From 1 January 2021, new rules apply to UK citizens travelling to Europe.
We have listed some of the main issues travellers from the UK will face, as well as some links to useful resources. But, if you need advice on business trips to countries in the EU or EFTA, contact your GTM Account Manager.
At border control, UK travellers may be required
to show a return or onward ticket
to show you have enough money for your stay
to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing
UK travellers will not require a visa for short trips (up to 90 days in any 180-day period) to most EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Different rules will apply to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania, where visits to other EU countries will not count towards the 90-day total.
EU border control staff may ask you for the purpose of the visit; where you plan to travel and stay; how long you intend to remain in the EU; how you propose to fund your stay; and whether you constitute a threat to public health.
It’s important to check the entry requirements for the country or countries you are visiting. Travel to Ireland will not change from 1 January 2021.
You may need to renew your United Kingdom passport earlier if you are travelling from 1 January 2021.
On the day you travel, you’ll need your passport to have at least 6 months left AND be less than 10 years old.
If you do not renew your passport, you may not be able to travel to most EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It’s important to check whether your passport is valid for the country or countries you are visiting.
You should always get appropriate travel insurance with healthcare cover before you travel.
The UK Government has confirmed that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) continues to be valid in some EU countries.
However, it’s particularly important you get travel insurance with the right cover if you have a pre-existing medical condition. This is because the EHIC scheme covers pre-existing conditions, while many travel insurance policies may not.
From 1 January 2021, the guarantee of free mobile phone roaming throughout the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway will end.
Check with your phone operator to find out about any roaming charges you might get from 1 January 2021.
A new law means that you’re protected from getting mobile data charges above £45 without you knowing. Once you reach £45, you need to opt in to spend more so that you can continue using the internet while you’re abroad. Your phone operator will tell how you can do this.
You should check that your qualifications will be recognised in the EU if you provide services like legal services.
You’ll need to have your UK professional qualification officially recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in the EEA or Switzerland. It will need to be recognised by the appropriate regulator for your profession in each country where you intend to work. You’ll need to do this even if you’re providing temporary or occasional professional services.
Travellers departing GB for EU countries will be able to buy duty free goods (alcohol and tobacco) once they have passed security controls on the same basis as currently applies to those travelling to non-EU destinations.
The extra statutory concession that currently permits tax-free sales beyond security controls, on goods such as perfumes, electronics and clothing will be withdrawn.
Passengers will no longer be able to bring unlimited amounts of alcohol, tobacco or other goods for personal use when travelling from the EU to GB.
Personal allowances will be extended to those travelling from EU to GB. The amount of alcohol that passengers can bring into GB will increase. Passengers bringing in any goods over their personal allowance must declare them and pay the relevant tax/ duty.
You must declare goods that you take with you to sell outside the EU – for example if they’re in your baggage or in a private vehicle. You’ll need to declare goods you take to sell anywhere outside the UK from 1 January 2021.
If you’re taking your own vehicle, you will need a green card and a GB sticker.
Please note that, for the green card, you will need the physical document – you cannot rely on an electronic copy.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/UK-business-travel-in-Europe.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-12-21 20:45:432021-01-05 15:28:20Travelling in Europe after January 2021
A new strain of coronavirus discovered in the south east of England, which is said to be up to 70% more transmissible has led to significant disruption to international travel.
Flights from the UK have been temporarily banned by a number of countries in Europe and across the world. And, in some cases, restrictions are being placed on travellers from the UK, or people who have visited the UK in the last two weeks.
The Netherlands was the first country to announce a ban on travel to and from the UK. Since then, a further two dozen countries have introduced restrictions – this number is expected to increase throughout today.
Scott Pawley, managing director of Global Travel Management said:
We are in constant contact with airlines, hotels, other travel suppliers, industry bodies and UK government departments to make sure we are on top of the situation as it develops.
Scott also has advice for anyone travelling – or planning travel – over the next few days:
If you or your colleagues have booked travel over the coming days with Global Travel Management, we will be working hard to make sure your trip goes ahead; or to keep you informed of any changes that must take place. We will be checking your flights regularly, so that we are aware of any forced changes. We will be monitoring the situation with regards to further travel restrictions. And, most important, we will let you know if the situation with your travel changes, as soon as we can.
If you have any travel plans in the coming days and weeks, let us know. We will give you all the advice and help we can, as we always aim to do.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Travel-Corridors-7.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-12-21 11:47:472021-01-13 20:31:45Temporary emergency travel restrictions announced
The Government has released a list of providers of coronavirus testing.
The Department of Health and Social Care is aware of the following private sector, non-NHS, providers who may be able to conduct tests for the presence of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
The list of providers, as of 15 December, is as follows:
The Department of Health and Social Care maintains this list and updates will be shown on the gov.uk website, here.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Travel-Corridors-5.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-12-15 12:06:012021-02-04 11:26:52List of private providers of coronavirus testing
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE and official sponsor of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, performed a spectacular flypast of Yas Marina Circuit.
