GUEST BLOG: Four steps for managing business travel effectively

According to the Global Business Travel Association, spend on business travel is expected to grow 6%  in 2018, ending an ‘era of uncertainty’ for corporates with regards to budgets. This is hardly surprising when you consider that for every $1 spent on business travel, a company can realise $12.50 in incremental revenue. Firms are keen to use business travel to grow and expand.

However, with this increase, comes more pressure for those booking and managing trips. Research from Collinson Group, owner of Priority Pass, found that 65% of HR professionals at large companies anticipate the process of sending employees abroad will become more complicated from a Duty of Care perspective.

Employers have an obligation to provide a safe, secure and positive environment for staff to work in, both in and out of the office. Here are our key tips to manage business travel effectively:

Creating and communicating business travel guidelines 

While rough guidelines for business travel do exist, many companies have no standard approach when it comes to Duty of Care requirements. In fact, less than half of HR professionals (47% at large corporates / 40% at SMEs) issue staff with clear cut business travel guidelines. Unfortunately, even when these are issued to employees, they sometimes fall below the required mark. A third (36%) of business travellers described the information their company issued them with as “standardised” and not related to specific business travel needs. Firms should have a coherent risk management strategy in place and ensure these are relevant to the travel needs of individual members of staff.

Conducting effective risk assessments 

Risk assessments should be a fundamental part of Duty of Care, yet 53% of large corporates and 25% of SMEs only conduct risk assessments associated with employee travel if the employee is going to an area deemed “high risk”. Some of the reasons for this will relate to experience and/or budget considerations. But not having a proper risk assessment and contingency plan in place could mean that businesses are leaving staff – and themselves – exposed to unnecessary travel risks. Companies should consider using the services of third party risk partners, such as online portals providing real-time health and security information, to help support these processes.

Managing employees’ whereabouts 

When an employee requires assistance, you want to ensure a rapid response whilst also ensuring costs don’t spiral. There are different approaches to keep an eye on employees’ whereabouts when they’re travelling; companies need to find what works for them. For example, while travel tracking tools are often used by large corporates, they can be expensive and for many smaller companies, this will not be a sensible option. Instead, they should opt to micro-manage the tracking of their employees’ travel directly and on an individual basis. 

Providing a seamless travel experience

As well as keeping staff safe and fulfilling their Duty of Care responsibilities, employers need to ensure they focus on giving employees the best ‘customer experience’ possible – and not neglecting the importance of their social and emotional needs. Half (51%) of business travellers cite being away from home and family as the most challenging aspect of travelling abroad. Amongst other top concerns was access to consistent Wi-Fi (49%), being away from the office (38%) and the impact of travel on productivity (36%). What may feel like modest benefits to some, can make a real difference to staff effectiveness and their morale, while making them feel more valued and open to spending time away from home. For business travellers, the lounge in an airport or transportation hub is something of a sanctuary; a place for downtime and to relax, to stay connected with friends, colleagues and family members, as they prepare for travel.

Businesses need to ensure they are consolidating their approach to Duty of Care and ensure they are working with the right third party providers to achieve this. The reality is that if approached correctly, business travel can be highly rewarding, motivating for employees and drive extensive business gains.

This blog has been written by Jon White, Marketing Director, Travel Experiences, Collinson Group. The full findings from Collinson Group’s ‘Taking Care of Business Travel’ research can be found here.  If you want to find out more, please visit the Priority Pass team at the Business Travel Show, Stand B322.

How are airports transforming to improve business travellers’ experience?

Despite a sluggish 2016, business travel growth is set to go full steam ahead over the next few years, driven by economic buoyancy in emerging markets, a boost in global trade, and fluctuating currencies, according to the latest forecast from the Global Business Travel Association.

For some though, the airport can be the most stressful and unpleasant part of a trip. For business travellers in particular, the airport can be a thorn in their side – a regular part of their working routine which can be unproductive and often eats into personal time.

Thankfully, many terminals across the world are now transforming to better appeal to travellers. In fact, recent research from Collinson Group showed that 53 per cent of travellers now say they enjoy the time they spend in airports. So why is this change in perception occurring?

Expanding the choice of activities for downtime

A big emphasis has been put on expanding retail options, particularly luxury shops and duty-free discounts, as well as creating sanctuaries for passengers to relax ahead of flights. At Dubai International Airport, there are Sleep Pods for weary travellers and a ‘Zen Garden’. Heathrow’s Aspire Lounge has a spa with express treatments, while the airport itself boasts over 20 fashion and luxury brands including Harrods and Louis Vuitton for those who fancy a spot of retail therapy.

