to Pittsburgh, also commencing in
April. Charleston flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-8
Dreamliner with return fares in World Traveller starting from
£600, £928 in World Traveller Plus and £1,920 in Club World.
Delta, meanwhile, will double its flights from Edinburgh
next summer by adding a new service to Boston from May
24. It already operates a daily flight to New York.
LONDON'S Heathrow Airport has
extended its network to China to
11 destinations as services
commenced to Shenzhen.
Shenzhen Airlines has launched
a three-times-weekly service to
the city, an emerging economic
powerhouse dubbed China’s
Silicon Valley. The destination was
also recently ranked second on
Lonely Planet’s list of top ten cities
to visit in 2019.
Since the start of 2018 Heathrow
has more than doubled its services
to China, growing the network
from five destinations – Hong
Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou
and Qingdao – to 11, having
also welcomed services to
Chongqing, Wuhan, Sanya,
Changsa, Xi’an and now Shenzhen.
The service is Shenzhen Airlines’
first long-haul route, and offers
connections to its network of 210
domestic routes. Part-owned by
Air China and a member of Star
Alliance, the airline is operating
from Heathrow’s Terminal 2.
Located across the border from
Hong Kong, Shenzhen is one of
China's richest cities and has a
population of over 12 million.
ICELANDAIR SNAPS UP LOW-COST
RIVAL FOR TRANSATLANTIC PUSH
ICELANDAIR Group is poised to purchase rival Wow
air and says the deal will allow both carriers to
“strengthen their international competitiveness”.
The airlines will continue to operate under separate
brands but will have a combined share of the
transatlantic market of around 3.8%. The deal is
subject to approval by Icelandair Group’s shareholders
and competition authorities.
[ TAKING OFF ]
ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES' services between London Heathrow
and Brunei are now non-stop between the destinations, with the
airline having dropped the previous stop in Dubai. Services
continue on to Melbourne >> EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES will launch
a three-times-weekly services between Manchester and Tel Aviv on
May 26, 2019 >> SAS will begin operating a twice-weekly service
from Cornwall Airport Newquay to Copenhagen from June 28,
2019. Passengers will be able to connect to a network of over 20
onward destinations in Europe, Asia and North America >>
FLYBMI has increased capacity on its routes from Newcastle to
Brussels and Stavanger by 30% to meet a year-round rise in demand.
29.6%
Airline revenues derived
from premium passengers
Premium class
passengers accounted
for 5.1% of total
international air traffic
for the first eight months
of the year but generated
29.6% of total passenger
revenues, according
to IATA. Premium
passenger demand has
grown faster than its
economy counterpart
54 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
THE REVIEW
I N T H E A I R
IN BRIEF
GTMC UPDATE
FlyArystan plans
Kazakhstan’s national
carrier Air Astana has
unveiled plans to launch a
low-cost airline in 2019.
Called FlyArystan, it will
take off in the first half of
the year and use Airbus
A320 aircraft on largely
domestic routes. It expects
to add regional and
international routes ‘in the
mid-term’. Fares will be
around half of what Air
Astana offers today.
Finnair revamp pledge
Finnair is promising a new
premium economy cabin
on long-haul flights. The
product will not take to the
skies until the end of 2020,
with details released in
due course.
Etihad lounge tie-up
Etihad Airways has
partnered with No1
Lounges to launch a
contemporary airport
lounge brand called ‘The
House’. The project will
begin at London Heathrow
where the current Etihad
Airways lounge will be
rebranded.
Emirates takes AI path
Emirates is close to
launching the world’s first
“biometric path” which
will deliver a “truly
seamless airport journey”
at its hub in Dubai
International Airport.
Utilising the latest
biometric technology
– including facial and iris
recognition – Emirates
passengers will soon be
able to check-in for
their flight, complete
immigration formalities,
enter the Emirates lounge
and board their flights
“simply by strolling
through the airport”.
BRITISH AIRWAYS HAS OPENED THE
DOORS TO ITS NEW-LOOK FIRST LOUNGE AT
NEW YORK JFK'S TERMINAL 7. IT IS THE
AIRLINE’S FIRST LONG-HAUL LOUNGE TO
SHOWCASE THE NEW DESIGN DIRECTION
Gatwick adds capacity
with ‘standby’ option
GATWICK Airport has unveiled plans to increase capacity by
utilising its existing standby runway. Under the airport’s
planning agreements it can only be used when the main
runway is closed for maintenance or emergencies. However,
the 40-year deal will come to an end in 2019 meaning the
runway could be used for departing flights alongside the
main runway by 2020.
Local campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise
and Emissions (CAGNE) has opposed the move, although the
airport says its will not result in more noise.
Gatwick also intends to use technology to increase the
capacity of the main runway, as well as safeguarding land
earmarked for a new runway, claiming it is "in the national
interest", despite not having any current plans to build.
Adrian Parkes
Chief Executive, GTMC
As I write my last column of
2018, I can reflect positively
on our achievements this
year, but also recognise
ongoing challenges for our
industry on the horizon.
The most obvious one is
Brexit. However, despite the
uncertainty across so many
industries, we are confident
our members are ready to
advise, manage and deliver
the travel requirements of UK
Plc, whatever the outcome.
The Autumn Budget
revealed measures we
welcome, with the announcement
to extend the use of
E-gates to visitors from the
US, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand and Japan, and the
APD short-haul rate freeze.
We share the wider
disappointment with the
increase of long-haul APD
rates and feel the government
is overlooking the
importance of air travel as a
driving force of economic
growth at a time when we
should be trading globally
and encouraging airlines to
add new routes and capacity.
We will continue to campaign
hard. Our parliamentary
dinner brought together 11
MPs and over 40 TMC
representatives for a lively
debate, not only around
Brexit, APD and Heathrow,
but also infrastructure and
regional connectivity dev-
elopments for the sector.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
55
THE REVIEW
R O O M R E P O R T
COMPACT ROOMS CONTINUE TO
MAKE BIG IMPACT, SAYS REPORT
ZIP by Premier Inn
targets fleeting guests
WHITBREAD has unveiled details of its new no-frills hotel
concept called ZIP by Premier Inn. The first property, located
in the Roath district of Cardiff, is due to open in early 2019
and will feature 138 scaled-back rooms.
Promising “Basics done brilliantly”, rooms will be around
half the size of a standard Premier Inn room at 8.5m 2
and include ensuite bathrooms, twin beds with Hypnos
mattresses that can be pushed together, free wifi, TVs and
air conditioning. Prices start at £19 per night.
Whitbread plans to locate the properties on the outskirts
of major towns and cities around the UK and is targeting
short-stay, value-conscious guests who are looking to “zip in
and zip out”. Rooms are now available to book online.
HOTEL rooms in the UK are getting
smaller and compact rooms
accounted for nearly one-fifth of all
room openings in 2018, according
to commercial property consultancy
Lambert Smith Hampton.
Its report, Do Disturb: Disruption
& Innovation in the Hotel Market,
finds that the compact hotel room
concept, which typically prioritises
location, design quality and hi-tech
features over room size, is gaining
traction in major UK cities.
More than 4,000 rooms were
delivered in new compact hotels
during 2017-18 and there are a
further 5,000 compact rooms in
the development pipeline. Overall,
there has been a 95% increase in
the number of compact hotel
rooms delivered since 2016.
The report cites the growth of
brands such as Hub by Premier
Inn, Motel One, Z Hotels, Moxy,
easyHotels and Point A.
“Not only do these cleverly
designed rooms appeal to the
younger end of the hotel customer
base but they have enabled
hoteliers to provide affordable
bedrooms in high value locations,”
says LSH's Nick Boyd.
IHG BRINGS AVID BRAND TO EUROPE
WITH AMBITIOUS GERMAN PLANS
INTERCONTINENTAL Hotels Group (IHG) will launch its
Avid brand in Europe with the opening of 15 hotels in
Germany. “Avid hotels has seen strong signings in the
US, Canada and Mexico, making it IHG’s most successful
new brand launch since Holiday Inn Express back in
1990,” says Kenneth Macpherson, Chief Executive
Officer, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. The brand
promises the "essentials done exceptionally well".
[ OPEN FOR BUSINESS ]
The opening of the 366-room ATHENS MARRIOTT HOTEL marks
the brand's return to the Greek capital >> Aparthotel operator
ADAGIO has opened a new location in Brentford, West London, as
part of the Kew Eye Tower GWQ Development >> ACCORHOTELS
has opened the Mercure Leeds Centre Hotel, bringing the number
of UK Mercure properties to 80 >> The MANDARIN ORIENTAL
WANGFUJING will open early in 2019 – the group's first hotel in
the Chinese capital >> The ABU DHABI EDITION opened in
November, marking the Marriott brand's arrival in the Middle East
>> THE DUPONT CIRCLE HOTEL, Washington DC, will relaunch this
spring following a refurbishment by The Doyle Collection.
£73
The average hotel rate
outside of London in 2019
Average daily rates at
hotels across the UK -
excluding London - are
predicted to rise 1.2%
to £73, according to
PwC's 2019 UK Hotels
Forecast. London rates
are set to rise just 0.8%,
to £150 per night, with
'uncertainty not helping
business demand'.
Occupancy levels will
remain unchanged
56 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
THE REVIEW
R O O M R E P O R T
IN BRIEF
SACO cottons on
Serviced apartment
operator SACO has opened
its third Locke aparthotel
– a 160-studio property in
the heart of Manchester.
The Whitworth Locke
location – a former cotton
mill – is set around a
central atrium and
features a crossfit gym,
coffee house, cocktail bar
and co-working spaces.
SACO has also opened a
27-studio aparthotel, The
Moorgate, in London.
NH Hotels FastPass
NH Hotels is rolling out
FastPass, a programme
enabling guests to
check-in, select their room
and check-out online. The
group claims it is the first
urban hotel group in
Europe to offer the
combination of functionality.
The implementation
process will be delivered
in two phases and by
2019 FastPass will be
available in some 330 of
the group’s hotels.
Staybridge goes Dutch
IHG has opened its first
Staybridge Suites in the
Netherlands, Staybridge
Suites The Hague –
Parliament. The 101-suite
aparthotel is situated
opposite the world’s oldest
parliament building still in
use, the Binnenhof.
Dual-brand landmark
The Arora Group's
dual-branded Crowne
Plaza and Holiday Inn
property at London
Heathrow's Terminal 4
opened at the end of
October. It is the largest
hotel opening in the UK in
2018 and the largest hotel
directly connected to a
British airport terminal.
Openings put London
rates under pressure
LONDONʼS average room rates dipped in 2018 and a spate
of new openings in the next year will add further competition.
According to the London Hotel Development Monitor 2018,
the average rate for the first half of the year fell 1% to £141.
The report from JLL and London & Partners says over
11,000 new hotel rooms are expected to open in the capital
city by 2020 – an increase of 8%. It also notes that a third of
new hotel stock falls into the upscale segment, while upper
upscale openings will account for 22% and economy hotels
will make up 26% of growth.
"There has been a slight decline in hotel performance since
late 2017 as London absorbed additional supply," says the
report, which anticipates rising visitor numbers will help
prop up average rates as the city's hotel supply grows.
HILTON HOPES LIFESTYLE LAUNCH
WILL BE A MOTTO TO REMEMBER
HILTON has announced the
launch of an affordable lifestyle
brand named Motto by Hilton.
It will open Motto properties in
popular neighbourhoods and
prime locations within cities across
Europe, the Americas, the Middle
East and Asia Pacific.
Properties will have competitive
rates and various multi-purpose
spaces. Rooms will average around
163 square feet and feature
space-saving elements such as
wall-beds, segmented shower
and toilet stalls and stowable
multifunctional furniture.
Temperature, lighting and TVs will
all be controlled via the Hilton
Honors mobile app.
In the UK, the first 100-bed Motto
by Hilton will be located in
Marylebone, London. Construction
is due to start in January 2019, with
a scheduled opening date of 2020.
ITM UPDATE
Scott Davies
Chief Executive, ITM
At a recent ITM event a group
of buyers evaluated a number
of TMCsʼ pitch presentations
from senior figures within
these organisations – and the
feedback was interesting.
While the presentations
were polished and the
presenters showed how
passionate they were, two
things stood out.
Firstly, Powerpoint. As an
industry, we’ve got to find
other ways to communicate
– try anything to stand out.
Secondly, the travel buyers
expressed frustration that
many of the USPs presented
weren’t unique at all.
Aside from client-specific
criteria and the obvious
boxes to be ticked, a TMC
sales pitch to a buyer needs
to achieve the following:
1) Culture matching is
essential, but don’t just
describe your company
culture – demonstrate it so
the client knows what it will
feel like to work with you.
2) Know the maximum of
three things you want the
client to take away, and
prove them convincingly.
3) Be energetic & memorable!
Note I didn’t mention service
models, shareholders, NDC,
chatbots, content, pricing,
etc. You can get to this stuff
but, if you don’t do the
above, prepare to be very
quickly forgotten!
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
57
THE REVIEW
O N T H E G R O U N D
EUROPCAR URGES COMPANIES
TO SIGN UP TO NEW ACCOUNTS
All-electric shuttle
service hits the road
AIRPORT shuttle operator, Driven, is taking to the roads this
month, claiming to be the only all-electric rideshare service
in Europe. The new company operates a fleet of Tesla
Model X vehicles to appeal to companies implementing
more sustainable travel programmes.
