Dave

PinPoint: the Duty of Care, Traveller-tracking and Covid resource tool

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Global Travel Management has released PinPoint, a new, online tool enabling clients to manage some of their crucial duty of care obligations to employees and to remain abreast of Covid-related travel restrictions and the UK government’s latest travel guidance across the world.

PinPoint covers three main areas, each of which is critical for businesses planning or undertaking international travel, traveller tracking, FCO advice and local, government Covid lockdown rules, guidance and warnings from Safeture. And these three parts of PinPoint are complimented by a traveller-communication module, enabling employees to be reached by email or sms directly from the tool, if needed.

Traveller tracking

First, PinPoint enables any business to track the whereabouts of its employees travelling on business. The tool shows instantly where each colleague is and displays a colour-coded map, highlighting how many employees are travelling in each country or region at a given time.

PinPoint presents historic and future data, as well as current information. In this way it is possible to view the whereabouts of employees over historic date ranges. And, in the same way, details of future travel bookings can be displayed.

FCO advice

Second, PinPoint provides up to date information from the UK Government’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office on travel advice for any country.

The information is regularly updated by the UK Government and typically includes advice and guidance on any travel to specified countries, including, safety and security, terrorism, local laws, entry requirements, health advice and natural disasters, as well as the latest UK Government travel-related Covid advice for that country.

Safeture Covid data

Third, PinPoint gives immediate access to the Safeture data, which covers the infection rate and local government restrictions, laws and guidance on Covid.

This data is combined to produce a statistical evaluation of the levels of Covid in each country and the measures taken to manage and reduce the spread. With this information, it becomes easier to make informed decisions on how, where, when and whether to travel internationally.

Messaging

PinPoint facilitates easy and swift communication with travellers. From any part of the tool it is possible to download itinerary information or to compose and send emails or sms messages to staff who may need to be reached urgently.

PinPoint: the Duty of Care, Traveller-tracking and Covid resource tool

Scott Pawley, Global Travel Management’s managing director said:

We have a number of clients who want to make quicker, better decisions about planning business travel. The Covid pandemic and the complexity of UK and foreign governments’ rules and laws make planning difficult. PinPoint helps our clients cut through this confusion and make informed decisions.

It’s critical that businesses are able to continue trading internationally. But the duty of care companies owe to their employees has never been more important. With PinPoint, it’s far easier to make fact-based decisions on travel, quarantine and risk. That’s why we’re rolling this tool out to so many clients.

If you would like to know more about PinPoint and how it provides vital information that is crucial to companies’ duty of care obligations, contact Scott Pawley sp@gtm.uk.com or Paul Baker pb@gtm.uk.com.

Dave

British Airways increases October schedule to more short and long haul destinations

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British Airways is increasing the number of destinations it serves with a larger timetable of flights for its customers.

From 1 October, long haul services begin to Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Bahrain. Flights to winter sun favourite Grenada are scheduled to return on 14 October while flights to the Seychelles are scheduled to return on 16 October.

Lahore, a new addition to British Airways’ route network, begins on 12 October while new Heathrow services to the Maldives and Barbados launch on 16 and 17 October respectively.

Short haul flights to Brussels, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Gothenburg, Milan Linate, Stuttgart, Seville and Valencia return on 1 October. Bilbao, Kefalonia and Luxembourg return on 2 October and Lanzarote returns on 3 October. Later in the month, services will resume to destinations including Gran Canaria, Billund, Bordeaux, Basel, Brindisi, Cologne, Malta, Salzburg, Vienna and Zagreb.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances, said:

We’re glad to be returning to more destinations this month, connecting the UK with more and more countries around the world. With increases in both long and short haul services, there is a destination for anyone, and with our enhanced safety measures we hope this encourages people to start planning their next getaway.

As always, the operation of any flights is subject to international restrictions and government approval.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management said,

It’s great to see British Airways bringing back more routes for its customers. The airline’s steady increase in destinations as well as the safety measures they have brought in are going to help businesses increase their confidence in international travel.

The economy needs a shot in the arm. This news from British Airways will help provide it.


