Business Travel Tips

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported the Premium traffic — number of passengers traveling on First and Business Class airline tickets — dropped eight percent in September compared to September 2007.

The figure, reflecting the severity the economic downturn and the fall in the confidence of manufacturers in the US, Japan and Europe, will likely record a further decline in October given the turmoil in the financial sector registered in this month.

- Regionally

Premium traffic flying on North Atlantic markets fell two percent, 11.6 percent between the U.S. and Asia across the Pacific.
Premium traffic flying within the Middle East fell 13.8 percent and also between Europe and Asia registered declines.
It seems to still be growing Premium traffic from the US to South America.

A survey sponsored by Plantronics, Inc reveals that as most companies have significantly reduced business travel, more people work from home at least once a week.
The study, conducted by research firm TNS, revealed that over the past year 42 percent of knowledge workers have seen declines in corporate travel, while 40 percent of those surveyed spent more time in teleconferences, and 30 percent have increased the amount of time they telecommute.

(photo by askpang – CC license)

“A shift is occurring in the way businesses operate in trying economic times,” said Chuck Yort, vice president and general manager of Business Solutions at Plantronics. “Many corporations have worked to find cost effective ways for employees to communicate and connect with colleagues and customers, a trend that was sparked by high travel costs and has been accelerated by the uncertain financial climate…”

Additional findings from the survey of more than 500 knowledge workers included the following:

- Reduced Business Travel -
– More than one-third of individual employees were traveling less on business over the past year, with 42 percent of that group reporting their corporate travel had been cut in half
– Executives (those with the title of vice president or higher) were much more likely to report a reduction in business travel than other professionals

- Increased Use of Teleconferences and Collaboration Tools -
– Four out of (more…)

American Airlines customers departing on domestic flights from Chicago’s O’Hare International, Los Angeles International (LAX) and John Wayne Orange County (SNA) airports can choose to receive their boarding passes electronically on their mobile phones or PDAs.

If this program will be successful in these trial cities, it could be extended to additional U.S. airports in the coming months.
Customers must have an Internet-enabled mobile device and an active e-mail address.

- How it works
When customers check in for their flight using American’s Web site, AA.com, they select the option to receive their boarding passes on their cell phones or PDAs.

They will get an e-mail with an Internet link to their boarding pass. The mobile boarding pass contains a 2-D barcode that can be scanned at TSA security checkpoints and at American Airlines gates.

At the airport, customers simply scan their cell phone or PDA screen when going through Security (proper identification must be presented) and when boarding, just as they would a traditional paper boarding pass.

Customers wishing to check bags can also use the new option by scanning the boarding pass on their cell phone or PDA screen at American Airlines self-service machines, ticket counters, or curbside check-in facilities.

Customers who check in online and wish to print a paper boarding pass are still able to do so, by selecting either “Print” or “E-mail for Print” when they choose how they would like to receive their boarding pass.
For more information on American Airlines’ mobile boarding passes, visit www.aa.com/mobileboarding.

Beginning today, the U.S. Visa Waiver Program will include South Korea and six Eastern European countries — Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Slovak Republic.

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of specific countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa.
The other participating countries are: Andorra, Iceland, Norway, Australia, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Italy, San Marino, Belgium, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Finland, Monaco, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The move will help to offset the decline of the number of overseas visitors to the USA, which, given the global economic crisis, is expected to drop 3% in 2009.

As the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is predicting business travel will continue to expand next year — though at a slower pace, hotel forecasters suggest 2009 will mark for U.S. hotels the worst occupancy rate over the last 30 years.

NBTA says the number of business trips in 2009 will increase at a slower pace than the annual growth from 2004 through 2007.

However, hotel industry analysts predict the demand for hotels in the U.S. will fall by 2 percent in 2009. That, coupled with an increase in supply, is expected to reduce room occupancy levels to 58.6 percent.

With economy slowdown, companies reducing nonessential travel and re-thinking their travel policies, hotel companies could also suffer a pressure on the corporate rates they charge for 2009.
Companies may feel rates negotiated when the economy was stronger, are too much in times of recession.