It is targeting both the leisure and corporate market and,
for the latter, has developed a travel management
application that enables companies to book trips and track
activity and costs. The tool also provides detailed reporting
and highlights potential savings. Pre-booked door-to-door
trips cost from £9 per person for a 40-minute trip. All drivers
are employed by Driven and the 24/7 operation serves all
locations within three hours of major UK airports.
COMPANIES from multinationals
to SMEs can sign up to Europcar’s
new online account service.
The tool is designed to streamline
the process for opening and
managing an account and has
been developed in direct response
to business customers’ needs for
seamlessness and speed.
Europcar says companies can
open an account in as little as
three minutes. Once registered,
users can instantly access
applicable rates to corporate
accounts with a discount of up to
20% applied to bookings without
any annual fees. The service
is currently available in ten
countries, including the UK,
France, Spain, Portugal, Italy,
Ireland, Australia, New Zealand,
Switzerland and Belgium.
Europcar hopes the service
will strengthen its position with
corporates. The vehicle hire
company operates multiple
brands including Europcar,
Goldcar, which focuses on
low-cost hire, and Ubeeqo, which
specialises in fleet and mobility
solutions for the business and
end-customers market.
ENTERPRISE TRIPLES ITS PRESENCE
AT MANCHESTER AIRPORT
ENTERPRISE Holdings has more than tripled its car
hire capacity at Manchester Airport following a move
to a new, larger location at the airport’s car rental
village. The expansion follows several years of
double-digit growth in demand from renters through
the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and
Alamo Rent A Car brands. It will also enable
customers to access a wider range of vehicles.
[ ON THE ROAD ]
>> ADDISON LEE GROUP has been selected to lead a £15million
UK government-backed consortium to launch autonomous vehicle
(AV) services in London by 2021. Designed to complement existing
public transport, the service will be app-based, on demand and
based on ride-sharing. Vehicles will be low-emission and rides will
be priced at a level to generate demand without impacting other
public transport >> Train operator GRAND CENTRAL has teamed
up with CrossCountry, Transpennine Express and Northern to
offer reduced fares for passengers connecting between the
operators' services. The new through-ticketing deals are issued as
a single ticket and are available up to 12 weeks in advance.
21%
Eurostar's business
travel boom
The number of business
passengers travelling on
Eurostar services rose
21% in the third quarter
of 2018, helping propel
overall passenger
numbers up 12% and
sales revenue by 17%.
Meanwhile, leisure
traffic has been boosted
by the operator's new
services between the UK
and the Netherlands
58 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
THE REVIEW
M E E T I N G P L A C E
IN BRIEF
New Hyatt M&E tool
Hyatt Hotels has launched
Hyatt Planner Portal, a tool
for meeting and events
bookers to manage the
entire planning process,
from enquiries, booking
and contracts to attendee
information and costings.
The portal also contains
information on upcoming
and past events, giving
users the ability to review
details, access event history
and generate reports. The
portal is invitation-only
and will be available across
Hyatt’s global portfolio
in early 2019.
Inntel shakes it up
Meetings and travel
management company
Inntel has 'broken the
mould' by establishing
specialist teams, distinguishing
between Simple
Meetings, Strategic
Meetings and Events for
the first time. “Our
bespoke approach puts our
clients’ business objectives
centre stage and improves
attendee experience,” says
Inntel's Douglas O’Neill.
IHG gets Social
InterContinental Hotels
Group (IHG) has partnered
with meetings platform
Social Tables to launch a
groups and meetings shop
and digital RFP experience.
The tool incorporates
meetings and events
spaces across the Intercontinental,
Crowne Plaza,
Kimpton and Holiday Inn
brands, with information
on the venues including
room capacities, floor
plans and interactive maps,
along with image galleries
and nearby attractions. The
partnership has already
seen users submit over
15,000 RFPs to IHG.
Travelodge sets sights
on key M&E venues
TRAVELODGE is set to invest £100million in targeting the
UK’s largest conference and events centre locations. With
the recent opening of a new property at Telford International
Centre, the budget hotel chain now operates hotels close to
20 of the UK’s largest conference centres, and it is now
searching for a further ten sites.
The UK events sector is a growing market, contributing
£42billion to the economy in terms of direct spend by event
delegates, attendees and organisers. “Due to the growing
volume of events taking place across the country, there is a
shortage of good quality and low-cost accommodation close
to event venues,” says Travelodge's Paul Harvey.
The group has experienced strong growth from business
customers over the last three years and they now account
for more than half of all sales.
[ NEW & IMPROVED ]
>> A new multi-million-pound event space, MAGAZINE LONDON,
will open on the Greenwich Peninsula in summer 2019. The
riverbank venue will offer 5,393m 2 of flexible space >> London's
RSA HOUSE has completed a nine-month overhaul of its Vaults
events space, now with capacity for up to 200 delegates >>
VINE HOTELS has added vegan delegate menus across its
portfolio of seven UK venues >> A new purpose-built venue,
EVENTS @ NO6, opens for business in London this January, close
to Aldgate and Aldgate East tube stations.
ACTE UPDATE
Greeley Koch
Executive Director, ACTE
We end the year – and begin
another – facing a challenge:
how to truly measure the
success of a business trip.
Not by the old yardsticks of
savings and compliance, but
by, well, we’re not sure what.
Or how. But we do know it
must happen soon.
According to an ACTE Global
survey of travel managers,
most respondents want a
better way to evaluate their
travel programmes. While 87%
of respondents said traveller
wellness and productivity
should be considered, only
21% actually do so.
Rules and money are still
the go-to criteria for 80% of
managers, despite their
wanting new methodology.
Despite knowing that good
travel programmes help
retention and recruitment.
Despite knowing that
changes will make their
travellers more profitable.
Figuring out what and how
to calibrate will be a
monumental endeavour.
The only, and best, way
forward is by working
together – discussing
research, talking to peers and
attending conferences.
Just because something is
easily quantifiable doesn’t
mean it’s worth quantifying.
Make your metrics work for
your travellers, not just your
company’s financial analyst.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
59
THE REVIEW
O N T H E M O V E
EVENTS
DECEMBER 6
ASAP CONVENTION
ETC Venues Bishopsgate, London
asapconvention.org.uk
DECEMBER 11
JAMES STEVENSON LIAM BROWN JUSTIN BULLOCK
JOINS: Amex GBT
AS: Vice President & General Manager UK
FROM: Hogg Robinson Group
PROMOTED AT: Marriott International
TO: President & MD, Europe
FROM: President, Franchise Service
JOINS: Inntel
AS: Head of Account Management
FROM: Click Travel
TBTM CHRISTMAS PARTY
Grange St Paul's Hotel, London
thebusinesstravelmag.com
James Stevenson has switched
from his previous role as HRG
Global Sales Director as part of
Liam Brown will step in to
oversee European business in
2019, taking over from the
Justin Bullock has joined Inntel
and is tasked with delivering
exceptional levels of manage-
JANUARY 1
on-going moves to integrate
retiring Amy McPherson.
ment for high value, long-term
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PEOPLE AWARDS
Nominations open!
the business with Amex GBT
and strengthen UK operations.
Dubliner Brown has worked in
the US for the last 30 years.
partnerships with clients. He
has worked for several TMCs.
thepeopleawards.co.uk
FEBRUARY 20-21
BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOW
Olympia London
businesstravelshow.com
MARCH 21
ITM TRAVEL RISK SUMMIT
Hard Rock Hotel, London
itm.org.uk
MARCH 25
ITM BUSINESS TRAVEL SHOWCASE
Hotel Cafe Royal
itm.org.uk
APRIL 7-9
ACTE GLOBAL SUMMIT
Chicago
acte.org
DAVID CHAPPELL SALLY CASSIDY IAN DAVIES
JOINS: Fello
AS: Technology Director
FROM: Gray Dawes
Industry specialist David
Chappell will focus on tech
innovation at Fello as the
recently launched brand seeks
to develop its reputation for
'traveller-first' service.
PROMOTED AT: Traveleads
TO: Head of Sales
FROM: Sales Director West of Scotland
Independent TMC Traveleads
has promoted Sally Cassidy to
Head of Sales after seeing
growth of 20% in the last year.
She will oversee the building of
a larger sales team.
JOINS: ATPI Group
AS: UK Business Development Manager
BACKGROUND: Various TMC positions
Ian Davies joins the ATPI Group
to strengthen the long-term
strategy for the sales team
and increase new business. He
has over 20 years' experience
in the travel industry.
APRIL 30 - MAY 1
ITM CONFERENCE
Hilton Metropole, Brighton
itm.org.uk
MAY 17-20
ADVANTAGE CONFERENCE
Cadiz, Spain
advantageconference.co.uk
ALSO ON THE MOVE... Jon Colley has joined IHG as Head of Development, UK and Ireland, responsible for
accelerating growth in the key market >> Heathrow Express has announced two new senior appointments
with Les Freer becoming Director and Sophie Chapman appointed Head of Operations >> Derek Sharp
is Carlson Wagonlit Travel's new Managing Director of meetings and events business >> The New Forest
Hotels group has hired Garry Baldwin as Head of Group Operations >> Tracy Gehlan has joined Hertz
International as Chief Operations Officer based in London >> Air Charter Service has hired George Rolls as
Director, Private Jets >> Stan Berteloot has joined US-based consultancy Dots & Lines
MAY 24
THE BUSINESS TRAVEL PEOPLE AWARDS
London
thebusinesstravelpeopleawards.com
AUGUST 3-7
GBTA CONVENTION
Chicago
gbta.org
60 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
ITM Conference 2019
30 April - 1 May, Brighton
ITM’s flagship event will bring together leading speakers, case
studies and networking to help you identify ways to ELEVATE your
programme, effectiveness and career.
Go beyond your expectations; ELEVATE your impact.
CONFERENCE
in partnership with
Early bird discount
ends 15th Feb
Can business travel
really be simple?
Quick and easy set up
On - the - go access
Simple booking
Personalised service
24/7/365
Discover how simple it can be:
www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/takeoff
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is a joint venture that is not wholly owned by American Express Company or any of its subsidiaries
(American Express). “American Express Global Business Travel,” “American Express,” and the American Express logo are trademarks of American
Express and are used under limited license.
Untitled-3
LMO Ad v10.indd
1
1
19/11/2018
25/09/2018
11:33
09:40
consolidation among TMCs is not
breeding complacency –– instead,
renewed competition is bringing
out the best in innovation and
diversification. Find out more in
our annual guide to
travel
management
companies
Introduction, 64-67 / Technology, 69-73
Trending: M&As, 74-77 / Diversification, 79-82
Beginner's Guide, 84 / The Directory, 85-88 / Data, 91
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
63
TMCs / Introduction
natural
selection
Demand for travel continues to rise, yet businesses
are increasingly choosing their TMC on factors
other than cost. Gillian Upton looks at how the
market is adapting to changing conditions
Various sets of data from the GTMC
show bullish figures for air, rail
and hotel bookings over the last
year – of roughly 6%, 9% and 5% increases
respectively. Combine that with a 5-8%
growth in travel and it adds up to a
healthy picture for the business travel
supply chain.
It’s no wonder that the TMC sector is
witnessing so much activity in terms of
consolidation and M&A activity, as players
jostle for position, a bigger slice of the action,
an improved bottom line and bid to stay
ahead of the curve.
However, with that growth comes a greater
need for a clear offering to the corporate
client; rather than being all things to all men,
a TMC must now differentiate itself from its
fierce competitors.
Fulfilment, traveller tracking, duty of care,
personalisation, data privacy though GDPR,
data analysis, out of hours provision and
consistent service are all givens; a TMC today
must identify its target audience and become
a trusted partner, marrying capabilities to
the client company culture.
Yvonne Moya, a Principal of Festive Road,
takes the view that TMCs are at something of
a crossroads, not knowing which way to turn.
“Just looking around the industry, TMCs have
an absolute identity crisis,” she says. “Issuing
a ticket is not good enough as a corporate is
not looking for that anymore. I’m hearing
this from my clients and we realise this from
when we run RFPs.
“What makes that TMC different for me? A
lot don’t know where to place themselves.
You can be a high-touch TMC, a transactional
service TMC or one offering full content. Will
TMCs be brave enough to say, ‘Who do I
want to reach out to?’ They have to tailormake
their offering to the corporate, adapt
to their needs. They need to ask themselves,
‘Who are we and who do we want to be’?“
Moya says that clients are certainly tired of
TMCs over-promising during the tender
process, and believes that a new business
model is beginning to emerge involving a
more collaborative approach with the supply
chain, including other TMCs. “They need to
be partners in the value chain,” says Moya.
Subscription-based charging is one new
business model that might have legs, where
clients pay by the number of users rather
than per transaction.
Moya’s views resonate with the move away
from a ‘one size fits all‘ approach to travel
programmes and global solutions. Rather
than one global provider around the world,
corporates are opting to find the right TMC
partner by region.