Moments before the start of the 17th and final race of the 2020 Formula 1 calendar, Etihad’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner was accompanied by the Al Forsan Aerobatic team in the skies above Yas Island.
Terry Daly, Executive Director Guest Experience, Brand & Marketing, Etihad Aviation Group, said:
Since its inception in 2009, Etihad has been a proud title partner of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. One of the highlights of the race is the flypast by the Etihad Airways Dreamliner and the Al Forsan aerobatic team which is watched by millions of viewers around the world.
Flying above the iconic Yas Marina Circuit’s start line at 600ft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, decorated in a Formula 1 themed livery, was operated by a team of four experienced pilots. Captain Mohammed Al Tamimi was in command of the aircraft, supported by Captain Spiridon Nakos. Seated at the rear of the cockpit was Captain Abdullah Salah and Captain Fouad Al Marzooqi who had the challenging of task of maintaining split second accuracy on the timing of the flyover.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race weekend was closed to spectators, however, Yas Marina Circuit issued limited complimentary tickets to Frontline Heroes to thank them for their efforts in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Etihad’s Wellness Ambassadors were on hand at the Frontline Heroes Hill to welcome all guests and provide health and safety guidance and the Etihad Airways Wellness Kit.
Additionally, Etihad offers all Frontline Heroes recognised by the Frontline Heroes office, an exclusive programme of benefits including Etihad flight discounts and preferential rates.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Etihad-F1-GP-Flypast.png4821200Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-12-14 11:53:042020-12-14 11:53:07Etihad Airways marks the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with spectacular flyover
British Airways has teamed up with ZeroAvia, a leading innovator in decarbonising commercial aviation, in a project to explore how hydrogen-powered aircraft can play a leading role in the future of sustainable flying.
The collaboration, which reflects the importance of sustainability at British Airways, will see ZeroAvia embedded in the heart of the airline. The team will work remotely alongside mentors and experts to explore the transformational possibilities of moving from fossil fuels to zero-emission hydrogen to power the airline’s future fleet.
ZeroAvia recently completed the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered flight of a commercial-grade aircraft
Partnership with British Airways is part of parent IAG’s Hangar 51 tech accelerator programme
Announcement comes in the week the BA retired its final 747 aircraft, four years earlier than planned, to make way for more fuel-efficient models
In September 2020, ZeroAvia received global acclaim when it achieved a major technological breakthrough by completing the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered flight of a commercial-size aircraft, which took off from Cranfield Airport. The Piper M-class six-seat plane completed taxi, take-off, a full pattern circuit, and landing.
The partnership forms part of IAG’s industry leading Hangar 51 accelerator programme, which works with start-ups and scale-ups from around the world, providing them with an opportunity to develop and test their products on real world business challenges on a global scale. At the end of the programme, research and learnings from the process will be shared and the ZeroAvia and Hangar 51 teams will consider how the partnership will progress longer term.
Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways, said:
British Airways is committed to a sustainable future and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In the short-term this means improving our operational efficiency and introducing carbon offset and removal projects, while in the medium to longer term we’re investing in the development of sustainable aviation fuel and looking at how we can help accelerate the growth of new technologies such as zero emissions hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Louise Evans, Director of External Communications & Sustainability said:
We are very excited to partner with ZeroAvia and get a glimpse of a zero-emissions future using hydrogen powered aircraft. During the partnership, as well as assessing the environmental advantages of the technology, we will also be exploring the operational, commercial and customer experience improvements that can be achieved.
Sergey Kiselev, ZeroAvia’s Head of Europe, said:
We have found that in addition to improving the sustainability of flight, which is vital, hydrogen-electric technology has the potential to lower operating costs and improve the in-flight passenger experience. We are delighted to be working with British Airways, one of the world’s iconic airlines, and the Hangar 51 programme to explore how hydrogen-electric aircraft can power the fleet of the future. That promising future is closer than ever.
In 2021, ZeroAvia expects to further demonstrate the credibility of its technology at longer ranges and using larger aircraft. The company expects to achieve the commercialisation of hydrogen-electric power for aircraft as early as 2023 with flights of up to 500-miles in up to 20-seater aircraft. By 2027, it plans to have powerplants in service capable of powering commercial flights of over 500-miles in aircraft with up to 100 seats and by 2030 more than 1,000-miles in aircraft with 100+ seats.
Both British Airways and ZeroAvia are part of the Jet Zero Council, a partnership between government and industry to drive forward the UK Government’s net zero-emission ambitions for the aviation and aerospace sector.
ZeroAvia on Sky News
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BA-explores-hydrogen-aircraft.png4821200Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-12-14 10:10:472020-12-14 10:19:22British Airways and ZeroAvia to explore hydrogen-powered aircraft
It may be difficult to find, but, if you look hard enough, there are still some items of good news in the business travel industry. So, every week, we curate some of the better “good news” stories. We can’t promise green shoots of economic recovery, but we can promise to highlight some of the better, encouraging and happier pieces of news in business travel. After all, we’re all looking forward to travelling again.
And, if you want to share the good news, please feel free to use the share links at the bottom of the page.