The British Airways long haul network incudes flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Bahrain.
Short haul destinations served by British Airways include Brussels, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Gothenburg and Cologne

The airline is cleaning all key surfaces including seats, screens, seat buckles and tray tables after every flight and each aircraft is completely cleaned “from nose to tail” every day. The air on all British Airways flights is recycled through HEPA filters, which remove microscopic bacteria and virus clusters with over 99.9% efficiency, “equivalent to hospital operating theatre standards”.
Dave

Please write to your MP, requesting help to get airport testing on arrival mandated in the UK

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We would like as many companies as possible to write to their local Member of Parliament to request that airport testing on arrival is mandated and rolled out across the UK, in order to boost the business travel industry, provide confidence to businesses who need to travel to see customers and win business, and to end the requirement for 14 days’ quarantine on return to the UK.

If you are able to participate, the first step is to find your local MP, please use this link to find out who your local MP is https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

And then please copy and paste this letter, below and send it to your MP.

Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Dear [Local MP]

I am writing as the [title] of [business name], a company looking to help the UK trade its way out of the temporary, global financial crisis, to request your support at this difficult time. We want to be able to travel – at home and abroad – to meet customers, search out new opportunities and win business, but I need to ask for your assistance in getting business travel moving again.

The UK business travel sector is an important driver of economic growth and international trade. Travel Management Companies like the one we use, Global Travel Management, manage large companies’ strategic approaches to travel. This includes negotiations with vendors, the day-to-day operation of the corporate travel programme, ensuring traveller safety and security, as well as credit card, travel and expenses data management.

Business travel occupies a role at the heart of the aviation industry. It is life blood for airlines and accounts for between 15 and 20% of their customer base. For airlines, business travellers are typically twice as lucrative as leisure travellers, and on certain routes business travel can represent 75% of an airline’s profits.

Like many other parts of the economy, business travel has been profoundly impacted by coronavirus.  Many TMCs have seen a collapse in revenue of up to 90%, and we estimate that 7,000 employees have already been made redundant, with further job losses expected once the Job Retention Scheme ends.

To reverse this decline, it is absolutely essential that the UK rolls out testing at airports to replace the ever-changing system of travel corridors.

Throughout the world, Governments are using testing on arrival to revive their economies, maintain public health and restore confidence in travel. The UK should not just follow suit, but lead the way in implementing testing at airports, which is a vital solution to help thousands of jobs across the business travel and aviation sectors.

We know that there is a pent up demand amongst businesses and other organisations to resume travelling, but a new regime of testing at airports is urgently required to unlock it and get our the sector moving again.

Our business will benefit as soon as airport testing on arrival is rolled out. We will stimulate the economy, help to save jobs and put the UK back on the front foot, where we should be.

Please help to ensure airport testing on arrival is given the go-ahead, to help companies like mine drive the economic benefit we all so badly need.

Yours sincerely,

Click THIS LINK to see who your MP is.

Dave

How to calculate carbon offset costs for business travel

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Do you need to work out the cost of offsetting your business travel? Do you know how to calculate carbon emissions on flights? Do you know how to go about paying for carbon credits? If so, this article may be of use to you.

To offset your business travel carbon emissions there are five steps you need to take. First, you need to measure the amount of carbon used on each business trip. Second, you need to choose which projects you want to benefit from the carbon credits you purchase. Next, you need to calculate the monetary cost of the carbon you have used. You then need to settle – pay for – the carbon credits calculated in the previous stage. And finally, you have to receive the certification that demonstrates you have bought the carbon credits.

Measure carbon

You need to be able to calculate how much carbon you are expending on each business trip.

We use industry-defined methodology to determine the total carbon cost of business journeys you take and provide you with a figure expressed in kilograms of carbon for each trip. We can report that to you at the time of booking each trip, or on a monthly or quarterly basis, for all of the trips made by your organisation’s travellers.

Choose projects

You need to decide which sustainable projects you would like to support with your purchase of carbon credits.

There are projects in the UK and around the world you can choose to support. Each project has a different “cost” for carbon credits, which fluctuates based on its demand and on the amount of carbon reduction generated by each project.

We have selected a range of projects from which to choose, including a project decomposing farm animal manure to make biogas for domestic heating, a sanctuary providing a home to more than 950 wildlife species and a project that uses ceramic water filters to provide clean water to more than a million people.