”If the capability and cultural perspective
is right then the commercials will follow. If
there is really a benefit then why wouldn’t
I pay for it?“, she argues. Meanwhile independent
consultant Chris Pouney agrees that
64 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
Introduction / TMCs
“flexing to buyers’ specific requirements“ is
the way ahead for TMCs, so too “providing a
suite of technology which is best in class
that’s at least as good as in the consumer
world”, he adds.
Technology is key for any good TMC,
particularly if they are to answer the typical
claim that a client can get a rate cheaper on
the internet via an OTA.
Rate auditing tools, benchmarking
software, APIs, apps, AI-enabled chatbots,
blockchain, augmented reality, being NDCcompliant;
these are all part of the armoury
of a forward-thinking, technology-driven
TMC. You could easily add another:
managing business disruption, for new
entrants are adding complexity to the
market by the day.
This increased complexity in the market
has been TMCs’ saviour as they have become
true consultants in finding solutions to the
changes and shouldering the responsibility.
TMCs have an identity
crisis. Just issuing a
ticket is not good enough as
a corporate is not looking for
that anymore”
“Organisations that procure travel of any
size tend to need a trusted partner to
decode, simplify, transact and serve on their
behalf,” says ITM Chief Executive, Scott
Davies. “It’s not possible to describe the array
of services a TMC provides in one sentence,
from omni-channel content aggregation to
AI-enhanced mobile booking and servicing,
to traveller wellbeing products.
“Strong TMCs are highly adaptable and
agile problem-solvers and proactive strategic
business partners. I sound like a PR company
for TMCs but I believe this.”
One of the converted is Richard Childs,
Group Procurement Category Manager at
Biffa, and he is clear of the benefits he
receives. “I couldn’t do without a TMC.
Improving compliance has been a big thing
over the years and generally we have tighter
controls now compared with five to ten years
ago,” he says. The company’s online adoption
stands at an impressive 90%, for example.
“All the data we can get out is extremely
useful and post the 9/11 attack and the
bombs in London and Manchester, traveller
tracking is a real safeguard and wellbeing
issue for us. That makes a big difference.”
Biffa’s travel spend is small beer – at
£2.5million a year – compared to say fuel (at
£50million), so doesn’t justify the cost of
employing someone specifically to look after
it. “As far as the time and effort is concerned,
a TMC is more cost effective for me. The fee
that I pay is peanuts for the whole service,”
he says. “It’s worth it as it would cost me
more to employ someone.”
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
65
there’s
always a way
When it comes to
managing business
travel, finding the
best way is our job,
not yours.
This is business
travel you can
look forward to.
Happy to help.
+44 (0)20 7650 3100 | fello.co.uk
Introduction / TMCs
“There is only so much time a corporate
travel manager has,” adds Vanessa Griffiths
of Rok Consulting. “Their role is more of a
trusted advisor and far more strategic. It’s a
360-degree partnership.
“Generally TMCs are ploughing so much
time and energy into newly evolving
technologies so they can truly be a strategic
partner to a corporate. The good TMCs are
investing in key areas such as AI, predictive
messaging and blockchain. And we are now
seeing the larger TMCs v the good TMCs.”
Sizing things up
Carol Neil, Global Travel Manager at Fidelity
International, believes technology has levelled
the playing field in the TMC marketplace so
that size does not matter as long as firms
have good foresight in terms of what buyers
want and continue to leverage opportunities.
Other aspects also come to the fore.
“Because of technology it’s not about bread
and butter agency services anymore, but
more of a consultancy approach,” she says.
“We want support with apps and to be able
to make the traveller's entire experience in
terms of connectivity, safety and speed of
service more seamless. We also want to
ensure that the TMCs’ global landscape is
integrated, consistent and that buyers feel
they are working with one partner instead of
several. There is also the complexity still
around NDC and how the TMCs will be able
to support the buyers in unravelling and
embracing this within their company.
Neil continues: “It is also about the insights
the TMC can bring, working with the buyers
collaboratively, building systems with our
requirements in mind and addressing travel
challenges together. Ultimately this brings
out the best in both client and TMC and
therefore makes cost one of many deciding
factors and not the predominant one.”
It’s clear that corporates understand the
value message and no longer focus on the
cost of transaction. “If a TMC can prove their
value proposition then every corporate is
willing to pay a service fee,” says Moya.
Less is more
Corporates also have great choice in the
marketplace, be it for a national, regional or
global player. According to the ITM there are
at least 75 TMCs in the UK, of all shapes and
sizes, and arguably consolidation in the
market will result in better TMCs rather than
less choice. Reed & Mackay Group Chief
Executive, Fred Stratford, believes the upshot
will be fewer, stronger TMCs and a more
streamlined RFP process in having fewer
TMCs on a tender list.
Arguably, it is the smaller TMCs who may
not have the reach who will find the going
tough in the future. “Some of them will look
to join up as you need money to stay in the
game. It’s a difficult choice: do they want to
stay independent or not?“ says Stratford.
Entirely new entrants are rare but one new
name is Fello, which was brought together in
February 2018 from the merger of two other
firms, World Club Travel and Sandy Row
Travel. Clear in its proposition to provide
white glove service, it has hedge funds,
reinsurers and asset management firms on
its books. Group Chief Executive Simone
Buckley says the margin Fello makes leaves
enough to invest in technology. To date it’s
been a mix of in-house developed
technology and third-party providers.
“Content is so difficult to get hold of so we
check everything that comes through,” says
Buckley. “The other massive difference for us
is that once the booking is done our job
begins. We check the traveller in, we notify of
any flight changes and don’t send an invoice
until they’ve returned so we can include all
ancillary spend at the hotel, for example. We
add as much value after the booking is made
as before the booking is made.”
Access to content and duty of care are
pushing more unmanaged companies to
TMCs. “It’s also their buying power, cyber
security and to keep an eye on efficiency of
their workforce,” says GTMC Chief Executive
Adrian Parkes. “There is a growing trend of
SMEs placing their trust in TMCs. Outsourcing
for them is much easier.”
And he adds that it’s not all about online
provision. “There’s still a lot of offline out
there. It’s a sector where lots of things go
wrong and bookings get changed a lot so
there is still demand for service.”
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
67
How do we make
sure your people
don’t miss out
on the important
things in life?
Hearts & Minds is about how we combine hard metrics with
human understanding, technology with local knowledge, the
brightest analysts with the best account managers. We want
to change business travel, bringing hearts & minds together,
improving experience without increasing cost.
DOWNLOAD
THE
MANIFESTO
NOW
claritybusinesstravel.com/
hearts-and-minds
A manifesto for a more balanced approach to business travel.
Download now at claritybusinesstravel.com/hearts-and-minds
See what bright ideas
we have for your travel:
Call 0800 731 1627
Visit claritybusinesstravel.com
QUALITY
EFFICIENCY
SECURITY
Technology / TMCs
Let the
TECH
do the talking
There's much hype around chatbots
and AI, but TMCs need to get the basics
right first, writes Catherine Chetwynd
Given the increasing
use of AI and
chatbots, it is not
unreasonable for travel
managers to expect their TMC
to be able to provide technology
that manages bookings and duty
of care, delivers forensically
analysed MI, allows employees to
administer their travel while on the
move and keeps a record of all these
things in one place.
On top of all that, the technology that
TMCs supply has to be consumer grade –
bookers and travellers expect to be able to
run their business lives with the same ease
as their personal lives.
Corporate travel
programmes are
increasingly hungry for tools
that simplify life on the road
for their employees and that
increase both trip and job
satisfaction”
These days, recruiting and retaining talent
also features. “Technology aggregates data to
form a story about travel policy and global
travel,” says Managing Partner at Black Box
Partnership, Raj Sachdave.
“TMCs are putting the unstructured
elements of a travel programme into a
structured format to address a number of
questions, including what impact travel has
on the performance of an organisation –
productivity, absenteeism, fatigue, retention,
wellbeing.” It has got personal.
Yannis Karmis, Senior Vice President of
Product Planning & Development for BCD
Travel, agrees: “Travel technology is driven by
digital expectations and traveller demands to
reduce trip friction and enable self-service
across multiple devices.
“Corporate travel programmes are hungry
for tools that simplify life on the road for
their employees and increase trip – and job –
satisfaction,” says Karmis.
He continues: “A recent study from Airlines
Reporting Corp. suggests that road warriors
travelling under a cost-focused corporate
programme are twice as likely to consider
leaving a company than those whose
corporate programmes are focused on the
traveller’s needs.”
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
69
TMCs / Technology
Investing in tech
Achieving all this is challenge enough but to
do it and keep up with the rattling pace at
which technology moves requires a massive
investment of time and money.
Some TMCs employ large teams to do the
R&D themselves; some buy it in, on the basis
that their core expertise is managing travel,
not technology; and some do a combination
of the two. Commercial Director of travel
management company Gray Dawes, David
Bishop, managed to marry up the two by
working at Atriis for four years to launch the
product Gray Dawes has bought.
“If you only have an internal team, you risk
missing out on innovative technology being
developed on the market, and if you only
partner with external developers, teams
may lack the first-hand overview of your
company’s inner workings,” says Director,
Product & Services Marketing, EMEA for
Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Dan Kelly.
At the top of the aspiration list is for travel
bookers to be able to see exactly the same
information as their travel agent and at the
same time. This means bringing all data
sources into one platform.
Gray Dawes’ YourTrip does exactly that,
providing a huge hub that aggregates GDS,
NDC, hotels, ground transportation, parking,
rail and more. Not only does this provide
excellent MI, it also brings efficiencies.
Travellers like to
fragment their
purchasing. They might book
a flight with an agent, use a
booking tool to book their
hotel and use a mobile website
to book ground transport”
“Travellers like to fragment their purchasing.
They might book a flight with an agent, go to
an online booking tool to research and book
hotels and use a mobile website to book
ground transportation,” says David Bishop
“And because we have one view of the trip,
we won’t have to ask questions to which we
already know the answer, which really
frustrates clients.” And in the event of a trip
cancellation, agents have a view of the whole
trip and one element lurking on another
booking site does not get forgotten.
The app conundrum
Although many TMCs have invested
considerably in providing a versatile mobile
app, “The whole idea of having everything
pinned on an app makes me quite nervous,”
says Bishop.
“A lot of people download apps but
adoption by travellers is really low. The one
exception to that is Concur. YourTrip’s mobile
enabled website gives a lot more functionality
and we get to market quicker as it is updated.”
Gray Dawes is now testing a
communications platform to work with
YourTrip and give travellers numerous ways
to communicate with agents and book – sms,
Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat.
Potential launch is Q1 2019.
And if, for example, snow disrupts
travel, this technology allows agents
to let travellers know
simultaneously, in their
preferred channel, that they
are on the case. “We can
spend more time managing
travel instead of managing
phone calls,” says Bishop.
An inhouse approach
Reed & Mackay has a booking
tool, R&M mobile, analytics,
schedule reporting, approval and
R&M protect on one platform, which gives
both agent and customer concurrent access
to all information. The TMC builds its
technology in house.
“The disadvantage of building your own
technology can be complexity and finding
the talent. It isn’t necessarily a travel
company’s core competency and it might
take up a disproportionate amount of your
budget compared to takings,” says Global IT
Director, Antoine Boatwright.
On the upside, “You move at your own
pace to evolve the technology, not at the
pace of your supplier, when you are at their
mercy regarding what functionality you get
and that affects the service you might deliver.”
And when client requirements are exacting,
bespoke is the only way. One Reed & Mackay
client’s employees travel frequently in the
former Soviet Union and the company needs
to know the age of the plane its people are
travelling on, whether it is still under
maintenance and whether the airline has a
monopoly on that route and if that plane is
the only option.
“They don’t want employees flying on high
risk planes,” he says. And that kind of
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As 2018 draws to a close, Blue Cube
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continued to grow its reputation as a
leading independent travel management
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personal business travel services.
Blue Cube was founded by co-directors
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2003, with just the three of them operating
from a basement in West London. They had
just one client and a turnover of £500,000 in
their first year but, today, the TMC has 35
staff, four offices, an annual turnover of
£35million and a client portfolio ranging
from high net worth individuals to
FTSE 100 companies.
“Our business philosophy is
rooted in giving our clients
extraordinarily high levels of
personal service,” explains
Mel Phaure. “Every TMC will
say that they provide
personal service, but we
believe that our dedication
to ensuring every aspect of
our clients’ travel is as flawless
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“We are a company that truly cares
about both our staff and our clients and that
is evidenced by our growth over the last 15
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retention levels. All of our new business has
come via recommendation – in fact, our very
first client is still a client today.”
Although 80% of Blue Cube’s clients
prefer personalised offline servicing,
the TMC is also committed to offering
best-in-class technology to those looking
for an online solution to complement their
offline requirements.
Over the last year Blue Cube has invested
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This includes BC Online powered by
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“Blue Cube has come a long way since
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Technology / TMCs
detail is not available from proprietary tools
– R&M built the wherewithal to provide it.
Boatwright is a protagonist of apps. “A
desktop tends to be optimised for professional
use and a mobile app is generally
for travellers who are en route. The use
cases are different and they do not need to
be the same,” he says.
“A mobile responsive website is inevitably
a compromise because a mobile screen is
four inches by five inches. We have
optimised each form factor – website and
app – for how it is used.”
