Airline mergers could mean big changes for travelers
Travelers might face higher fares and a decline in customer service if large airlines consolidate, Scott McCartney writes. He notes that although carriers could better survive high oil prices and economic downturns by merging, passengers historically have suffered from the business changes that accompany them -- confusion at airports, late flights, lost luggage and new frequent flier rules, for example. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (1/15) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120036196748790123.html
Airlines oppose new DOT policy allowing airports to vary rates
Policy changes proposed by the Department of Transportation would allow airports to charge airlines higher runway fees during peak hours. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said the policy changes are aimed at reducing delays and congestion, but airlines said they will instead result in higher fares for passengers and will not solve delay and congestion problems. The new policy is "nothing more than congestion pricing disguised as an airport fee. Unfortunately, that does nothing to fix the primary cause of delays, our nation's increasingly antiquated air traffic control system," ATA President and CEO James C. May said. Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (1/14) , NY1 (New York City) (1/14) , Associated Press (1/14) , The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) (1/15) , The New York Times (1/15) , Reuters (1/15) , Aviation Daily (1/15)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
2008 Business Travel Forcast
With the cost of business travel expected to rise at least 6% in 2008, managing your travel spend becomes even more critical.
By Tracy Newton, Manager Business Travel Services for Carlson Wagonlit Travel
January 10, 2008 - It’s the start of another new year, and you may have noticed talks of travel in the news. In fact, if you have traveled lately, you've also noticed planes flying at capacity, frequent delays, fewer flights, more cancellations, not to mention new surcharges for fuel and everything imaginable including seats and luggage.
What does this mean to you?
Rising prices, aging navigation technology at airports and a variety of other situations related to travel are becoming a growing concern for business travelers. With the surge in demand and increasing fuel costs, prices are on the rise -- and are expected to continue rising in the coming months in the upwards of 6-8%, maybe more. Air carriers and hoteliers see this as the long-awaited swing to the seller's market.
With the sellers rejoicing, how can you, as a company control spending in 2008?
Measure All Business Travel Spend
You can only change that which you can measure.
By measuring and closely monitoring your business travel spend, you can quickly identify opportunities to save while also creating balance between cost containment and employee comfort based on your business goals and objectives.
Many businesses are surprised to see this information – often unaware of how much is really being spent in T&E. By drilling down in the data, you can plan accordingly and make minor adjustments if necessary. When you see areas that need improvement, simply make small changes to your travel policy to achieve the desired results.
Revise Your Travel Policy
Chances are your travel policy has not been reviewed in some time; in fact, some companies do not even have a written policy for business travelers to follow. With the state of our economy and travel trends for 2008, this is going to become increasingly important to monitor.
Your policy should be reviewed by a professional on a regular basis & redistributed to employees as economic and industry changes transpire. An actively managed travel policy is the best way to ensure travelers are traveling safely & comfortably while also complying with the company’s goals and objectives.
Make Time For Change
There's no better time that the present - in fact, now is a great time to initiate changes in your existing business travel program. With an already full workload, we often find that travel is not ‘that’ important. Making the initial change may seem like too much work, but it takes no more than a few business days to get everything on track. In no time you will be thankful you invested your time in this short process.
You can rely on your travel partner to navigate the upcoming industry changes work with suppliers and look out for your best interest, resulting in cost containment and savings that will have an effect on your bottom line.
As travel prices begin to rise, now is a critical time to keep a close eye on your travel spending and make your short-term and long-term strategic adjustments. Many of these changes necessitate travel policy or behavioral changes, which require efforts beyond daily responsibilities.
Don’t wait until it is too late - let us help you.
By Tracy Newton, Manager Business Travel Services for Carlson Wagonlit Travel
January 10, 2008 - It’s the start of another new year, and you may have noticed talks of travel in the news. In fact, if you have traveled lately, you've also noticed planes flying at capacity, frequent delays, fewer flights, more cancellations, not to mention new surcharges for fuel and everything imaginable including seats and luggage.
What does this mean to you?
Rising prices, aging navigation technology at airports and a variety of other situations related to travel are becoming a growing concern for business travelers. With the surge in demand and increasing fuel costs, prices are on the rise -- and are expected to continue rising in the coming months in the upwards of 6-8%, maybe more. Air carriers and hoteliers see this as the long-awaited swing to the seller's market.
With the sellers rejoicing, how can you, as a company control spending in 2008?
Measure All Business Travel Spend
You can only change that which you can measure.
By measuring and closely monitoring your business travel spend, you can quickly identify opportunities to save while also creating balance between cost containment and employee comfort based on your business goals and objectives.
Many businesses are surprised to see this information – often unaware of how much is really being spent in T&E. By drilling down in the data, you can plan accordingly and make minor adjustments if necessary. When you see areas that need improvement, simply make small changes to your travel policy to achieve the desired results.
Revise Your Travel Policy
Chances are your travel policy has not been reviewed in some time; in fact, some companies do not even have a written policy for business travelers to follow. With the state of our economy and travel trends for 2008, this is going to become increasingly important to monitor.
Your policy should be reviewed by a professional on a regular basis & redistributed to employees as economic and industry changes transpire. An actively managed travel policy is the best way to ensure travelers are traveling safely & comfortably while also complying with the company’s goals and objectives.
Make Time For Change
There's no better time that the present - in fact, now is a great time to initiate changes in your existing business travel program. With an already full workload, we often find that travel is not ‘that’ important. Making the initial change may seem like too much work, but it takes no more than a few business days to get everything on track. In no time you will be thankful you invested your time in this short process.
You can rely on your travel partner to navigate the upcoming industry changes work with suppliers and look out for your best interest, resulting in cost containment and savings that will have an effect on your bottom line.
As travel prices begin to rise, now is a critical time to keep a close eye on your travel spending and make your short-term and long-term strategic adjustments. Many of these changes necessitate travel policy or behavioral changes, which require efforts beyond daily responsibilities.
Don’t wait until it is too late - let us help you.
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