Dave

Global Travel Management Client benefits

/in /by

Global Travel Management clients can benefit from a range of products and services sourced and made available on their behalf by the team at GTM. Many of these come with exclusive discounts.

Whether you are looking for pre-flight testing and negative Covid-19 certificates, flight-specific personal PPE products or a secure means of tracking, tracing and relocating lost baggage, there is a range of products and services available with exclusive discounts for GTM clients.

This page is updated with new products and services on a regular basis, so please bookmark and check back regularly.

The Gate 8 Multi-trip Hygiene Kit comprises a washbag, facemasks, hand sanitiser, medical gloves and disinfecting wipes.

The Gate 8 Multi-trip Hygiene Kit comes in a TSA-approved washbag and includes face coverings and masks, hand sanitiser, gloves and wipes.
  • Washbag – TSA approved
  • Washable face covering – double layer
  • 5 disposable face masks – non-woven, with latex-free elasticated loops
  • 30ml hand sanitiser – alcohol content 70%
  • 2 pairs of gloves – vinyl, en455.1.2.3 certified
  • Disinfecting wipes – 75% alcohol

GTM clients benefit from a 20% discount on the Multi-trip Hygiene Pack.

For more information, and to purchase packs, please click here and use discount code GTM.

For the Gate 8 Multi-Trip Hygiene Kit, use discount code “GTM”

There is a growing list of countries which require passengers to present a certificate confirming a negative Covid-19 test prior to arrival.

GTM has relationships with two suppliers, DiamondAir and Confirm Testing. Both organisations can test passengers pre-flight and provide negative test certificates by email, paving the way for unhindered progress through the airport and on to their destination country.

DiamondAir

The customer is tested in person, choosing to be tested either at Heathrow Airport or at one of Diamond Air’s London facilities in Mayfair or Enfield. The result of the PCR swab test is provided within 4-24 hours.

Customers can choose from several levels of service, including:

  • Test – this is a straightforward test, with results emailed to the customer
  • Test and rest – this comprises a test and overnight hotel accommodation
  • Test and destress – a test, plus departure/arrival meet and assist service including car transfer to/from the test clinic/airport

For more details about DiamondAir testing, how the process works and to access the exclusive rates available to GTM clients, contact your GTM Account Manager.

Confirm Testing

The customer orders a test to be sent to their home address at least five days prior to departure by Royal Mail Tracked 24 hour delivery. The test can be stored at home until it is required. The customer follows the test instructions, takes the test sample and returns it using the Royal Mail Tracked 24 hour label and packaging, putting them into a designated priority post box.

The test sample is analysed and results provided to the customer in time for the flight.

For more information about the Confirm Testing service, click here. And for the FAQs, click here.

For the Confirm Testing PCR tests and negative test certificates, use the discount code GTMCT10.

At Global Travel Management, we take care of business trips. That doesn’t just mean taking care of your travel bookings. We can also help you look after your possessions.


HomingPINs can be attached to luggage and valuable possessions, so that owners can quickly retrieve them if the items are lost.

That’s why we’re recommending HomingPIN luggage tags and asset labels from HomingPIN.com, the world’s first global lost property recovery system. HomingPIN is integrated into 2,800 airports, and it also works on airlines, trains, taxis, ships, buses everywhere.

Simply purchase a pack of HomingPINs, activate them, then attach the activated loops to bags (or with optional keyring to keys) and asset labels to your mobile phones, cameras, laptops, wallets, passports, bikes etc. and you will travel knowing that your important possessions are traceable through the HomingPIN service.

To use HomingPIN, first set up your account, here and use the discount code GTM20 when purchasing HomingPIN luggage tags and stickers for valuable items.

For HomingPIN, use discount code “GTM20”

Dave

GTM rolls out Testing for Travellers

/in , /by

Global Travel Management has announced the roll-out of two Covid-19 testing services for customers planning international travel.