Meeting in the middle
BCD combines in-house design and build
with third party partnerships. The company
bought the assets of start-up GetGoing,
which formed the basis of the TripSource
Hotels booking platform. TripSource
simplifies travel for employees while keeping
them on the straight and narrow, all available
through mobile devices and voice-enabled
technology such as Alexa.
Programme intelligence platform
DecisionSource (built inhouse) allows travel
managers to monitor spend and travel live,
using reporting and analytics.
“These optimisations are fed into the
TripSource platform and into the hands of
travellers seamlessly for maximum
efficiency,” says BCD's Karmis.
The tool includes a security map that
displays traveller locations and informs travel
managers of potential risks worldwide, who
can then send out hazard alerts via
TripSource and ask travellers potentially at
risk to 'check in'. In addition, BCD works with
start-ups whose technology is available via a
shop, SolutionSource, where clients can
choose tools according to their needs.
Also giving one view for client and agent
is Clarity’s Go2Book platform, providing
tracking, communication with travellers,
booking and more, plus MI from new
Go2Insight+, launched in February.
“Using cutting-edge technology such as IBM
Watson, we have created a data aggregator
which can take in multiple data sources,
mine them and deliver new insights to the
client within a fraction of the time it takes a
traditional management information tool,”
says Head of Sales, Ewan Kassir.
Clarity has integrated rail travel into its app
so that travellers are notified of delays via
the app, “giving a single destination for all
itineraries, travel info and
updates”, Kassir explains.
The digital TMC
Elevating technology to art form
and aiming to become the first
digital TMC is CWT.
“It is about making bold
investments in innovation
and our people to enhance
and improve the
traveller/attendee
experience by integrating
our tools and the data we
have access to, to
deliver more
intelligence and
content,” says Kelly.
“This allows clients to
communicate with
travellers more
effectively and pulls more
and more of them into
compliant booking paths.”
Data is everything and facilitates
personalisation, the travel industry’s
Using cutting-edge
technology such as
IBM Watson, we have created
a data aggregator which can
take in multiple data sources,
mine them and deliver new
insights rapidly”
latest fixation, and CWT is constantly
updating its offer. Most recent innovations
include revving up for the next phase of a
chatbot pilot to give instant messaging in
CWT’s mobile app and a travel consolidator,
which enables organisations to aggregate
disparate sources of data – such as travel,
card, expense and HR data – to identify
hidden costs and rogue spend. It allows
travel managers to improve compliance and
identify missed savings opportunities to
increase negotiating power with suppliers.
One outstanding example of CWT’s digital
dexterity is RoomIt, a home-built hotel
distribution business, giving travellers rooms,
tariffs, amenities and loyalty programmes
sourced from retail sites, negotiated rates
and other large content providers.
“During 2017, year-on-year hotel revenue
growth was up 13%, underlining the
importance of better content and hotel
booking capabilities,” says Kelly.
Start-up sensations
In addition to home-grown efforts, CWT also
partners with tech start-ups via incubator
Plug and Play, as well as buying in third-party
tools. An example is Yapta, which allows
agents to look for lower air and hotel rates
once trips have been booked, allowing
rebooking where appropriate and without
any effect on the traveller.
Even those whose idea of technology is a
Bakelite telephone are benefitting from
TMCs’ labours of digital love and leading a
more informed, efficient and safer business
life; and their travel managers are profiting
both administratively and financially.
The drive to have more, better analysed
and fully aggregated data and enhanced
functionality ensures that in every sense,
everyone is on the same page.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
73
TMCs / Trending
When two become
one
The growth potential of TMCs is underlined by
increasing M&A activity, writes Gillian Upton
It’s an interesting time to be a TMC,
particularly if, as the owner, you are
looking for an exit route. There is
plenty of money sloshing around venture
capitalists and private equity firms as
they have learned healthy profits can be
made from investing in the sector.
The activity of late has spread across
generally owner-managed businesses of a
certain size and maturity, with three
transactions announced in November alone.
Giles Travel is the latest TMC to be
absorbed by the fast-growing Gray Dawes
Travel Group which, for the fourth
consecutive year, has announced an autumn
acquisition. It will take its annual turnover
beyond £150million – and a second deal is
expected to be announced in December.
Meanwhile, ‘third sector’ specialist, Key
Travel, acquired the Netherlands’ Raptim
Humanitarian Travel to give the business a
combined turnover in the region of
£350million. And then there's the EFR Travel
Group, which snapped up Glasgow's WD
Travel, with the deal becoming EFR’s third
takeover in four years.
Also this year, The Appointment Group
(TAG) has received investment from Apiary
Capital – a UK lower mid-market private
equity firm. Explains Partner Nicki Boyd: “The
attraction to TAG for us was a high level of
repeat customers. They’re high-end, hightouch
customers – many of them rock stars –
with complicated travel requirements.
“We liked the fact that once TAG has
provided great travel service and met their
complex demands – certain amenities for a
pet companion, position in a hotel with
empty adjoining rooms, an opening window –
then they will be loyal and come back time
and time again.”
Apiary has already made its mark on TAG. It
has put in place an experienced CEO to take
care of the day-to-day business and made
the first of what it plans to be many smaller
acquisitions – SOS in the US, which specialises
in the touring arms of production crews.
Aligned dancing
The TAG investment typifies a trend in the
sector and we are likely to see more of it,
although GTMC Chief Executive Adrian
Parkes, believes it’s not a new trend at all.
“It’s no different to any other period,” he says.
“It’s been happening for a very long time. In
the early 2000s there were some major
acquisitions and mergers.”
One thing the activity does reflect is a
healthy market, particularly as the investments
and acquisitions are not all inter-UK.
This October, Travel & Transport of the US
acquired Radius Travel in order to expand its
global footprint, for example.
“It’s an interesting time,” says Parkes. “I
judge the health of the industry on the
positive TMC data I’m seeing, the huge
amount of investment that is taking place
and the opportunity that it gives TMCs to
expand and create new business models.”
Apiary’s Boyd flags up two reasons for the
increased M&A activity: “There’s now a
successful track record of private equity
investment in travel and others see there is
money being made,” she says.”There is a lot
of money out there to be deployed.”
Secondly, she believes that the spectre of
Brexit has not deterred investment. ”Travel
has become a major part of people’s lives,
and it will be after our exit from Europe too.
The worst case is that people trade down –
and corporate travel bounces back quickly.”
ITM's Chief Executive Scott Davies agrees
that “leveraging increased scale” has driven
the large recent transactions and they have
been powered by growth-seeking private
equity financing.
Independent European investment firm
Vitruvian Partners saw potential in Travel
Counsellors. Ten years of successive growth
was attractive, so too the company’s loyal
band of clients thanks to its customer-first
approach. The investment from Vitruvian in
Travel Counsellors has already translated to a
£6million spend on new technology.
“It will provide tools such as dedicated
account management support and bespokebuilt
technology platforms for our travel
counsellors so that they can concentrate on
the most important job of all – caring for
clients and giving them the best travel
experience possible,” explains General
Manager Mark Wilson.
74 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
Trending / TMCs
There’s now a
successful track
record of private equity
investment in travel
and others see there is
money being made”
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
75
Untitled-3 1 19/11/2018 14:44
Trending / TMCs
Last summer mid-market private equity
house Endless acquired a majority stake in
Manchester-based CTI. Partner Mathew
Deering was drawn to the company’s
customer base and people and said at the
time: “We believe that with fresh investment
and hands-on support from Endless, CTI is
capable of delivering strong sales and profit
growth in future. This is an exciting
opportunity in a consolidating sector and we
also intend to pursue bolt-on acquisitions as
part of our investment strategy.” CTI has
since rebranded as Amber Road.
These investments are helping to drive the
sector forward as TMCs require an almost
bottomless pit of capital expenditure in
technology to keep ahead of the game. The
home page of Endless, for example, boasts of
having access to up to £80million for each
investment and being able to complete the
deal in an average of 28 days. It’s a pretty
persuasive message.
Travel buyers are viewing Reed & Mackay’s
acquisition of Hillgate, for example, as a free
technology upgrade and it’s unlikely that
there will be any fall-out from this particular
joining of two “friendly but fierce competitors”,
as the company’s Group Chief Executive,
Fred Stratford, describes them.
Reed & Mackay already has investment
from mid-market private equity firm
Inflexion. Its mission is to ”invest in high
growth, entrepreneurial businesses with
ambitious management teams and to work
with them to deliver growth”.
The company plans to support Reed &
Mackay’s team as its drives organic growth,
both in the UK and selected international
markets, and seek targeted acquisitions to
support expansion of the company’s
international footprint.
Now it’s the turn of two successful hightouch,
white glove providers of travel to
merge. Hillgate has brilliant technology and
Reed & Mackay the better global reach,
across 40 countries. Both are known for their
high levels of service.
“We can bring the best of both worlds and a
consistent offering to clients,” says Stratford.
“It’s pretty compelling and clients are excited.”
In this case, “joining forces” as Stratford
prefers to call the acquisition, seems like a
win-win for clients.
The market is less positive about another,
much larger acquisition, that of American
Express GBT and HRG. No-one saw this one
coming and all eyes are on the combined
company which aims to cater to both SMEs
and multinational clients.
Investments drive
the sector forward
– TMCs require an almost
bottomless pit of capital for
technology to stay ahead”
The rationale for the purchase was
threefold, explains Elyes Mrad, Managing
Director International of American Express
GBT: “We were taking a company with a
footprint complementary to ours, with good
technology, and quality people across
technology, management and consultancy.
Those three gave us a better company to
serve the customer.”
The plan is to become local in each of
the countries they serve and not position
themselves as a vast global concern.
“The feedback from customers is good,”
says Mrad. “Three months in and so far so
good; customers don’t see the difference.
They’ll have one team instead of two around
the negotiating table.”
The companies are fully integrated in terms
of management and all customer-facing staff,
much of which was done beforehand; the
technology will take a little longer with a goal
of Q2 2020 although items such as the
mobile app will integrate by the end of 2018.
The ‘sell’ to the clients, says Mrad, is “better
tools to put in front of customers; it’s the best
of what is out there”.
Other travel management companies are
hoping they might pick up clients not wishing
to stay with the new mega-operation.
“I don’t get the Amex/HRG merger,” says
one buyer, who preferred to stay anonymous.
“It’s a big beast that will take a long time to
unravel and integrate. On the upside, it’s a
massive opportunity to pick up clients who
don’t want to be part of such a large travel
management company.”
Carol Neil, Global Travel Manager at Fidelity,
argues that size is no longer an issue –
technology is helping with that: “You don’t
have to automatically go to the big boys
anymore; it’s not about the size but matching
company cultures, aligning requirements
globally with that of the TMC and building
relationships. Don’t shy away from the
smaller TMCs out there as they’re very
hungry and eager to grab business and bend
and flex with you,” she advises.
“Get in with them and understand how you
can continue to grow and/or enhance your
travel programme with them.”
[ GETTING TOGETHER ]
Losing track of who’s buying who in the
TMC market? Below is a rundown of M&A
activity in the last three years.
2018
• EFR Travel Group > WD Travel
• Gray Dawes > Giles Travel
• Key Travel > Raptim Humanitarian Travel
• Reed & Mackay > Hillgate Travel
• American Express GBT > HRG
2017
• Gray Dawes > CTM Chelsea TM
• Capita Travel and Events > NYS Corporate
• Meon Valley > Longreach Travel
• Travel & Transport > Statesman Travel Group
2016
• Clarity > Portman
• Direct Travel > Colpitts World Travel
• Wings Travel > Grosvenor TM
• CTM > Redfern
• Gray Dawes > Travel Management Group
• Gray Dawes > Cambridge Business Travel
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
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Untitled-4 1 16/11/2018 08:22
Diversification / TMCs
mixing
it up
TMCs must offer personalised services and
add value to prosper, writes Jools Stone
In theory, booking your own travel
has never been easier, so one might
wonder why there are so many TMCs
not only operating but apparently
thriving today. In the UK alone they
account for 93% of managed business
travel bookings.
Perhaps the answer lies in their ability to
adapt and innovate. Gone are the days
when a TMCʼs role was simply to save
money for clients, manage travel
policies and take the onerous
business of booking trips out
of the hands of travellers.
Increasingly, TMCs are offering added-value
and differentiating themselves with niche
services, new sub-divisions and enhanced
tools and technology.
But just as technology has eased the
burden of booking business travel, the
world has changed to present fresh
challenges. The ever-present threat of
terrorism and political instability in certain
countries has heightened the need for
companies to look out for their staff on the
road, placing added emphasis on their legal
duty of care responsibilities.
TMCs have risen to this challenge in a
variety of ways, creating sophisticated tech
that helps clients stay one step ahead.
“Successful travel managers must remain
relevant to their customersʼ needs,” says
Adam Knights, Regional Managing Director
for UK, France and Benelux at ATPI Group.
Its Traveller Tracking system is a useful tool
for handling most duty of care scenarios
which may arise.
“With traditional tracking technology it
can be difficult to determine ownership
over a traveller’s whereabouts; there can be
doubts over who’s on call, for example. Our
system bridges this gap by combining
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
79
TMCs / Diversification
high quality customer service with traveller
location monitoring and communication.”
When disaster strikes, knowing exactly
where your staff are and establishing clear
lines of communication with them is crucial.