Quiet spaces to work away from the crowds

Most airports around the world now have premium lounges where passengers can enjoy quiet, relaxing, connected spaces. No longer trying to sign up to sketchy internet connections, free Wi-Fi allows them to fire off those last-minute emails, transforming ‘dead time’ into productive work. They can also take advantage of the complimentary snacks and drinks, which for those travelling frequently, can also replace subsistence expenses of the departure hall.

Digital push to create a seamless experience

Today’s business travellers expect everything to be available digitally 24/7. To meet this demand, we are seeing a rise in new services such as digital airline tickets, airport apps and digital membership cards for airport lounge access. With an enthusiasm for technology, business travellers value apps, smartphones and digital experiences expecting unique offers, regularly updated digital content and a seamless handover between all channels.

This post was written by Justin Banon, Director, Priority Pass.The Priority Pass team will be at the BusinessTravel Summit Amsterdam and available to discuss business travel trends, and how you can best support your business travellers, at Stand 13.

GUEST BLOG: The rise of the digital airport experience

Airports in the 21^st Century have become some of the most technologically advanced buildings in the world. It wasn’t too long ago that robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) were seen as wildly futuristic, but such has been the rapid pace of advancement, that these technologies have now become commonplace. In Geneva and Auckland they are today guiding passengers through foreign airports in a language of their choosing, and even recognising, reading and reacting to their emotions.

From the very moment a passenger enters the terminal doors, to the second their feet touch foreign soil, digital tools and technologies are playing an increasingly important role. Biometric enabled self-service check-in facilities and bespoke mobile phone applications, designed to help navigate through airport processes, from check-in to boarding, and bag drop to shopping, are testament to this. The potential of big data and data science is also helping airlines and airports alike to get closer to customers than ever before, establishing patterns in passenger behaviour and better tailoring services to accommodate this.

Functionality from door to plane

This of course isn’t just innovation for the sake of innovation. One of the fundamental catalysts driving change in airports is the rise of the digital traveller. With a smartphone in every pocket, contactless payments at most stores, and access to the internet from almost any location on earth, travellers have come to expect a level of digital experience in every aspect of their lives - airports are no exception.

It is this context that inspired us at Priority Pass to carry out research designed to uncover just how technically savvy today’s businesses travellers are. We found that there is a clear demand for digital technologies that enable a seamless travel experience through the various stages of the airport. When travellers were asked to discuss the innovations that they view as important to the airports of the future, 46% said that they expect to see high levels of automation across areas such as kiosks and check ins. We would expect these numbers to continue to rise over the coming years as airport features like the robots who greet passengers at Tokyo Airport and the airport luggage check-in robot at Geneva Airport, become more commonplace.

The research also found that 50% of European travellers believe that digital boarding passes and e-tickets make the airport experience much easier, with 41% of frequent business fliers regularly using airport mobile apps when passing through an airport. The findings of our study confirm the strong appetite that we know frequent flyers have for digital. Since our brand refresh, we have seen a dramatic increase in the use of our new Priority Pass app across all platforms - iOS up over 50%, Android up by 10% and downloads of our BlackBerry app up by over 1,000%. We also polled our members in a recent Digital Pulse Survey and saw a 90% rating on digital initiatives such as the Digital Membership Card and new mobile app (86%).

There is clearly a growing impetus to deliver a seamless digital experience at airports, driving new levels of 21^st Century customer service, while taking the stress out of travel and providing a more personalised and intuitive passenger experience. The beautiful thing with technology is that there is no limit to what can be achieved, so it will be exciting to see what new developments 2017 brings.

This post was written by Stephen Simpson, Global Marketing Director, Priority Pass. Priority Pass will be exhibiting at the Business Travel Show and look forward to discussing business travel trends and how you can support your business travellers at stand B422.

GUEST BLOG: REDUCING BUSINESS TRAVEL BURNOUT

Most people associate travel with sunshine, memorable holidays, relaxation and time with their family, but for the community of business travellers scattered across the globe, it’s an altogether different experience. 

Business travel can be gruelling.  A dash to the airport and a quickly written presentation on the plane, followed by a taxi to the hotel or meeting, sandwiches at the conference table for lunch, then finally returning home long after the kids have gone to bed. 

To add to this, a survey by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) found that over the last two years, companies are spending less money on staff upgrades for flights or hotel rooms.

Despite advances in web conferencing, many meetings still take place in person and journeys can be long, particularly when looking at international travel to Asian and Latin American markets. According to tClara, a company dedicated to deliver high-value analyses of corporate travel data, the top 5% of business travellers spend an average of 214 hours on an aeroplane every year. Almost two thirds (65%) of this travel takes place during personal time in the evenings and weekends. This all means that some travellers are away from home for around 2.5 months a year, spending more time traveling for business than on paid annual leave.