GTM has relationships with two suppliers, Confirm Testing and DiamondAir. Both organisations can test passengers pre-flight and provide negative test certificates by email, paving the way for unhindered progress through the airport and on to their destination country.

Scott Pawley, managing director of GTM said

There is a growing list of business destinations that require a negative test certificate from UK-based travellers. So we are pleased to have put together testing programmes from two industry leaders, so that our customers can get tested and can receive certificates prior to travel.

Any customer can now choose the most convenient method, suiting their requirements. Tests can be carried out at home, at Heathrow Airport, or in specific locations in London.

We can even arrange a hotel stay prior to departure, so customers can receive take the test a day prior to their fight, relax in the hotel overnight before receiving their negative certificate the following day and transfer quickly and easily to the airport.

GTM customers will have a choice of supplier to administer and carry out their testing. The two programmes work as follows:

Confirm Testing

The customer orders a test to be sent to their home address at least five days prior to departure by Royal Mail Tracked 24 hour delivery. The test can be stored at home until it is required. The customer follows the test instructions, takes the test sample and returns it using the Royal Mail Tracked 24 hour label and packaging, putting them into a designated priority post box.

The test sample is analysed and results provided to the customer in time for the flight.

DiamondAir

The customer is tested in person, choosing to be tested either at Heathrow Airport or at one of Diamond Air’s London facilities in Mayfair or Enfield. The result of the PCR swab test is provided within 4-24 hours.

Customers can choose from several levels of service, including:

  • Test – this is a straightforward test, with results emailed to the customer
  • Test and rest – this comprises a test and overnight hotel accommodation
  • Test and destress – a test, plus departure/arrival meet and assist service including car transfer to/from the test clinic/airport

Paul Baker explained the service further

Testing for Covid-19 is mandatory for a growing number of countries. So we have negotiated a discount for GTM customers with these providers, meaning that, not only will they get a fully professional, secure testing process, they will get it at a discounted rate.

Some countries demand that the test certificate is produced within a short time-frame of their planned arrival in the country. So our teams of travel consultants can help passengers decide which testing service best meets their needs.


If you are planning to travel on business to a country that requires a negative test, contact your GTM Account Manager.

Dave

United is Back at JFK

/in /by

United Airlines has announced it will be returning service to New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport next year.

The airline will resume flights from JFK, after a gap of five years, on 1 February, 2021 with a non-stop service to the west coast. The new service will operate out of Terminal 7.

From February, United will serve both JFK to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and JFK to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with two round-trips for each city.

The flights will utilise the reconfigured Boeing 767-300ER aircraft on the routes offering customers an extended premium cabin featuring 16 additional United Business class seats – providing all-aisle-access seating – bringing the total premium cabin seat count to 46.

Scott Kirby: “United Airlines is back at JFK”

The aircraft will also feature 22 United Premium Plus seats, 47 Economy Plus seats and 52 Economy seats.

United claims to offer the most premium seats between the New York City area and Los Angeles and San Francisco markets. Tickets are now available for purchase on United.com.

Scott Kirby, United Airlines’ CEO said,

I have been waiting a long time to say this – United Airlines is back at JFK.

Come early next year, we will be serving all three major New York City area airports with a best-in-class product to provide our customers unmatched transcontinental service from New York City and the west coast.

United’s premium cabin will feature flat-bed seats on all flights similar to the current Newark-Los Angeles and Newark-San Francisco offerings, providing a consistent and comprehensive NYC-west coast product.

Additionally, United’s wide-body service can participate in the robust cargo market between JFK and the west coast.

If you need to fly out of JFK, contact your GTM Account Manager.

Dave

Half of travellers intend to travel again within months: survey

/in /by

Airports Council International has released a survey showing nearly half of respondents intend to travel again within the next three months.

The findings of the Airports Council International (ACI) World ASQ Global Traveller Survey can be attributed to a strong level of confidence in the environment safety provided by airports and airlines.

The survey found that 48% of travellers considered themselves likely to travel within the next three months but, despite this eagerness to travel, the recovery is dependent on a multitude of factors.