“In the event of a major emergency, travel
managers could struggle to define next
steps. Our tool offers a 24/7 messaging
service where an alert can be quickly
communicated to individual travellers. Their
exact location can be identified using GPS
via our ‘Locate Meʼ app.”
This technology offers peace of mind,
helping clients mitigate risk and maintain an
audit trail of all communications.
Data in droves
As well as keeping travellers safe and clients
in touch, technology can also be harnessed
for more strategic purposes. To this end
Business Travel Direct has developed
SMARTInsight, a predictive tool that
promises to take the guess work out of
travel policy changes.
The tool lets corporates model the impact
of any changes to their corporate travel
policy, accelerating the decision-making
process, thus helping travel managers
become more proactive.
BTDʼs Managing Director, Julie Oliver,
explains: “We see SMARTInsight as the next
generation of analytics,” she says. “Rather
than overwhelming travel managers with
mountains of reports, we amalgamate the
data into this tool and simplify the analysis.
“We can use the tool to model various
scenarios and get instant answers. In the
past, we would have needed to crunch the
numbers and go back to the client with the
information,” Oliver explains.
Casting the net
The needs of travellers have certainly
become more varied and complex in recent
years, making a one-size-fits-all approach
largely redundant. Some TMCs have found
success by catering for growing niche
industries with very specific needs.
The needs of travellers
have certainly become
more varied and complex
in recent years, making a
one-size-fits-all approach
largely redundant”
One such example is Corporate Traveller,
which launched a new Production, Sport &
Creative division in May this year. This was
built on its existing client base.
“We already handled corporate travel
requirements for 300 clients in these
industries, but wanted to offer more,” says
UK General Manager, Andy Hegley. “Now
we can provide the specialist ‘high-touchʼ
expertise they need to meet their needs
from start to finish.”
The TMC's TV and film production clients
keep them busy, travelling across the
globe to some remote and challenging
destinations. “Weʼve had clients filming
penguins in Antarctica or elephants in
Botswana. It's vital that their production
equipment arrives at their destination on
time and in one piece.
“A film crew of three could be travelling
with 80 bags, so we make sure their
baggage is loaded on to the aircraft, even if
their airline suddenly announces a baggage
embargo at check-in.”
For musicians, meanwhile, it's not
uncommon to book separate airline seats
for a passenger and their cellos or violin
that can't be placed in the hold.
The numbers add up
When it comes to procurement, data insight
is what gives certain TMCs the edge. FCM
Travel Solutions launched 4th Dimension
(4D) this year. They describe this as a ‘nonbiased
consulting service providing
corporates with outsourced, project-based
analytics to drive programme efficiency and
smarter procurement.ʼ
As Jo Greenfield, UK General Manager of
FCM explains, this was very much driven by
client demand: “Business travel is constantly
evolving,” says Greenfield. “To remain
successful in a competitive market we must
constantly innovate. The launch of 4D has
taken our capabilities to the next level,
providing clients with deep-dive analytics
and bespoke solutions.”
The 4D team helps clients rethink their
hotel programmes, for example, which are
now no longer simply about securing the
best rate. “Five years ago, corporates were
still very much focussed on cost savings,
80 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
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TMCs / Diversification
Five years ago
corporates were
focused on cost savings. Now
other commercial factors are
becoming more important”
especially after the 2008 downturn,”
says Greenfield. “But despite uncertainty
around Brexit and the need to maintain
savings, other commercial factors are
becoming more important.
”Corporates are now using their hotel
programmes to drive staff loyalty, reflect
their CSR strategies and support traveller
wellbeing too.”
Gaining traction
Matters like these, some of which perhaps
once seemed more aspirational, are rapidly
becoming essential in certain sectors, such
as the pharmaceutical industry.
Pharma salaries are generally high, so
loyalty incentives offer useful ways to
attract and retain top talent. That’s precisely
where smart travel policies and hotel
programmes play a key role.
The 4D team carried out a major audit of a
pharma client’s hotel programme, taking
account of the range and standard of hotel
properties and the full cost.
This factored in not just average daily
rates, but extras such as premium wifi,
breakfast and transfers – basically anything
which could engender employee loyalty,
while also being mindful of the industry’s
strict bribery guidelines.
Another 4D client in the construction
sector had a business strategy strongly
informed by sustainability and social
enterprise. The priority was to employ
local people and support local communities,
so naturally its corporate hotel programme
needed to reflect this.
4D therefore developed an accommodation
programme that incorporated hotels with a
similar ethos of social enterprise, so that
the client’s hotel spend actually benefited
local communities.
It seems that one way to retain loyalty in
2019’s crowded TMC marketplace is to truly
engage with clients’ issues and mirror their
values, as if they actually worked there.
Nothing breeds loyalty quite like that depth
of understanding.
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loyalty programmes, online check-in and even restaurant
reservations.
It’s this attention to detail that has seen us develop in to one of
the UK’s fastest growing travel companies and obtain a 96%
customer satisfaction rating.
Experience the award-winning customer service of Travel
Counsellors for yourself and contact us today.
8
Winner
Finalist
Best
Travel Management Company
(£50-£200 million UK annual sales)
TMCs / Beginner's guide to...
APIs for TMCs
How can TMCs use APIs to power your corporate travel programme?
The ATPI Group’s Adam Knights has some of the answers
In a world where everyone is connected
and technology is ubiquitous, ensuring
you are up to speed and making the
most of the latest developments can be a
full-time job. Likewise, with innovation
coming at such a pace, new terminology
seems to surface on a daily basis. For
travel, APIs are now being spoken about
widely across the industry.
Oh no, another acronym!
Don’t panic, APIs – Application
Programme Interfaces – are
designed to make things easier for us all.
And in corporate travel these systems are
helping transform the way companies
operate. APIs are simply gateways linking
different software applications. Think about
how, on your smartphone, apps connect to
the internet and send a request to a server.
That is done via an API.
Metaphorically speaking
The simplest way to imagine
them at work is as a waiter in a
restaurant. The menu tells you the food you
could choose and the kitchen is ready to
prepare the dishes you want. But it is the
waiter that takes your request, connects
with the chefs and brings the plates back
to your table. Without that link you do not
get served.
Silent partners
Typically APIs are going about their
business without people knowing.
We don’t question the magic that lets us log
on to different websites using our Facebook
password, for example. The important thing
for TMCs is ensuring that what we develop,
or choose to partner with, is compatible with
how businesses and travellers operate.
Putting it into practice
APIs open up a wealth of
possibilities. Firstly, businesses –
including travel management companies –
can be nimble and act quickly by using APIs
to create new products and partnerships or
add new tools and services. Their use drives
innovation by cutting development time.
Additionally, APIs can connect different
divisions of a business seamlessly, which
gives access to all sorts of valuable data.
For corporate travel managers, that could
be marrying a traveller’s spend with their
historic performance or sales figures to see
the return-on-investment for each trip.
Connecting the cloud
APIs are becoming increasingly
important in new innovations, too.
As businesses move their operations to the
cloud, it will be APIs that manage the highs
and lows in demand. They also offer valuable
security benefits, since the connections
between parties are limited.
Plugging into potential
In travel, APIs are being used
extensively, especially on consumer
sites such as Skyscanner, where one set of
results are returned from multiple sites.
Travellers in a corporate world will be used
to this type of interface – they will have
used it in their private life or have selfbooking
tools that act in a similar way.
Technology-based services such as Uber
have seen the benefit of this. Business
travellers may use Uber personally, and
therefore find themselves travelling and
booking out of scope of their travel policy
by using Uber around the world when on
business. If a TMC has an open API policy,
they can add Uber for Business. This means
all the data tools a solid corporate travel
reporting function needs can be integrated
very simply.
Offering this rich detail and breadth of
choice is vital for TMCs if they are to prosper.
APIs are definitely here to stay so if you
aren’t familiar with what they are and, more
importantly, what they can do to support
your travel programme, there is no better
time than the present to find out more.
84 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
TMCs 2019: Who does what
Your guide to a selection of leading travel management companies in the UK
The Directory / TMCs
Travel management company Annual turnover Annual transactions Company size Head office (UK) Established
ABT UK £8million 15,000 8 staff / 1 office London 2001
Specialist sectors served: all sizes and sectors served including telecommunications, legal, technology and online gaming
Ace Travel Management £8.5million 20,000 11 staff Brentwood, Essex 1992
Specialist sectors served: corporate travel, meetings, incentives conferences and events, luxury leisure
Advantage Business Travel £3.2billion Not disclosed 120 independent UK TMCs / 190 locations London 1978
Specialist sectors served: members serve all sectors of the economy
Amber Road £72million Not disclosed 128 staff / 3 offices Manchester 1983
Specialist sectors served: all sectors including manufacturing, telecoms, professional services, energy, retail, fashion, technology, plus divisions for marine travel and meetings & events
American Express Global Business Travel $32.7billion globally (2017) Not disclosed 16,000 staff globally London 2014
Specialist sectors served: professional services, finance, insurance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, media, entertainment, mining, energy, technology, information services
Applehouse Travel £29.3million 56,400 40 staff / 1 office London 1984
Specialist sectors served: finance, information technology, energy, SMEs, retail
Information supplied directly by TMCs to The Business Travel Magazine and verified where possible. Annual figures quoted refer to a TMC’s most recent financial or calendar year
The Appointment Group (TAG) £190million 400,000 321 staff / 9 offices worldwide London 1988
Specialist sectors served: corporate, private clients, sports, film & media, touring and entertainment, events
ArrangeMy £21million 65,500 55 staff plus 1 implant Worcester 1990
Specialist sectors served: car manufacturing, retail, charity, care
ATPI Group £1.29billion globally 4.68million 1,700 staff / 100+ locations worldwide London 2002
Specialist sectors served: retail, engineering, fashion, financial and legal. ATPI Griffinstone serves shipping, energy and offshore sectors; ATPI Sports Events for events and clubs
BCD Travel £636million UK&I / $25.7billion globally Not disclosed 858 staff / 16 offices and c.13,500 staff globally London 1981
Specialist sectors served: finance, film & TV, entertainment, professional services, advertising, media, pharmaceutical, FMCG, energy, defence, technology, consulting, sports, SMEs
Blue Cube Travel £35.3million 38,000 39 staff / 3 offices Kew 2003
Specialist sectors served: technology, finance, law, oil & gas, retail
Business Travel Direct £115million 402,000 152 staff Langley, Berkshire 1970
Specialist sectors served: SMEs, services, security, defence, multinationals, marine, education, medical, retail
Capita Travel and Events
£570million+ Not disclosed 750 staff / 6 UK offices Derby 1972
(including NYS Corporate)
Specialist sectors served: all sectors including construction, education, energy, engineering, finance, legal, logistics, manufacturing, professional services, public sector, retail, telecoms, utilities
Carlson Wagonlit Travel $23.2billion (globally) 60million (globally) 1,160 UK&I staff / 18,750 global staff Potters Bar, Hertfordshire 1980
Specialist sectors served: all sizes and sectors, including finance, media, manufacturing, energy, pharmaceutical, telecoms
Clarity £441million c.2.5million Not disclosed Manchester 1959
Specialist sectors served: particular experience in retail, infrastructure, professional services, marine, oil & gas, charity, central government, higher education and elite sport industries
Click Travel £205million 1.85million 252 staff Birmingham 1999
Specialist sectors served: legal, retail, public sector, recruitment, utilities, telecoms, charity, education, technology, infrastructure
Clyde Travel Management £48million 215,000 90 staff / 6 offices Glasgow 1989
Specialist sectors served: marine, oil & gas, corporate
Corporate Travel Management (CTM) £653million (Europe) 4.7million 457 staff in Europe / 2,700 staff globally London 1994
Specialist sectors served: legal, finance, insurance, pharmaceutical, media, advertising, retail, technology, architecture, energy, public sector, sport, plus Event Travel Management division
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
85
TMCs / The Directory
Travel management company Annual turnover Annual transactions Company size Head office (UK) Established
CT Business Travel £27.1million Not disclosed 80 staff / 3 offices Tunbridge Wells, Kent 1988
Specialist sectors served: include, but not limited to, finance, media, technology, pharmaceutical, recruitment, energy, fashion, retail, education, insurance
DialAFlight Corporate Travel £134million 280,000 130 staff / 4 offices London 1980
Specialist sectors served: SMEs
Diversity Travel £68million Not disclosed 154 staff Manchester 2007
Specialist sectors served: charities, academic organisations, not-for-profit
EFR Travel £27.6million 34,900 55 staff / 3 offices Bushey, Hertfordshire 2002
Specialist sectors served: legal, property, finance, retail, advertising, sports
Egencia $11.7billion globally Not disclosed 3,200+ employees globally / 65+ countries London 2002
Specialist sectors served: serves companies off all sizes and sectors
Eton Travel Group £35.3million 147,000 80 staff / 2 offices Eton, Berkshire 1969
Specialist sectors served: SMEs, pharmaceutical, IT, retail, finance, legal, music, groups
FCM Travel Solutions
£727million 1.8million 843 UK staff / 6,500 staff worldwide New Malden, Surrey 2004
(incorporating Corporate Traveller)
Specialist sectors served: over 50 industries including finance, pharmaceutical, energy, legal, engineering, manufacturing, technology, entertainment, fashion
Fello £23million 21,500 40 UK staff London 2018
Specialist sectors served: humanitarian and charity, hedge funds and asset management, insurance and reinsurance, media, entertainment, retail
Flightline Travel Management £6.2million 29,800 9 staff / 1 office Haddenham, Buckinghamshire 1996
Specialist sectors served: law, automobile, finance, manufacturing, medical, aircraft, public relations
Global Travel Management £26million 50,300 32 staff / 2 offices Woking, Surrey 1997
Specialist sectors served: brewing, medical, media, SMEs
Good Travel Management £22million 60,000 48 staff / 3 offices Hull 1833
Specialist sectors served: SMEs, marine, oil & gas, manufacturing, construction
Gray Dawes Group
£170million 521,000 210 staff / 6 offices Colchester, Essex 1927
(incorporating Giles Travel)
Specialist sectors served: finance, fashion, energy, construction, professional sport
Harridge Group £14.5million 47,900 26 staff / 1 office London 1983
Specialist sectors served: business travel, corporate and private events
Ian Allan Travel £49million 187,700 91 staff / 2 offices Shepperton, Surrey 1964
Specialist sectors served: corporate, academic, charity, humanitarian, not for profit, events
Inntel £73million 355,000 144 staff / 3 offices Feering, Essex 1984
Specialist sectors served: financial and professional services, transport, construction, utilities, retail, infrastructure, facilities, media, distribution, manufacturing, meetings and events
Kanoo Corporate £30million 36,000 40 staff / 8 offices London 2007
Specialist sectors served: SMEs, corporate, leisure, groups, incentives
Key Travel £209million 486,000 385 staff / 8 offices London 1980
Specialist sectors served: not-for-profit, NGOs, charity, humanitarian, faith, missionary, academic organisations
Information supplied directly by TMCs to The Business Travel Magazine and verified where possible. Annual figures quoted refer to a TMC’s most recent financial or calendar year
86 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
Unwrapping soon!