It can be of no surprise then, to learn that ‘travel friction’, the wear and tear of regular business travel on employees, has an impact on motivation, morale and employee engagement.

The Airport Lounge as a Sanctuary

That’s why we at Priority Pass recently undertook research to shed new light on the attitudes and demands of frequent flyers. Our research found that six out of ten (59%) frequent business flyers consider access to a premium airport lounge to be an ‘important’ or ‘very important’ factor when selecting an airport, with 40% admitting to going straight to the lounge and avoiding the shops altogether. This corresponded with earlier Priority Pass research findings that three-quarters of frequent business travellers (73%) choose not to stay in 4 or 5 star hotels, but instead look to enhance their trips with other benefits such as concierge services, something that nearly half (46%) see as being essential or nice to have. 

The message from frequent business travellers is clear. A place of sanctuary and a rare moment of tranquillity in a peaceful and convenient environment is increasingly important. More important in fact than the hotel or room waiting for the flyer upon arrival. Many are indeed taking note of this and are exploring different ways of making the travel experience smoother in order to ease traveller burnout and the loss of productivity many employees experience. And the good news is that some good ground is clearly being made. Today, over half (51%) of frequent business flyers actively enjoy the airport experience, a high percentage when you consider the fact that the business flyer is traveling for work purposes and does not have the relaxation of a typical leisure trip to look forward to on arrival.

Life on the Road

Reducing travel burnout is of course wider than the lounge itself. Digital technology is also helping to reduce this friction caused by business travel. Half of European travellers (50%) believe that digital boarding passes and e-tickets make the airport experience much easier, with 41% of frequent business travellers using airport mobile apps. Today’s business travellers are embracing digital technologies thanks to their ability to reduce the stress of travel. Digital tickets, digital membership cards for airport lounges, spas and restaurants and apps that make it easy to look-up destinations all help to provide a more seamless and personalised experience at airports.

I believe that we are today witnessing a turning of the tide, with an increasing number of organisations starting to recognise the value that can be gained if the experience of flying for business is seamless and is supportive of work. As international travel for work becomes more common than ever before, many are starting to realise that it is more than just a perk to allow flyers to arrive refreshed, relaxed and ready to do business. It makes sound commercial sense.

This post was written by Stephen Simpson, Global Marketing Director, Priority Pass. Priority Pass is exhibiting at the Business Travel Show next month - 22-23 February 2017 at Olympia London and is looking forward to discussing business travel trends and how you can support your business travellers at stand B422.Buyers can register for a free visitor pass at www.businesstravelshow.com. 

GUEST BLOG: Frictionless Business Travel

Most people associate travel with memorable holidays and time with their family but business travel can be gruelling.  A dash to the airport, quickly writing a presentation on the plane, then a taxi to the hotel or meeting, sandwiches at the conference table for lunch and only getting back home after the kids have gone to bed. 

Despite advances in web conferencing, many meetings still take place in person and with a focus on Asian and Latin American markets, journeys can be long. According to tClara, a company dedicated to deliver high-value analyses of corporate travel data, the top 5% of business travellers spend an average of 214 hours on an airplane every year with 65% of this on personal time in the evenings and weekends.  This all means that some travellers are away from home for around 2.5 months a year, spending more time traveling than on paid annual leave.

‘Travel friction’, the wear and tear of regular business travel on employees, has an impact on motivation and employee engagement. To ease traveler burnout and the loss of productivity many employees experience, companies are exploring different ways of making the travel experience smoother. 

Priority Pass research found that nearly three-quarters of frequent business travellers (73%) choose not to stay in 4 or 5 star hotels, but look to enhance their trips with other benefits. Airport lounge access is considered essential or nice to have for 69% of UK frequent business travellers, while nearly half (46%) see concierge services as essential or nice to have.  Additional benefits such as premium offers for car hire, airport restaurant and retail promotions or access to exclusive sporting locations such as golf courses also add value to business travellers. 

The research highlights a number of opportunities for business travel providers and for internal corporate travel teams.  Frequent business travellers are more loyal to their preferred airline (61%) than general travellers (39%) but show less loyalty to hotel groups, suggesting that hoteliers who can offer enhancements such as access to arts and cultural events, fine dining and wines or spas can attract and retain these valuable customers.  Hotels could also offer more family oriented benefits which bridge business and leisure travel, such as organised excursions. 