Passengers expect that new measures are put in place to address health risks, including mandatory masks for passengers and staff, Covid-19 testing prior to the trip, hand sanitising stations and the development of a more contactless airport experience.

The survey found an overall slight decrease in travel frequency is expected. This will have an impact on the proportion of traffic type with domestic traffic helping recovery in the short term.

Completion of the report was supported by KONE Corporation, Munich Airport International, Plaza Premium Group, and POTLOC.

ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira said,

One of the keys to recovery will be the aviation industry’s understanding of the changing needs of passengers and ACI’s new survey provides insight into how Covid-19 is affecting passenger expectations and future travel plans.

It is reassuring that travellers are eager to travel again and our survey will help airports make the right decisions in providing the best and safest customer experience. Airports, airlines and their partners need to continue to increase the level of confidence in the entire passenger journey and provide and communicate the measures they are introducing to keep passenger healthy and safe.

ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation programme provides airports with not only a tool to assess their health measures against globally-recognized standards but also a way to communicate to passengers about these measures.

Dr. Sascha Brozek, Senior Vice President, Major Projects, KONE Corporation said,

As air travel and the industry navigates changes in order to gradually return, there’s no doubt the way passengers move through airports has been changed permanently. In this respect, safe and efficient people flow management is vital. At KONE, we believe that technology and smart solutions will help us reconfigure environments like airport terminals, keeping safety and health as a top priority.

Dr. Ralf Gaffal, Managing Director at Munich Airport International said,

Covid-19 has a never-seen impact on our aviation industry – not only did it cause traffic movements to hit rock bottom, it also changed the overall behaviour and expectations of our passengers and requires the implementation of new processes and systems. As a global world-class airport operator, it is essential for us to understand all changes and requirements to quickly adapt processes, facilities and information flow. The results of this ASQ  Global Traveller Survey will provide guidance to define our strategy and actions in order to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction.

Bora Isbulan, Chief Commercial Officer of Plaza Premium Group said,

It is a pleasure for us to support ACI World, global trade representative of world airports on their global passenger survey. It is important for the airport community to work together for the revival of travel, especially during these unprecedented times. As a leader in airport hospitality, it is fundamental for us to understand the behaviour of global passengers and how it will continue to evolve through the importance of wellbeing, digital advancements and loyalty programmes in the new age of travel.

Rodolphe Barrere Co-Founder & CEO at POTLOC said,

Covid-19 has forced the travel industry to completely rethink the status quo and the way it operates. Airports that have answers from consumers will have more chances of overcoming a post-COVID world. With this study, at Potloc we wanted to help them understand consumer perceptions facing this new reality. We were able to reach far and wide, by extracting travellers’ insights via social networks, to get a clearer picture of where we stand now, and what the future holds for airports in their eyes.

ACI claim the ASQ Global Traveller Survey has been created to help airports plan for future demand – in the short, medium and long term – and to adapt customer experience accordingly, to help them implement the right measures expected by travellers, improve the most stressful touchpoints throughout the journey, and understand passengers’ needs and expectations.

“We are grateful to our sponsors in supporting this important project which will help inform airports and promote public confidence in the recovery of air travel,” Luis Felipe de Oliveira.

Dave

Finnair is offering free Covid-19 insurance cover

/in /by

Finnish airline Finnair has announced it is offering complimentary Covid-19 insurance cover for customers departing from Finland.

Finnair Corona Cover provides extra protection and security for customers for all existing and new bookings, for travel departures between 3 November, 2020 and 31 March, 2021.

The insurance cover comes complimentary with all Finnair tickets booked through Finnair sales channels – including Finnair.com, the Finnair mobile app or via the airline’s customer service – for international travel originating from Finland.

It means any customer who falls ill with coronavirus in their destination can claim for any coronavirus-related medical and quarantine expenses incurred in their destination. The cover supplements travellers’ own travel insurance.