Early in the New Year, we’re launching something
new in the world of meetings and events.
In the meantime, if you need any assistance with your meetings and events,
speak to a member of our team - they won’t give away the surprise just yet.
01904 420 810
hello@nysgroup.com
nysgroup.com
NYS is a specialist brand of Capita Travel and Events Limited. Registered in England: 01094729.
Registered office: 30 Berners Street, London, W1T 3LR. Part of Capita Plc.
TMCs / The Directory
Travel management company Annual turnover Annual transactions Company size Head office (UK) Established
Meon Valley Travel Group £40million 100,000 67 staff Petersfield, Hampshire 2002
Specialist sectors served: emergency medical assistance, manufacturing, retail, schools groups, event management, recruitment, private equity, white label leisure, loyalty fulfilment
Norad Travel Management £34.2million 141,000 54 staff / 4 offices Liss, Hampshire 1981
Specialist sectors served: all sectors with particular specialities including marine, energy, yachting, shipping logistics
Omega World Travel £38million (UK) 155,000 (UK) 24 UK staff / 2 UK offices (450 US staff / 50 US offices) London 1972
Specialist sectors served: medium size UK and global SMEs in industries such as finance, private equity, pharmaceutical, healthcare, engineering, media, marine, government
Reed & Mackay
(incorporating Hillgate Travel)
£600million 1million+ 646 UK staff / 5 UK offices (4,000 staff globally / 140 locations) London 1962
Specialist sectors served: professional services, legal, finance, insurance, technology, marine, offshore
Review Travel £15.5million 138,500 29 staff / 4 offices Handforth, Cheshire 1984
Specialist sectors served: legal, finance, media, credit agencies, sport, education, manufacturing, construction
Selective Travel Management £65million 198,800 110 staff Belfast 1972
Specialist sectors served: SMEs, higher education, charity and voluntary, government
Simplexity Travel Management £6.9million Not disclosed 12 staff Mayfair, London 2011
Specialist sectors served: all sectors
Statesman Travel Group £176.2million Not disclosed 158 staff / 3 offices, 1 implant London 1975
Specialist sectors: finance, legal, advertising, technology, media, energy, architecture
Sunways Business Travel £13million 22,500 20 staff / 1 office Dartford, Kent 1973
Specialist sectors served: finance, accountancy, pharmaceutical, law, IT, insurance, film & TV production, building services, architecture, SMEs
Travel Counsellors for Business £145million 120,000 200 Corporate Travel Counsellors Manchester 1994
Specialist sectors served: corporate SME, sport organisations, financial, legal/professional services, manufacturing, medical and events
Traveleads £38.2million 125,000 70 staff / 2 offices Leeds 1971
Specialist sectors served: energy, sport, medical, legal, media & broadcast, education, charity, finance, technology, manufacturing
Travel Leaders UK (including Altour
£555million Not disclosed 1,000+ employees London 2017
International, Barrhead Travel, Colletts
Travel, Protravel and Tzell UK)
Specialist sectors served: SME, fashion, media, entertainment, production, finance, music, education, manufacturing, marine, off shore, leisure, events / MICE, medical repatriation
Uniglobe Travel £245million 580,000 40 UK locations London 1981
Specialist sectors served: media, IT, marine, telecoms, finance, legal, fashion, pharmaceutical
Wayte Travel Management £38.5million 80,000 50 staff / 4 offices London 1980
Specialist sectors served: oil & gas, finance, manufacturing, legal
West End Travel £12.7million 31,800 19 staff / 2 offices London 1972
Specialist sectors served: corporate travel core, plus specialists in sport, groups, conference and incentive travel
Wexas Travel Management £26million 52,000 45 staff / 2 offices London 1970
Specialist sectors served: tech, finance, retail, legal, creative, group travel
Wings Travel Management £103million 128,087 75 staff / 4 offices UK (450 staff globally / 16 offices globally) London 1992
Specialist sectors served: energy, marine, security, engineering, specialist finance, travel-critical companies
Information supplied directly by TMCs to The Business Travel Magazine and verified where possible. Annual figures quoted refer to a TMC’s most recent financial or calendar year
88 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
Connecting the dots
on global travel programmes
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Get the full picture of
this global organisation at
atpi.com/globaltravel
Find us on
stand B440
Breaking
the mould
Experience the difference
fcmtravel.co.uk
@FCM_UK
Data / TMCs
RELATIONSHIP GOALS
What’s the key to a fruitful relationship with your TMC? Some would say it’s
treating them as a strategic partner rather than simply a preferred supplier or
approved vendor. Delegates at The Business Travel Conference were polled on
their TMC relations and needs, while a recent BTS survey delivers further insight
What best describes how you
feel about CONSOLIDATION
among TMCs?
47%
It’s an accepted and inevitable
development if the sector is to evolve
35%
It combines the best of two TMCs
and delivers an improved offering
8%
It’s not good for anyone
involved or affected
10%
Not applicable
IN WHICH AREA/S DO YOU THINK TMCs
FAIL TO DELIVER A SATISFACTORY SERVICE?
61 % 54 % 39 % 38 % 23 %
Technology
Customer service
Consulting/advice
Cost/ROI
What do you think is
the most important
SELECTION CRITERIA
when choosing a TMC?
70 %
SERVICE
9 %
CULTURE
9 %
TECHNOLOGY
4 %
SIZE
4 %
COST
TO WHAT EXTENT DO
YOU THINK BREXIT
WILL AFFECT YOUR
BUSINESS IN 2019?
4 %
£
FINANCIAL STABILITY
31 %
Data
Other
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR
CURRENT TMC RELATIONSHIP?
45 % STRATEGIC PARTNER
24 % PREFERRED SUPPLIER
30 % APPROVED VENDOR
AS A TRAVEL BOOKER OR
MANAGER, WHAT IS YOUR
BIGGEST FOCUS RIGHT NOW?
74 % DUTY OF CARE AND WELLBEING
68 % COST SAVINGS
55 % NEW/IMPROVED PROCESS
50 % NEW TECHNOLOGY
27 % SHAPING TRAVEL POLICY
18 % SOURCING NEW SUPPLIERS
45 % A LOT
42 % A LITTLE
10 % IT WON’T
3 % NOT SURE
23%
Are you HAPPY
with the service
you receive from
your TMC?
47 % Yes
10 % No
43 %
Don't use a TMC
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
91
EVENT REVIEW
A new lease of life for
ground coffee beans
PA & EA networking evening
Autumn
Sparkle
The Business Travel Conference
hosted Autumn Sparkle, an exclusive
event for PAs and EAs, at Bankside
Hotel, London, in October.
Attendees enjoyed complimentary
drinks, food, massages and
manicures, and had the chance to
win some fabulous prizes courtesy of
the generous partners.
A warm welcome at
Bankside Hotel
Autumn Sparkle ▼
Cooking demos
from hotel chefs
▲ 22.10.2018
With thanks to all
our sponsors
Autumn Sparkle
PA & EA Networking Evening
Cup cakes from Q Apartments
Brought to you by
The Business Travel Conference
With thanks to the host venue
92 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
DEPARTURES
New kid on the block
Vintry & Mercer, London
THE LOWDOWN This chic 92-room
hotel opens in the City of London this
February complete with roof terrace,
all-day restaurant and underground
speakeasy bar. It is set back on
Garlick Hill, a two-minute walk from
Cannon Street and Mansion House
stations. The hotel has a gym, three
private event rooms – The Library,
Drawing Room and Music Room –
and breakout area. It is a sister
property to the capital’s Ampersand
Hotel and a member of Small Luxury
Hotels of the World.
that's a FACT Vintry & Mercer is
named after two of the City’s historic
guilds, trading since the 1300s in wine
and silks respectively. Its modern
credentials include running on 100%
renewable electricity.
they said it “Vintry & Mercer
is nestled in the heart of the City,
among the livery halls, guilds and
narrow streets that line the banks of
the Thames. This is where past and
present intersect, where the long
traditions of trade and commerce
come to life. The rich cultural
influences of two of the City’s historic
guilds – Vintry and Mercer – can be
seen throughout the hotel with its
carefully considered design.”
Rates Standard rooms
start from £175 per night.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
93
DEPARTURES
The best new... Gadgets & gear
time flies
British Airways and watchmakers Bremont
have teamed up to launch a limited edition
timepiece that incorporates the metal from
one of the most iconic planes in history –
Concorde. The Bremont Supersonic contains
aluminium from the G-BOAB Concorde,
known as Alpha Bravo, and is limited to 300
in stainless steel (£9,495), 100 in rose gold
(£16,995) and 100 in white gold (£17,995).
TRACK YOUR
FITNESS
high five: camera phones
A TIMEPIECE
WITH HERITAGE
slim pickings
The Slim Wallet is the latest addition to
Stuart + Lau’s range of leather goods and
travel accessories. The full-grain Italian
leather and suede wallet has an RFID
blocking interlayer and a back sleeve for
easy access to metro cards. It is available in
eight colours and is priced around £100.
Keep fit
The latest addition to the
Fitbit family is the Versa.
A more affordable
version of the Fitbit
Iconic, this smartwatch is
priced around £179 and,
with a rounded face
design, resembles a more
traditional watch than
regular Fitbit trackers.
The device tracks major
workout types, is
waterproof, has a fourday
battery charge and a
companion app.
FASHION AND
FUNCTION
Huawei P20 PRO The P20 Pro has a
lighter price tag than the iPhone or
Samsung Galaxy, but it stands head to
head with its excellent camera and
impressive battery life.
Google pixel 3 Keen photographers
will marvel at the quality of photos taken
with this phone with its 12.2 megapixel
sensor on the back and two 8 megapixel
sensors on the front. Travellers will also
find its wireless charging capability
useful on the road.
THE BEST
iphone xs The latest from Apple
CAMERAS IN
features an edge-to-edge 5.8 inch YOUR POCKET
super retina display and a 12
megapixel dual lens camera. The
device is powerful with a fast processor.
samsung galaxy S9 PLUS With a huge
6.2 inch curved screen and a dual-lens
camera noted for quality low-light shots,
the phone is ideal for those after a great
camera and a big screen.
oneplus 6T At the budget
end of the scale is the latest
from OnePlus. It features a
huge 6.41 inch screen with
HDR support and a 16
megapixel camera. The
device also features Fast
Charge enabling users to
fully charge the phone in
half an hour.
94 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
20-21 February 2019
Olympia, London
REVITALISE
BUSINESS
TRAVEL
Europe’s largest
specialised event
for business travel
professionals.
9,000
attendees
400+
hosted
buyers
3,500
pre-scheduled
hosted buyer
appointments
Countless
networking
opportunities
Register for free at www.businesstravelshow.com
Using code TBTM19
Untitled-1 1 20/11/2018 09:03
DEPARTURES
On the road with Michael Struck
Ruby Hotels founder and CEO Michael Patrick Struck
might have a sweet spot for Sugarloaf, but it certainly
doesn't run to chicken feet...
day encompasses totally
different places and settings.
RIO'S
Recently my day started
SUGARLOAF
with a very early morning
IS A SWEET
run through the sleeping
SPOT
streets of Mayfair and closed
with a walk along the warm seaside
in bustling Barcelona.
Worst business travel experience:
Has to be a business dinner in
Guangzhou which involved eating
chicken feet and other ‘interesting’
specialities, to be polite.