Digital technology is also reducing the friction caused by  business travel.  Digital tickets, digital membership for airport lounges, spas and restaurants and apps making it easy to look-up destinations all help to provide a more seamless experience at airports, something that we know is highly valued by today’s business travellers.

An increasing number of organisations are starting to recognise the value that can be gained if the experience of flying for business feels a lot less like work, something that the Priority Pass team will be on standby to discuss at stand B422. We look forward to seeing you then.

This post was written by Stephen Simpson, Global Marketing Director, Priority Pass, who are exhibiting at the Business Travel Show next week - register for a free pass now at www.businesstravelshow.com. 

GUEST BLOG: The growing need for the digital experience

In my last post, The Changing Face of Business Travel, I explored how the landscape in the business travel industry is shifting. Now I’d like to explore one of the fundamental catalysts driving that change: the growing need for the digital experience.

When you think about it, airports have quickly become some of the most technologically advanced buildings in the world. Just walk through the front entrance of London’s Heathrow Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, Dubai International Airport or San Francisco International if you don’t believe me.

Through clever use of technologies, airports have succeeded in allowing passengers to take control of their journey (something that organisations in other sectors can only dream about). From the moment a passenger enters the terminal doors, to the second their feet touch foreign soil, digital tools and technologies are playing an increasingly important role. Biometric enabled self-service check-in facilities and bespoke mobile phone applications designed to help to navigate through airport processes from check-in to boarding, from bag drop to shopping are testament to this.

It is this context that inspired us, at Priority Pass to carry out research, designed to uncover just how technically savvy today’s businesses travellers are. We found that in general frequent business travellers are active users of technology, both inside and outside the airport. Since our brand refresh last October, we have seen a dramatic increase in app usage across all platforms - iOS up over 50%, Android up by 10% and downloads of our BlackBerry app up by over 1,000%. Business travellers’ thirst for digital doesn’t just stop there; we know that they want their travel experience to be equally integrated with their devices, available digitally 24/7.

There is clearly a growing impetus to provide a seamless digital experience at airports, driving new levels of 21^st Century customer service, while taking the stress out of travel and providing a more personalised and intuitive passenger experience. The Priority Pass digital experts will be at the Business Travel Show and look forward to discussing how you can offer your business travellers a digital experience, at stand B422.

This post was written by Stephen Simpson, Global Marketing Director, Priority Pass who are exhibiting at the Business Travel Show. Register now for a free pass at www.businesstravelshow.com. 

GUEST BLOG: THE CHANGING FACE OF BUSINESS TRAVEL

Last year, the Business Travel Show demonstrated that more money was being freed up in the business travel market in 2015, with a third (33%) of European business travel buyers admitting to having more money to spend. Shortly after that, figures from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) confirmed that spending on business travel in Germany, Britain, France, Spain and Italy is set to grow from $186.3 billion in 2014 to an expected figure of $210.6 billion in 2016.

Stephen Simpson

Clearly the face of business travel is rapidly changing and as the number of business travellers across the globe grows so too do their expectations. Which is precisely why we, at Priority Pass, recently undertook research amongst the world’s most frequent business travellers to understand some of these changes:

The rise of the travelling young professional – A new group of frequent flyers and business travellers has surfaced among 26-35 year olds, who are demonstrating distinctive travel and spending habits. This group are very well-travelled, making an average of 24 round trips per year and nine business class flights. They are keen to show they are ‘making it’, take an average of seven gadgets while they fly and spend money on additional business travel benefits that offer convenience and comfort, more so than the older business travel demographics surveyed.

The growing importance of lounges and luxury – Did you know that when given the choice, 73% of business travellers choose to enhance their trips with added benefits like airport lounge access and travel concierge services rather than staying in 4* or 5* hotels? And that airport lounge access is today considered an essential or nice to have for 69% of the UK’s frequent business travellers? Luxury travel perks are being increasingly called upon by today’s business travellers. Interestingly, following feedback from focus groups of our members, Asian business travellers in particular also value the prestige and status that luxury travel benefits - like lounge access - bring to their trip.

Growing need for digital experience – Today’s business travellers expect everything, to be available digitally 24/7. To meet this demand we are seeing a rise in new services such as digital airline tickets, airport apps and digital membership cards for airport lounge access. With an enthusiasm for technology, business travellers value apps, smartphones and digital experiences expecting unique offers, regularly updated digital content and a seamless handover between all channels. 61% of those we surveyed cite gadgets as their biggest indulgence, while 90% spend more than 5 hours a week on their smartphone.

This blog post was written by Stephen Simpson, Global Marketing Director, Priority Pass

The Priority Pass team will be at the Business Travel Show and look forward to discussing business travel trends and how you can support your business travelers at stand B422.