Tiina Tissari, Finnair Vice President, Customer Experience and Products, said:

It is important that Finnair customers feel they can travel safely as we recognise that travelling during the pandemic comes with new kinds of concerns and challenges.

To meet the needs of our customers during the COVID-19 outbreak, Finnair has introduced its complimentary Finnair Corona Cover.

Now Finnair customers can enjoy the peace of mind and additional security which comes from Finnair Corona Cover, including cover for medical and quarantine expenses should those insured with us become sick with coronavirus while travelling.”

Finnair Corona Cover includes the following expenses for customers in their destination:

  • Covid-19 related medical expenses and medical repatriation up to €50,000, e.g. for a hospital stay or doctor visits
  • The price of a coronavirus test, if the result is positive
  • Additional quarantine costs, resulting from falling ill with coronavirus, up to €100 for a maximum of 14 days, which could cover additional overnight accommodation
  • A new return flight back to Finland, if the original flight is missed due to illness related to coronavirus.

The cover is valid in all foreign destinations, with no excess fees.

As well as including Finnair Corona Cover with all Finnair tickets booked from Finland, the cover is included also in Aurinkomatkat package trips and Finnair Holidays bookings, when the destination is outside Finland.

Customers are advised always to contact Finnair’s insurance partner for a consultation and approval for any medical or other expenses, before using local services. Expenses will be settled directly with local service providers, provided each customer first contacts and is given approval from the insurance partner. This prevents customers from having to pay for the services themselves or carry any risk for the costs.

The service is provided to Finnair customers, 24/7, with English-speaking customer service agents on hand to provide assistance.

For more information and advice on Covid-19 insurance contact your GTM Account Manager. T

Dave

British Airways demonstrates Covid-19 safety at the airport and on board

/in /by

British Airways has released a video highlighting the measures introduced at the airport and onboard to keep customers safe during the pandemic.

In the video Head of Global Sales Mark Muren interviews Dr Mike Harrigan, British Airways’ medical lead, on the measures in place including:

  • Asking customers to check-in online, download their boarding pass and where possible self-scan their boarding passes at the departure gate
  • Requiring customers to wear a facemask at all times and bringing enough to replace them every four hours for longer flights
  • Social distancing markers and hand sanitiser stations placed throughout airports
  • New ordering system in lounges to reduce contact
  • Cabin crew wearing PPE and a new food service, which reduces the number of interactions required with customers
  • Providing customers with a personal protection pack including a sealable disposal bag, hand sanitising gel and an antibacterial wipe.
  • Enhanced cleaning measures and HEPA filters

They also discuss the latest research from IATA which showed that since the start of 2020 there have been just 44 cases of COVID-19 reported in which transmission is thought to have been associated with a flight (that includes confirmed, probable and potential cases). Over the same period some 1.2 billion passengers have travelled, which is just one case for every 27 million travellers.

If you have any questions about Covid-19 safety at airports or on board, or if you simply want to discuss your plans for your next British Airways flight, please contact your GTM Account Manager.

Dave

United demonstrates its commitment to cleanliness

/in /by

This week, Global Travel Management took a close look at the work currently being undertaken by United Airlines, to combat the pandemic and to ensure all passengers and staff are kept as safe as possible from infection.

Sales Director Paul Baker and Kelly Packington, Director of Operations, spent a day with the United team at London Heathrow and found out what the airline does to ensure Covid safety at every stage of a trip.


Kelly Packington (left) and Paul Baker spent a day at Heathrow discovering how United Airlines maintains Covid safety for all passengers flying from the airport

Terminal 2 at Heathrow has been, and continues to be, extensively cleaned. For example, touch points are cleaned and disinfected and tests are undertaken on a weekly basis to ensure the disinfectant maintains its effectiveness.

Before flying, United email passengers to remind them of the requirement to wear a face mask at the airport and onboard.

United require passengers to complete a “Ready to fly” checklist at check-in. This is done via an app on the passenger’s phone, so can be completed without being face-to-face with check-in staff.