DETAILS
Name: Michael Patrick Struck
Position & Company: Founder and
CEO of Ruby Hotels. We operate
five properties at the moment and
we have a further nine under
construction or in the planning
stages. We've also just started
Ruby Works, which offers flexible
work spaces.
Based in: Munich, Germany.
Business trips per year: 50.
Estimated annual mileage:
100,000.
Regular destinations: London,
Paris, Milan, Copenhagen.
Most recent trip: Tokyo.
Next trip: New York.
GOOD & BAD
Best business travel
experience: This is pretty hard to
call. I particularly like it when one
ALL ABOUT
THE BLUE SKY
THINKING
SUPPLIERS
Preferred airline or hotel and
why: Emirates, simply for its
consistently excellent onboard
service quality.
Loyalty points – obsessive
collector or not bothered?
Honestly, I'm not bothered. I think
these things tend to take care of
themselves.
Favourite loyalty scheme:
None in particular.
STEPPING ONBOARD
Flights: work, rest or play?
Work. I find being literally
above it all is helpful with
certain tasks.
Onboard connectivity –
take it or leave it? I like having
this new option for emergencies ,
but am too much of a savings fox
to use it while prices for it
remain so high.
Onboard habits: I loosen my
shoe laces, put on some noisecancelling
earphones and sit
back to enjoy take-off.
DESTINATIONS
Happy never to go
back to: Helsinki. My
last experience
involved being there during a
serious snow storm.
Send me back to: Rome, anytime.
Top overseas landmark: Sugarloaf
Mountain, Rio de Janeiro.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
One thing that would improve
business travel: Wifi on the tube
in London would be really great, as
would a Ruby hotel in every major
city, obviously!
Biggest business travel
irritation: Business
hotels that are run of
the mill, soulless and
unnecessarily expensive.
In fact, that is part of the
reason we started Ruby
Hotels, since we do the opposite.
DO AS I SAY...
AND AS I DO!
TAKING IT
IN MY STRIDE
Pack light or go
prepared? I’d like to
say both, but since I don’t
do much in the way of travel
preparations, I guess it will have
to be ‘light’.
Never leave home without: My
running shoes.
TRAVEL POLICY
Stick to the travel policy or a bit
of a maverick? Our business is
about offering lean luxury to
guests so I always follow the
policy. For me, it’s a role
model thing.
If you could change one
thing about your travel
policy... Nothing, or else I
would have done it already!
96 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
DEPARTURES
Meeting in Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes was once a
collection of towns and
villages, but was
transformed into a 'New
City' in the 1960s as part
of a government scheme
to relieve London's
housing congestion. Now
an economic success
story, Milton Keynes is
home to organisations
including Santander,
Volkswagen, Network Rail
and Mercedes Benz.
Wow factor
The Arena MK
This significant exhibitions and
event venue opened in 2014
and can host up to 3,500 for a
conference. It has numerous
offices, bars and green rooms
spread across three floors. The
space is pillarless and totally
customisable. The venue also
provides banqueting menus
and in-house production if
required. Due to the versatility
of the space, call for a quote.
Stadium Way, Bletchley,
Milton Keynes, MK1 1ST
0844 902 7777 / arenamk.com
big, bold and
beautiful
Quirky venue
National Museum
of Computing
Events are hosted within its
galleries and displays, which
include WWII's famous Enigma
codebreaker. Facilities include
a 40-seater meeting room with
three large screens, buffet
catering options and wifi
throughout. Corporate events
have the option of private tours
with experts and so are priced
according to requirements.
Bletchley Park, Bletchley,
Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB
01908 374 708 / tnmoc.com
On a shoestring
The National
Badminton Centre
The world-class badminton
club can cater for meetings of
up to 100 delegates and rooms
can be set up in a range of
configurations. Conference
rooms feature AV, flipchart,
pens, tea and coffee, and a
buffet lunch is included. Room
hire for the smallest room
starts from £145 per day. DDRs
are available from £29.95.
Bradwell Road, Great Holm, Milton
Keynes, MK8 9LA / 01908 268 479 /
badmintonengland.com
Small but perfectly formed
Wired up
Out of town
Getting there
The city benefits from
direct mainline train services
from London Euston which
take less than an hour. By car,
Milton Keynes is accessible via
the M1 and the journey time
from London is upwards of
an hour.
Further information
Contact Destination
Milton Keynes for advice on
organising a conference or
event. Destinationmilton
keynes.co.uk has details of
venues and accommodation
available. Call 01908 688 293
or email info@destination
miltonkeynes.co.uk
Woughton House –
Mgallery by Sofitel
Situated just outside of town,
this elegant hotel has four
meeting rooms and a
Clubhouse Suite able to host up
to 250. A day meeting for ten
starts at £390 and includes AV
facilities, wifi, pastries and
buffet lunch. There are also
breakout spaces indoors and
out, plus walking trails to enjoy.
Newport Road, Woughton on the
Green, Milton Keynes, MK6 3LR
01908 661 919 / sofitel.accorhotels.
com/mgallery/milton-keynes
escape to the
country
Venue Cranfield
The facility comprises four
flexible venues in one,
which are suitable for
conferences, meetings,
and accommodation.
There are over 65 rooms
in all, suitable for up to 250
delegates. There is high-speed
wifi, a 24-hour reception,
exercise and leisure areas and
a licenced bar and restaurant.
Enquire for DDRs.
Duncan Road, Wharley End, Cranfield,
Bedfordshire, MK43 0HG
01234 754 885 / venuecranfield.co.uk
meetings
to the four
Whittlebury Hall
The 254-room hotel is located
20 minutes north of the
city and comprises 20
conference and training
suites, 28 syndicate
rooms, an executive
boardroom and three
private dining rooms. Event
organisers can also make use
of the two banqueting and
conference suites that can hold
up to 500 delegates. DDRs are
from £31 plus VAT.
Whittlebury, Towcester, NN12 8WP
01327 857 857 / whittlebury.com
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
97
WE’VE GOT THE BEST LEGS
IN EUROPE.
Fly with us to Berlin or to one of our many other
German destinations and enjoy the best
short-haul economy legroom* on our Airbus fleet.
Book
now!
* On our A319 (fi rst 10 rows) and A320 (fi rst 12 rows) fl eet.
DEPARTURES
On business in... Berlin
The German capital –
once divided by the
Berlin Wall – is today
known for its wealth of
modern and historical
landmarks, arts scene,
festivals and nightlife.
A centre of
History
Getting there
British Airways, easyJet,
Eurowings and Ryanair between
them operate services from
several destinations around the
UK to the German capital,
including Heathrow, Gatwick,
Luton, East Midlands, Liverpool,
Newcastle, Manchester,
Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bristol.
Further information
For details on meetings
and events and visiting Berlin,
see visitberlin.de/en, email
convention@visitberlin.de or
call +49 (0)30 26 47 48-400.
SLEEPING
Luxury options include the Berlin
Marriott Hotel, DORMERO Hotel, the
refurbished Ritz-Carlton or Grand
Hyatt Berlin. At the budget end of the
scale consider the centrally located
Aga’s Hotel, Azimut Hotel in City
West, multiple Motel One properties
or the super-budget easyHotel. The
Hilton and InterContinental groups
are well represented in the city.
EATING
For Bavarian fare try out
Clubrestaurant am Wannsee or
Restaurant Schlossgarten for hearty
German food. La Caleta is well
known for Mediterranean dining.
Lia’s Kitchen is a vegetarian restaurant
and Grill Royal is a gourmet
steakhouse popular with visiting
VIPs. For Michelin-star dining try
the double-starred Rutz.
after hours
Berlin is packed with trendy bars
open until the early hours. The
Green Door in Shönenberg is a
popular cocktail bar requiring
visitors to ring a bell for entry.
Becketts Kopf follows a similar
speakeasy model in Prenzlauer
Berg. For a traditional Bavarian
beer hall try Hofbräu
Wirsthaus or Löwenbräu am
Gendarmenmarkt beer hall in
the centre of the city.
GETTING DOWNTOwN
Berlin has two airports, Shönefeld
and Tegel, which are both well
connected to the city centre. From
Shönefeld airport there is a railway
station with connections to the city
centre and a number of bus routes.
Tegel Airport has four BVG bus
stops outside terminals A and B.
Both terminals have taxi ranks.
MUST-SEE SIGHTS
The historic Brandenburg Gate is
not to be missed. Remnants of the
Berlin Wall remain, and visitors can
see a line through the city where it
once stood. Checkpoint Charlie is a
reminder of Berlin during the cold
war era. Also visit the Reichstag
Building and the Berlin
Zoological Gardens.
Amazing
Architecture
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
99
DEPARTURES
Focus on... Australia & New Zealand
A shared language plus
similarities in the legal
and administrative
systems make trade
between the UK and its
Commonwealth
cousins Down Under
relatively simple, writes
Benjamin Coren
UK businesses looking for new
opportunities overseas might
overlook Australia and New
Zealand, simply because the two
nations seem so far away. In reality,
actually being on the other side of
the world matters little. Our shared
history and heritage easily outweigh
the perceived problems, making
both countries the ideal place to
test products.
The numbers add up. Australia is
the 13th-largest economy, while its
citizens boast the second-highest
wealth per capita. Meanwhile, New
Zealand is already the UK's fifthlargest
two-way trading partner.
Those making the leap should be
aware of certain challenges, of
course. Australia has very strict
biosecurity regulations that need to
be considered for imports of
certain products and packaging.
And visiting is time-consuming –
it can take 24 hours to fly there;
factor in the time and cost when
sending products to market. The
time difference of seven to 11
hours can also make international
business calls difficult.
Trade minister Graham Stuart
headed to Australia and New
Zealand earlier this year as the
Department for International Trade
(DIT) kicked off its opening
consultations about future trade
relationships post-Brexit.
Stuart promoted opportunities
for UK firms in NZ infrastructure
and launched a joint UK-Australia
investment report, which shows the
UK is now the second-largest
Time zones: Australia has
five time zones ranging
from GMT +8hrs in the west to
GMT +11hrs in the east.
Currency: Australian Dollar:
£1 = AUD1.80. New Zealand
Dollar: £1 = NZD1.95;
Dialling codes: Australia +61.
New Zealand: +64.
Visas: To enter Australia, UK
citizens require a valid passport
and an approved ETA (apply
online). British travellers can
enter New Zealand for up to six
months with no visa.
100 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
DEPARTURES
destination globally for
Australian investment.
Appearing alongside
Australian Minister for Trade,
Tourism and Investment,
Steven Ciobo, he highlighted
the investment ties between
the UK and Australia – which
grew 22% between 2010 and
2017 to more than £63billion.
“We’ve taken a major step
towards building our bilateral
trading relationships with
Australia and New Zealand –
two of our closest international
partners – by opening consultations
on our potential future agreements,”
said Stuart.
“Combined, their investment into
the UK delivered 95 new projects
last year, creating almost 2,500
British jobs. These consultations
will examine new possibilities for
British exporters in the region,
especially in technology and
infrastructure,” he added.
Ciobo added that Australia and
the UK were committed to working
together aross diverse industries
“from defence to infrastructure”.
“Both countries offer large, open
and flexible economies as well as
an ideal location from which to
access other regional opportunities,
be it in Europe or Asia.”
Top exports to Australia and
New Zealand include vehicles,
machinery and mechanical parts,
print products, pharmaceuticals,
gems and precious metals, as well
as plastics, furniture and iron and
steel products.
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com 101
DEPARTURES
Factfile: Australia & New Zealand
FLIGHTS
British Airways: operates
flights to Sydney via Singapore,
which depart daily from
London Heathrow. The airline
operates connecting codeshare
flights to Australia and New
Zealand via Hong Kong, Doha,
Singapore or Sydney.
hit the
heights in
auckland
Emirates: flies to Australia
and New Zealand via its Dubai
hub. The carrier operates over
120 non-stop flights per week
from eight UK airports to
Dubai. From Dubai, Emirates
offers 28 flights a week to
Sydney, 21 a week to Brisbane
and Melbourne, 14 a week to
Perth and Auckland and seven
a week to both Adelaide and
Christchurch, New Zealand.
Qatar AIRWAyS: flies to
Australia and New Zealand via
its Doha hub. From London
Heathrow, there are convenient
connections in Doha to services
to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth,
Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra.
Qantas: flies daily from
London Heathrow to Sydney
via Singapore. The airline also
operates a non-stop daily
service from London to Perth
with onward connections
throughout Australia. Qantas
also flies to Brisbane via
Singapore and offers a wealth
of domestic connections. New
Zealand flights operate from
the east coast.
Royal Brunei: the airline
has introduced daily non-stop
services from London to Brunei
– cutting out the previous stop
in Dubai – which then fly on to
Melbourne.
Etihad: offers services to
Australia and New Zealand via
its Abu Dhabi hub. One-stop
services are operated from
Heathrow to Sydney,
Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane
and Adelaide alongside onestop
services to Auckland and
Christchurch in New Zealand.
Singapore AIRLINES offers
daily services from Heathrow
to its Singapore hub where
regular onward flights are
available and ANA operates a
daily service from Heathrow to
Sydney via Tokyo Haneda,
among other one-stop options.
off duty
no
shortage of
Brisbane, australia:
options
Brisbane’s South Bank is a
hot-spot for eating out and
entertaining, or find peace and
quiet in the Botanic Gardens.
