If suppliers want to better serve travelers into the future, they best understand those future travelers’ needs. Festive Road managing partner Caroline Strachan, a frequent traveler and former travel manager, puts herself in their shoes to distill the essentials of personalization and engagement. Two years ago, an audience member asked a great question whilst I was onstage at… Read More »
Travel management company executives said they were happy that the International Air Transport Association engaged them during a first-of-its-kind meeting in Geneva last week. The gathering kicked off IATA’s new Global Travel Management Executive Council. The effort was a long time coming, some said as they pushed aside their complaints to focus on the positives. So what was… Read More »
Travel management always has been about communication. Today it’s called engagement, and it’s crucial. Collecting feedback from travelers, coordinating with various departments and getting the right messages to the C-suite can be daunting. Repositioning the travel manager’s role may help. A recent job posting at Tesla reflects today’s thinking. The corporate travel manager for the Americas region that… Read More »
Competition for top talent is intense in some industries and keeping demanding workers is challenging. Many companies have recognized this by revamping approaches to human resources. A growing number allow workers to personalize benefits packages. They’re providing various perks to help employees calibrate work/life balance. What about travel? Aligning better with people strategies is perhaps one of travel management’s biggest opportunities. It may… Read More »
Festive Road is a travel consultancy for the social media age. It’s got excellent communicators. Heck, it has The Company Dime as a partner (see disclosure, below). When it comes to TMC sourcing, the U.K.-based firm’s announcement this week of a simpler approach met with a ho lot of hum from competitors on both sides of the Atlantic.… Read More »
Corporations are looking for an all-in-one business travel app that doesn’t, and won’t, exist. Developers think messaging, natural language and “deep linking” between apps bring the notion as close to reality as possible. A single mobile app that does everything sounds great. Why? Simplicity. It’s natural for procurement pros to seek fewer suppliers. It’s easiest to point travelers… Read More »
[UPDATE, May 26, 2017: IAG informed industry partners that British Airways and Iberia would add a $10 fee as of Nov. 1, essentially for each one-way trip, on tickets purchased in global distribution systems. The fee will be displayed as a “Q charge” in fare constructions, and included in itinerary fare quotes. Refunds will align with the rules of the… Read More »