United staff have temperature checks before starting work. And, social distancing is facilitated by floor decals and screens at check-in.

United passengers can check-in online or on their mobile app which generates a QR code. The code is then used to complete the check-in process in the terminal at a self-service check-in machine.

The check-in machine prints out a baggage tag (which the passenger attaches to their own bags). In this way, passengers require no human physical contact is required when checking-in, even when the passenger checks bags.

Security through the airport remains broadly the same as in pre-pandemic times. So, for example, passengers are still required to remove shoes and belts. But the entire area is thoroughly and completely disinfected and cleaned, to reduce further the chances of coming into contact with the virus.

Although Paul and Kelly didn’t experience the “normal” gate procedure, some more changes could be seen at the gate, including:

  • Disinfecting high-touch areas such as charging stations, counters and seats
  • Hand sanitizer stations
  • Passengers self-scan boarding passes
  • Fewer passengers are boarded at a time, allowing continued social distance up to the aircraft door
  • Boarding from the back of the plane, so passengers don’t have to pass already seated passengers

Onboard the plane – in this case, a Boeing 787-8, the “Dreamliner” – it’s clear the aircraft is cleaned, immaculately, throughout.

Paul Baker’s reaction to the experience is straightforward:

The Dreamliner is super, super clean; aircraft have never been so clean.

The cleanliness of the aircraft now takes precedence over everything else, for example the loading of catering and new blankets and amenity kits. All cabins and the toilets are afforded the same levels of cleaning disinfectant killing 99.97% of all germs.

Passengers are provided with hand sanitizer wipes. Masks are mandatory for passengers and cabin crew. Pillows and blankets are provided “on request”. And, on arrival, the aircraft is “de-planed” in groups of five rows at a time, to prevent unnecessary crowding.

If you have any questions about flying on United, or through Heathrow, please let your GTM Account Manager know.

Dave

We are backing British Travel Month

/in /by

Global Travel Management is supporting British Travel Month – a campaign designed to help employees in the UK travel sector.

Global Travel Management backs British Travel Month, running throughout November 2020

The travel industry is under pressure in the UK right now. Every week there are reports that travel suppliers are in financial difficulty and jobs are at risk.

ABTA recently reported that up to 90,000 UK jobs have been lost or are at risk across the travel supply chain since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

So Global Travel Management is supporting the British Travel Month campaign, throughout November 2020.

The campaign requires any travel itinerary produced on behalf of a client to include – where possible – at least some travel suppliers who hire staff in the UK. This means, whenever a client requests travel options, Global Travel Management will ensure they have an option that includes air, car or hotel suppliers with UK-based staff.

Scott Pawley, Managing Director of Global Travel Management said

Whenever our teams put together an itinerary, we make sure we’re offering the best advice, the best fares and prices and the most efficient trip that meets the clients’ criteria.

But now we are going to do something extra: we are going to ensure that when clients buy travel, they have the option to support British-based businesses and British staff.

We will offer a British jobs-based itinerary whenever we possibly can. We see it as “paying it forward”.

How does it work?

Paul Baker, Global Travel Management’s Sales Director said

Some clients are already starting to re-build the UK’s economy. They’re doing this by travelling more, by planning future travel and by finding out where and when they can travel.

And we expect more clients to follow suit in the weeks ahead.

By backing British Travel Month, we are helping the travel industry recover in the UK. We offer itineraries that are based on what the client needs, but we offer options that help protect and grow jobs in the UK.

If you would like to know how British Travel Month can work to help the industry while delivering you the best travel options, contact your GTM Account Manager.

Dave

Emirates launches integrated biometric path at Dubai International Airport

/in /by

Emirates has launched an “integrated biometric path” at Dubai International Airport, a contactless airport experience, now open to Emirates passengers travelling from and through Dubai.

The integrated biometric path gives passengers a seamless travel journey from specific check-in to boarding gates, improving customer flow through the airport with fewer document checks and less queuing.