Sydney, australia:
Sydney Opera House and
the Harbour Bridge should
australian
to its core
Canberra, australia:
As the seat of Australian
government, it is worth
be top of the list. Head to
Bondi Beach for surfing and to
Darling Harbour for dining.
visiting Parliament House and
its associated Museum of
Democracy (in the old
Parliament building). The city is
Melbourne, australia:
Architecture buffs will get a kick
out of the stunning design of
the City Library and Flinders
also home to the National
Gallery of Australia, Australian
War Memorial and striking
National Museum of Australia.
Street railway station. The city's
Yarra River offers plenty of nice
spots for a stroll.
Christchurch,
new zealand: Go punting on
the Avon through the heart of
the city, then get a taste of
colonial life at Mona Vale, an
early 1900s homestead with
gardens, riverside walks and a
restaurant. The Christchurch
Gondola offers panoramic
views of the city and coastline.
Perth, australia: Visit
Freemantle Prison to find out
more about convict life in
Australia. The nearby Swan
Valley region is well known for
food and wine.
Auckland, new zealand:
Take a trip up the 60-storey
Sky Tower, which also features
a revolving restaurant and
bungee jumping. Shopping on
Main and Queen Streets.
102 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.com
DEPARTURES
Reality check
AMERICAN AIRLINES, PREMIUM ECONOMY
THE FLIGHT
Flight AA100 from
of fruit plate, yoghurt and croissant was
New York’s JFK Terminal E to London
served just under an hour before arrival.
Heathrow Terminal 3, departing at 06.15
THE SEAT
A bottle of water and
and arriving at 06.50 (local times), and
comfort pack (with Casper blanket and
operated by a B777-300. I was flying in
lumber pillow, Cole Haan amenity kit,
American Airlines' Premium Economy.
and headset) were awaiting me in the
THE PRE-BOARDING
I was unable to
seat. I travelled in seat 16D which has
check-in online but the airline’s check-in
the extra leg room in front on the bulk
area at T3 was efficient and straight-
head. The seat was roomy and controls
forward and the queue through security
for the recline and foot rest were simple.
relative short. Boarding was at Gate 8
The screen was stowed within the seat
and was done in seat location groups to
but popped out easily and the IFE
ensure efficient loading.
system offered a comprehensive choice.
THE SERVICE
I had pre-ordered my
There was a small storage compartment
meal choice online and it was delivered
and fold-out tray stowed in the arm rest,
quickly – so quickly, in fact, that I was
plus a USB charging point.
THE DETAILS
American Airlines
half way through eating it before the
THE VERDICT
The aircraft felt new
operates up to four direct flights a day
drinks service arrived! The meal was
excellent with a good-sized chicken
portion served with a side salad and the
best bread roll I’ve had onboard, plus a
good chocolate dessert, cheese and
crackers. All was presented well with
and the Premium Economy seat was
definitely comfortable and well-thought
through. The meal quality was excellent
and the amenities supplied with the
seat were good quality and useful,
especially the lumbar pillow. The staff
THE AMENITIES
SUPPLIED WITH
THE SEAT WERE
GOOD QUALITY
AND USEFUL
from London Heathrow to New York
(JFK), and up to 10 a day when including
the flights operated by joint business
partner British Airways. Fares start from
£270 in Basic Economy, £330 in the
Main Cabin, £789 in Premium Economy,
ceramic crockery and linen napkin. A
were efficient if a little brusque in their
£1,593 in Flagship Business and £3,143
second drinks service was offered after
trays had been cleared, and a breakfast
service but overall the journey was a
good experience.
in Flagship First. aa.co.uk
Julie Baxter
STAYCITY APARTHOTELS, BIRMINGHAM
THE APARTHOTEL
Staycity Aparthotels
consisted of a living area with flat
in Birmingham’s Newhall Square has
screen TV, a fully equipped kitchen
142 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom
with hob, microwave, cooking utensils
apartments that can accommodate up
and dishwasher, plus a dining area,
to six people. Situated in the city's
bedroom with king-size bed and
historical Jewellery Quarter, the
bathroom. I was particularly impressed
property is less than a 10-minute walk
with the powerful and roomy shower
from Birmingham city centre and New
and may have indulged for slightly
Street Train Station and a five-minute
longer than necessary as a result.
walk from the bars and restaurants of
Hairdryers were also provided in
bustling Broad Street.
the bedroom.
THE CHECK-IN
As the hotel is
THE FACILITIES
There is a fitness
situated in a busy area, street parking
centre on-site along with a café –
is not an option. There is limited space
breakfast is available at an additional
available in the on-site car park or,
cost. If you did want to cook your
alternatively, a 24-hour NCP car park is
own meals, there is a grocery shop
THE DETAILS
88 Charlotte Street,
just next door. Both options cost £12
conveniently located next door to the
Birmingham, B3 1PW. Check-in is
per night for the privilege. Once inside,
I received a warm and friendly
welcome at the reception desk along
with what seemed a genuine interest in
how my journey had been. I was given
my room key and breakfast options
aparthotel. There is free wifi access
throughout the property.
THE VERDICT Perfect for a short stay
in Birmingham for those that want to
be self-sufficient. Staff were friendly
and helpful and made you feel very
PERFECT FOR A
SHORT STAY AND
THOSE THAT WANT
TO BE SELF-
SUFFICIENT
from 3pm and check-out by 11am.
Nightly rates start from £71 for a onebedroom
apartment. Staycity has over
3,000 apartments across ten different
cities in the UK, Ireland and France,
and has recently launched sub-brand
and guided to the lift.
welcome upon arrival. The location
Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity. Tel:
THE ROOM My compact and
modern one-bedroom apartment
is within easy access of some of
Birmingham’s main attractions.
0121 237 5600; see staycity.com
Jessica Pook
104 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
DEPARTURES
ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES, BUSINESS CLASS
THE FLIGHT
Flight BI0003 from
18 larger-than-average business class
Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, to
seats are in a 2-2-2 configuration and
London Heathrow T4. Departing at
each contoured seat converts to a fully
00.15 and arriving at 07.20 the following
flat bed. Passengers were offered a
morning, this new direct service is
plush duvet, fluffy pillow and a mattress
operated by B787 Dreamliner aircraft
topper for added comfort. An amenity
with a cabin of 18 business class seats
kit contained the usual items along with
ahead of the economy cabin.
some Harnn products, while slippers
THE PRE-BOARDING
Royal Brunei
and noise-reducing headphones were
Airlines has a separate open check-in
also provided. Inflight entertainment
lounge for their Business and Royal
was on offer through the 15.4-inch
Skies members featuring comfortable
touchscreen monitor. There was some
seating and magazines. There were no
storage at seat level and ample
queues so check in was swift and I was
overhead cabin space too.
handed a pass to access the newly
THE SERVICE
Once seated I was
upgraded Sky Lounge. After quickly
offered a fresh juice or mineral water
THE VERDICT
This was the final leg of
passing through security and passport
(no alcohol is served onboard) and a
my journey with the airline and I felt like
control I went straight to the lounge.
steaming hot towel. An on-demand
a VIP throughout the journey. The
Due to the late hour only a snack menu
was provided which included savoury
pastries, sushi and sandwiches, plus
fruits and desserts. Showers, free wifi
menu was presented so you could
order from this at any point during the
flight, up to 90 minutes prior to landing.
Due to the late take off I enjoyed soup
I FELT LIKE A
VIP THROUGHOUT
THE JOURNEY
spacious set up of the business class
cabin ensures you arrive as relaxed and
as refreshed as possible.
THE DETAILS Business class return
and charging points were all available.
with accompaniments and, prior to
flights from London Heathrow to
THE SEAT
The first impression
arrival, a full hot breakfast from a menu
Bendar Seri Begawan start from £2,948
on walking into the business class cabin
was just how generous the space is. The
featuring several choices. The service
was ultra-polite throughout the flight.
inclusive of taxes. flyroyalbrunei.com
Kirsty Hicks
10 CASTLE STREET, DORSET
THE HOTEL
10 Castle Street is a
marble-clad en-suite bathroom was
Grade II listed country house hotel in
quite stunning and included a separate
Cranborne, Dorset. Set in stunning
shower and a freestanding bath, plus
grounds, it has recently been remodelled
Temple Spa toiletries. An added bonus
and has nine individually designed and
were the stunning views across the
furnished guestrooms. Bournemouth
property's manicured lawns and gardens.
Airport is 15 miles away.
THE FACILITIES
Within the house
THE CHECK-IN
My room wasn't ready
were two bars, a billiards room and
when I arrived, but the receptionist went
various lounges including one outside
through the check-in process and then
which can easily double up as a meeting
offered to store my bags whilst I enjoyed
space – each of them offered a unique
a welcome drink in the bar.
atmosphere and design. The elegant
THE ROOM
My room on the
restaurant also offered a ‘tasting room’
second floor was nicely designed and
where guests can sit and watch the chefs
decorated with white and cream colours
at work. The food is all locally sourced
complemented by dark wood furniture
including from a vegetable garden within
THE VERDICT
This was a wonderful
and red seats. It featured a superbly
the grounds. There was complimentary
country house experience and the
comfortable super king-sized bed, work
wifi throughout the property but mobile
property has obviously been lovingly
desk, and a separate seating area with
sofa, two single armchairs and a coffee
table situated in front of a fireplace.
Also provided were bathrobes, slippers,
phone signal wasn’t great – but that
could be seen as a positive. Numerous
activities can be arranged including wine
tasting, game shooting, screenings, artist
THE PROPERTY HAS
OBVIOUSLY BEEN
LOVINGLY RESTORED
restored. It would be ideal for external
meetings or a company get together.
THE DETAILS 10 Castle Street,
Cranborne, Wimborne, BH21 5PZ.
coffee and tea-making facilities, a
talks and private parties. The property is
Rates start from £265 (B&B). Day
hairdryer, iPod docking station, DAB
available for exclusive use. There are
delegate rates are £60 and the 24-hour
radio, Smart TV and ample storage space
including two chest of drawers. The
plans for a spa to be opened in the not
too distant future.
rate is £285. 10castlestreet.com
David Clare
THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM 105
DEPARTURES
The final word
Brits’ pressing issues
Hilton Garden Inn is
taking the unusual
step of launching an
Ironing Club for its guests
after research found that
pressing clothes and linen is
Brits’ greatest simple pleasure.
According to the hotel group,
72% of us love firing up the iron
and letting off some steam to
help ‘decompress’, while twothirds
believe ironing is more
relaxing than yoga or meditation.
Almost half (44%) say it’s the
satisfying smoothing of creases
that makes it such a pleasure,
while 43% say it’s the excuse to
stand still for a while, coupled
with the repetitive motion of the
iron. Meanwhile, 40% say the
soothing sound of the steam is
what really does it for them.
Guests at the Hilton Garden
Inn London Heathrow Airport
can book into organised Ironing
Club sessions as part of a pilot
ahead of the scheme’s wider
roll-out across the UK. “Guests
are encourage to wear loose,
comfortable clothing,” says the
hotel group, “and soothing music
will be played throughout”.
Tal Shefer, Brand Head, Hilton
Garden Inn, EMEA, says: “We
know that today’s travellers
are looking for unique ways to
unwind. Our research reveals
that ironing is one of the nation’s
top simple pleasures, alongside
enjoying freshly-brewed coffee
and a lie-in.”
THE TOP 10…
STUNNING LIBRARIES
Check out the world's most
stunning public libraries on
your travels, as identified by
Wordery and Instagram
1 Seattle Public Library (below)
2 Bodleian Library, Oxford
3 Vancouver Public Library
4 Real Gabinete Português de
Leitura, Rio de Janeiro
5 The Public Library, Stuttgart
6 The Morgan Library, NYC
7 Bibliotheca Alexandrina,
Egypt
8 Stockholm Public Library
9 George Peabody Library,
Baltimore
10 Richard J. Riordan Central
Library, Los Angeles
Out with the old...
Move over Great
Pyramid of Giza
and the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon – a new
Seven Urban Wonders of the
World has been identified
and there’s one UK entrant
on the list… but it might not
be the one you expect.
London’s Camden Market is
joined on the new list by the
Sydney Opera House, Tokyo’s
Tsukiji Fish Market, The Bund
in Shanghai, the Louvre in Abu
Dhabi, Temple Street Night
Market in Hong Kong and
Albertina in Vienna. The super
seven was compiled by
LikeWhere on behalf of Hilton
and drew on smart data and
crowdsourced suggestions.
While it might seem daft to don a pair of
stilettos to explore the ancient wonders of
Greece, the wearing of high heels is in any
case banned at the country’s archaeological
sites in order to protect them from damage.
The rule is among some unlikely laws highlighted
by travel website Smart Lemur. In
Iran, for example, it’s illegal for men to walk
the streets wearing ponytails or mullets, and
in Burundi, president Pierre Nkurunziza
decided that jogging is a
subversive protest against
the government.
106 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
2019
September 17th-18th
Registration open from
December 1
The FREE event for
buyers and arrangers
of business travel and
meetings
Hilton London
Bankside, Southwark
For further information about attending as a delegate or exhibitor
contact Kirsty.Hicks@bmipublishing.co.uk
thebusinesstravelconference.com
2019
September 17th-18th
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