Calculate cost

You need to calculate the cost of the carbon credits you need to buy, to offset the carbon used on your business travel, depending on the project(s) you have chosen.

We automatically calculate the sterling value of the carbon credits needed to offset the carbon emissions from your business travel. This calculation takes into account the project or projects chosen.

This calculation can be used, over time, to demonstrate how much your organisation’s carbon emissions have increased or decreased over time.

Settle credits

To offset the cost of your carbon emissions, you need to pay the calculated sterling cost of the credits required.

The payment for the carbon credits is made and used to develop the projects you have chosen – we can arrange to pay the monetary cost for you and invoice you after these credits are settled on your behalf.

Receive certification

You should ensure you can demonstrate that you have purchased the appropriate carbon credits by receiving certificates.

We can provide you with certificates that cover all of the carbon credits you have settled. These certificates are regularly retired, so you know they cannot be sold on by other parties. W

GTM Carbon Offset project brief explainerDownload
Dave

Aviation industry collaborates on emission-reduction project, fello’fly

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Airbus has signed agreements with two airline customers, and three Air Navigation Service Providers to demonstrate the operational feasibility of Airbus’ demonstrator project, fello’fly, for reducing aviation emissions.

The airlines Frenchbee and SAS Scandinavian Airlines have joined Airbus, the UK’s NATS, DSNA of France and EURCONTROL to participate in the project.

Inspired by biomimicry, fello’fly is based on Wake Energy Retrieval (WER) to reduce aviation emissions. WER replicates the behaviour of birds, which fly together to reduce their energy consumption. The technique of a follower aircraft retrieving energy lost by a leader, by flying in the smooth updraft of air the wake creates, reduces fuel consumption in the range of 5-10% per trip.


How a fello’fly flight will actually work

Nick Macdonald, fello’fly Demonstrator Leader said:

In the aviation industry, achieving our emission-reduction targets will require implementing innovative new ways to use aircraft in the skies. Our collaboration with our airline partners and ANSPs on fello’fly shows that we’re making good efforts towards these goals.

Frenchbee and SAS will provide airline expertise in flight planning and operations for the collaborative requirements necessary for bringing together aircraft before and during a fello’fly operation. DSNA, NATS and EUROCONTROL will contribute air navigation expertise defining how two aircraft can be brought safely together, minimising impact on today’s procedures. In parallel Airbus will continue working on the technical solution to assist pilots in ensuring that aircraft remain safely positioned. 

Airbus explained how the system will work:

In today’s operations, aircraft are directed by ATC to enter transatlantic routes at a specific time and altitude via a designated oceanic clearance point. Pilots then use a flight management function to direct the aircraft to arrive at the designated point at the specified time and altitude.

In the case of two fello’fly aircraft, ATC will direct them to arrive at the same clearance point but on two different flight levels separated by 1,000 feet. Under the rules of today’s airspace and procedures, this is the closest aircraft can fly together.

Once both fello’fly aircraft have reached the clearance point, they will collaborate to manoeuvre into the rendez-vous position, which is when the follower aircraft is 1.5 nautical miles behind the leader aircraft and separated by 1,000 feet.

From here, pilots will use flight assistance functions to move the aircraft safely to a position in the updraft where it is saving fuel through wake-energy retrieval.

When both aircraft need to separate to head to their destinations, one aircraft will reposition itself into the spare flight level and inform ATC, which will again start identifying them as individual aircraft within the ATC system.


Given the high potential to make a significant impact on emissions reduction for the aviation industry as a whole, directly contributing to the sector’s sustainable growth goals, Airbus is targeting a controlled Entry-Into-Service (EIS), which is expected by the middle of this decade. 

fello’fly is part of Airbus UpNext, an Airbus subsidiary created to give future technologies a development fast track by building demonstrators at speed and scale.

Dave

Qatar Airways now has 100 aircraft equipped with high-speed broadband

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Qatar Airways is celebrating the launch of its 100th aircraft to feature high-speed ‘Super Wi-Fi’ connectivity, enabling passengers to stay in touch with families, friends and colleagues while on board using the fastest broadband service available in the sky.