Emirates has launched an integrated biometric path at Dubai International airport. The contactless airport experience provides convenience and reduces human interaction, putting emphasis on health and safety.

Utilising the latest biometric technology – a mix of facial and iris recognition – Emirates passengers can now check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge, and board their flights, simply by strolling through the airport.

The various touchpoints in the biometric path allow for a hygienic contactless travel journey, reducing human interaction and putting emphasis on health and safety.

Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer said,

We have always focused on providing a great customer experience at any touchpoint and now it is more vital than before to make use of technology and implement products, and introduce processes that focuses not only on fast tracking customers, but more importantly on health and safety during their travel journey. The state-of-the-art, contactless biometric path is the latest in a series of initiatives we have introduced to make sure that travelling on Emirates is a seamless journey and gives customers added peace of mind.

The biometric touchpoints are currently installed at select First, Business and Economy Class check-in desks in Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport; immigration gates, including a “smart tunnel”; Emirates’ premium lounge entrance at concourse B; as well select boarding gates. Areas where biometric equipment is installed are clearly marked and additional units will be installed at each touchpoint in the future.

The Smart Tunnel, a project by the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) in collaboration with Emirates, is a world-first for passport control, where passengers simply walk through a tunnel and are “cleared” by immigration authorities without human intervention or the need for a physical passport stamp.


Utilising a mix of facial and iris recognition, Emirates passengers can now check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge, and board their flights, simply by strolling through the airport.

Emirates is also the first airline outside America to receive approval for biometric boarding from the U.S. Customs Border Protection (CBP). Customers flying from Dubai to Emirates’ destinations in the U.S. will be able to choose facial recognition technology at the departure gates.

The biometric path is the latest in a host of initiatives by Emirates to provide a smart contactless journey. In the last month, the airline has introduced other services including self-check-in and bag drop kiosks at Dubai Airport “for a smoother airport experience”.

If you need to book flights on Emirates, contact your GTM Account Manager.

Dave

British Airways 747 flies to Surrey to become a movie set

/in /by

A British Airways 747 has been flown to Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey to start its new life as a television and movie set.

G-CIVW made its first flight in 1998, the same day Chicago Cubs’ Kerry Wood threw a one-hit, no-walk, 20-strikeout and Apple launched the iMac.

The aircraft, registration G-CIVW, departed from Cardiff Airport today, 22 October, at 1.30pm as flight number BA1978E, landing at Dunsfold at 2.15pm.

The aircraft will be preserved for use as a commercial film set and training facility. It will keep its Chatham Dockyard livery and will be stored in public view on the airfield.  In time the aircraft will be opened up as an exhibition for visitors to experience up-close the size and scale of the Queen of the Skies.

The aircraft’s final flight took it within a few miles of the Woking headquarters of Global Travel Management.

An excited Paul Baker, GTM’s Sales Director said

The excitement at Global Travel Management in Woking reached near fever pitch today whilst following the progress of B747, registration G-CIVW, on its way from Cardiff Airport to Dunsfold Aerodrome in Surrey, where it will begin its new life as a television and movie set.

The final flight of G-CIVW took the aircraft within a few miles of GTM’s offices in Woking.
Image: Flightradar

The aircraft, like many other 747s, has ties with the world of film, having flown many actors across its cabins and having often visited film set hotspots like Los Angeles and New York. In its new role it will feature more prominently in front of the camera, used to mock up interior and exterior shots for TV and film.

Jim McAllister, Chief Executive, Dunsfold Aerodrome, commented:

The 747 is a unique and important piece of aviation history and we are excited to be taking delivery of this retired aircraft at Dunsfold Aerodrome. Whilst G-CIVW will no longer fly, the aircraft will be preserved and given a new lease of life in the world of TV and film, training and special events.

After entering the British Airways fleet on 15 May, 1998, G-CIVW operated 11,424 flights and flew 90,617 hours over 45 million miles. Its last passenger flight was from Boston to Heathrow on 28 March, 2020.