Qatar Airways now offers the largest number of aircraft equipped with the most superior high-speed broadband on board in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

Airbus A350-900 aircraft number A7-ALC became the 100th member of the Qatar Airways fleet to feature the high-speed Super Wi-Fi service using the award-winning GX Aviation technology from global mobile satellite communications provider, Inmarsat.

The service is being rolled out across the airline’s fleet and since its launch in 2018 has enabled millions of passengers to browse the internet, check social media, stream videos and more whilst relaxing on board.

Qatar Airways passengers on flights fitted with GX Aviation can receive up to one hour free access to the Super Wi-Fi service, with the ability to purchase full-flight access if more online time is needed.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said:

As a leader of innovation within the global aviation industry, Qatar Airways already operates one of the youngest and most technologically-advanced fleet in the skies. Where other airlines are reducing their wi-fi offering, Qatar Airways is expanding it.

With connection to our loved ones and friends now more important than ever during these challenging times, we are delighted to work with Inmarsat and its GX Aviation technology to bring high-speed ‘Super Wi-Fi’ broadband to passengers on board our fleet as part of Qatar Airways’ exceptional five-star service.

Inmarsat Aviation President, Mr. Philip Balaam, said:

Qatar Airways is world renowned for offering a superior onboard experience, which is enjoyed by millions of loyal passengers across the world. We are pleased that our GX Aviation inflight broadband has become such an important component of that experience on the airline’s extensive fleet. Feedback from passengers has been hugely positive and now, with the service being available on 100 aircraft, even more can enjoy the best connectivity in the skies.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management said:

Our customers demand stare of the art services during business trips. That includes access to fast, convenient, easy-to-use wi-fi. So congratulations to Qatar Airways for reaching the milestone of 100 aircraft fitted with ‘Super Wi-Fi’.

Along with the airline’s superb Qsuite – with Business Class double beds, and the ability for passengers travelling together to create ‘private rooms’ – and the Oryx One in-flight entertainment system, ‘Super Wi-Fi’ offers a great service to international business travellers.

With Qatar Airways being a member of oneworld, the network reach is more than 1,000 airports across 160 countries and more than 14,000 daily departures.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.

Dave

High Life moves online

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British Airways’ familiar, award-winning on board magazine, High Life, is moving online.

Created with publishing house, Cedar, the online magazine will also include a new section for Business Life which will replace the current on-board paper versions of both publications. 

Each issue will include monthly audio stories, photo experiences and live panels so customers can experience the magic of travel on the go wherever they are in the world. The magazine will continue to feature first person stories from travel experts and carefully curated guides for exploring cities across the world.  

High Life was voted one of the most important magazines of the 20th century by Campaign magazine

As well as trusted travel content, High Life digital will keep customers updated with any changes to the airline’s customer experience and route network.

The magazine will be emailed to five million Executive Club customers every month and customers can download the magazine on board, using the airline’s in-flight WiFi free. High Life will also continue to offer British Airways’ partners and advertisers new opportunities to reach the airline’s customers with products and offers, through BA media*

Hamish McVey, British Airways’ Head of Brand and Marketing said: 

Our High Life magazine has been a source for travel inspiration for our customers for nearly half a century. When we trialled moving High Life online at the beginning of this year, it was a great success.

We know our customers value technology and a contactless journey, especially in the current climate, so we are delighted to now be able to provide over five million customers a month with digital High Life.  We hope this new digital magazine will help customers plan their holidays with our expert holiday guides, as well as provide the latest information as we make important changes to our customer experience.


Sir Paul McCartney and HRH The Prince of Wales have featured on the cover of High Life.

Clare Broadbent, Cedar’s CEO said:

High Life online is now here: online, on email, and on board through your personal device, bringing wonderful and trusted travel inspiration to bigger audiences than ever before. With High Life’s mix of expert writers, photographers and audio-visual storytellers sharing the latest travel ideas from around the world, we can’t wait to help travellers to dream, plan and take off in 2020 and beyond.

The airline’s on-board magazine, first took to the skies in 1973 and has provided British Airways’ customers with inspiration ever since.

The magazine has documented significant milestones in the airline’s history including the launch of Concorde and the A380, as well as featuring cover stars such as Sir Paul McCartney, Tracey Emin, Idris Elba and HRH The Prince of Wales.

Dave

JAL introduces touchless check-in

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Japan Airlines has announced the decision to trial new touchless technology at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, starting 24 August.

Touchless check-in: passengers can make selections by holding their finger 3 cm from the screen

Located at Terminal 1 South Wing of Tokyo Hanadea Airport, the two kiosks have been installed for a trial period, initially until 15 September.

Developed by Mitsubishi Electric and Oki Electric Industry Co, the new kiosks are equipped with state-of-the-art touchless sensors. These enable passengers to complete the whole check-in process without having to touch the screen at any point in the process.

The kiosks use infrared technology, so passengers are able to make selections by holding their finger 3 cm away from the check-in screen.

JAL say they will continue to embrace new technology to provide customers with a safe and secure travel experience.

Dave

British Airways says goodbye to the “first of its last” 747 jumbo jets

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British Airways has retired its first Boeing 747 since announcing last month that all 31 of its jumbo jets had sadly flown their last commercial services.

The Boeing 747-400, registration G-CIVD, departed from London Heathrow under flight number BA9170E after more than 25 magnificent years of flying.

The aircraft received an emotional farewell from the NATS Air Traffic Control Tower at Heathrow Airport.

British Airways’ fleet of 747s are being retired at an accelerated rate as a result of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the airline and the aviation sector.

Al Bridger, British Airways’ Director of Flight Operations, said: 

All of us at British Airways and so many of our customers will have fond memories and special moments from our travels on the iconic jumbo jet.

As a pilot who was lucky enough to fly the aircraft, the sheer scale of it was unforgettable, you literally looked down on other aircraft. It changed aviation forever when it arrived in the skies and I know I speak for our customers and the global aviation community when I say, despite rightly moving to more sustainable ways of flying, we will still miss the 747 dearly.

The 747 has been an iconic part of British Airways’ fleet for nearly fifty years. At one point the airline operated 57 of the aircraft, with the jumbo jet’s first flight to New York in 1971.

The fuel-hungry aircraft were slowly being phased out by British Airways as they reached the end of their working life in order to help meet the company’s commitment to net zero by 2050.

The airline has invested heavily in new, modern long-haul aircraft including six A350s and 32 787s which are around 25% more fuel-efficient than the 747.


Dave

Airtrain now serves Geneva

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You can now fly on the train from Geneva railway station to Zurich Airport, thanks to SWISS.

SWISS has added the route from Geneva Cornavin to Zurich Airport to its Airtrain rail services which it offers in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Railways.

Zurich Airport. Passengers arriving at Zurich can now take the Airtrain service direct to Geneva Cornavin

The new services help keep western Switzerland connected to SWISS’s Zurich Airport hub despite the timetable changes the airline had to make in response to the coronavirus crisis. By extending the Airtrain network to Geneva, SWISS is offering its customers more options for seamlessly combining multiple modes of transport.

The new Airtrain service is intended to supplement the existing air services between Geneva and Zurich airports, to continue to give the people of Western Switzerland the best possible connections with the intercontinental and European air services that SWISS operates from Zurich.

Under the new Airtrain service, selected SBB trains between Geneva Cornavin and Zurich Airport will be assigned SWISS flight numbers. Travel on these trains to Zurich Airport is included in the flight ticket. The new facility also extends to any SWISS travellers commencing their rail journey from Geneva Airport (Cointrin) station. The new Airtrain programme is the third of its kind: similar services are already offered to SWISS customers on the routes from Basel and Lugano to Zurich Airport.

SWISS CEO Thomas Klühr said:

Keeping western Switzerland closely connected with our global Zurich-based flight network is extremely important to us. In extending these Airtrain services to Geneva, we are offering our customers even more choice in planning their travels with SWISS. We’re also responding to a growing demand among our guests for greater combinability of their air and rail travel options.

Vincent Ducrot, CEO SBB,

Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) CEO Vincent Ducrot said:

The new Geneva-Zurich Airtrain connects the Romandie with German-speaking Switzerland and the train with the plane. And as a public transport company, that is something we are pleased and proud to do.

If you need to fly to Switzerland, or need further advice about travelling to or through Zurich Airport or by train in Switzerland, contact your GTM Account Manager.