Monday, 14 December
Last week ended with the announcement of the twenty individuals, groups and companies that comprised the ‘Twenty Heroes.
It’s good news if you’re on the list. And it’s good news if you’re a client of Global Travel Management, because each of these contributors will have helped to make 2020 better than it would otherwise have been, and have paved the way for a better, more positive year ahead.
Last week, the news was dominated by Thursday’s announcement from the Secretary of State for Transport that “high value business travel” would be provided with an exemption from the requirement to quarantine on return to England from countries outside the safe travel corridor.
The Safe Travel Corridors list is published by the UK Government and is updated weekly.
New Business Traveller exemption: From 4am on Sat 5th Dec high-value business travellers?will no longer need to self-isolate when returning to ENGLAND from a country NOT in a travel corridor, allowing more travel to support the economy and jobs. Conditions apply.
United Airlines have kicked off a mass shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Eva Air are investing in biometric boarding in San Francisco. While Manchester Airports Group has rolled out Covid testing at Stansted, East Midlands and Manchester airports.
And for the AVGeeks amongst us, there was news that two more BA 747s have been saved from the scrapheap.
And finally we have experimented with sharing hotel news via Twitter Moments. You can see how this is coming on here.
We didn’t have to wait long before posting our first piece of good news on Twitter this week. It was on Monday morning that we shared the great news that we are working with, not one, but two suppliers of Covid-19 testing, for passengers travelling to destinations that require a negative Covid test certificate.
Last week the news was dominated by the announcement that the Pfizer/BioNTech phase 3 testing of a Covid-19 vaccine has delivered better than expected results. Stocks rose worldwide – although there were some exceptions, as Scott Pawley noted here on LinkedIn.
What was the first travel-related item we tweeted this week? Was it about flights? Airports? Trains? Car hire? Drones, teleportation or virtual meetings? No. It was bicycles.
We kicked off British Travel Month with a clip of Paul Baker explaining how travellers can support British jobs in the travel industry, even while the country enters the second lockdown.
Accor has worked with a London-based company Bizzon to launch a digital service to make it easier, quicker, safer and more reliable to order food and beverage.
In the middle of a busy week, we were able to announce that a new president has been appointed: Marriott International had a big announcement.
For anyone still unaware, there was confirmation that business travel is starting its long recovery.
British Airways released a video explaining the meticulous and painstaking measures the airline is taking in order to ensure the safety of passengers in the airport and on-board flights.
The main item of good news in the last week involves our own Scott Pawley and the trip he made to Heathrow on Tuesday.
Scott was among a number of invitees to view the work being undertaken by Delta Air Lines and by Marriott Hotels to keep passengers and guests safe and secure against Covid infection.
To see how Scott got on, check out this thread, on GTM’s Twitter account…
This week, the good news we shared was about a product we launched. PinPoint is the Duty Of Care, Traveller-Tracking and Covid resource tool. You can read about it here.
And you can see what BTN Europe – the leading source of information, news, features, data and research for corporate travel managers and travel management professionals – has to say about PinPoint, here.
And you can see how PinPoint works, on this short video clip
This week, we’re only highlighting one piece of news in the business travel industry. Our Managing Director, Scott Pawley put together a message for anyone looking to restart or continue business travel in the coming weeks.
His message included three key pieces of advice:
Update your travel policy
Make sure your travellers’ details and passports are up to date
Take the opportunity to ensure you have a carbon offset programme in place
You can see Scott’s message, here https://twitter.com/GlobalTravelMgt/status/1308392370417938433?s=20
There was good news from one UK airport last week, which claimed to have seen the “strongest recovery of any major airport in the UK”. Which one? You can see, here.
Covid-19 testing facilities are up and running at Heathrow. Dubai Airport announced pioneering steps in the detection of Covid-19 – by use of man’s best friends. Elsewhere in the Gulf, Sharjah Airport has become the first carbon-neutral airport in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
And, finally, passengers from Portugal will no longer have to agree to self-isolate for fourteen days, thanks to changes announced by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Monday, 17 August
Last week, there was good news on airlines adding services as well as more good news on how airlines are ensuring trips are safer and more secure.
Schiphol Airport plans to open Covid-19 testing at Arrival Hall 3, while British Airways are considering offering pre-flight testing. Delta Air Lines is testing more of its workforce.
And in other news, American Airlines is bringing back hot food to its lounges.
Monday, 10 August
We will be honest. Last week, the focus of our attention, at least in the middle of the week, was on the events happening here.
But we also produced this article looking at what aircraft manufacturers are doing to keep planes safe from Covid-19.
Elsewhere, there was more good news items in the world of business travel:
British Airways is among a number of carriers to announce the return of more flights. We summarised the newly-added flight schedules and capacity from a number of carriers, here.
Heathrow Airport announced its detailed roadmap to meet its target of net zero by 2050. And Melbourne Airport is to open a solar farm in January.
There was good news last week for one UK-based company. Delta Air Lines has selected Lysol, the disinfectant brand from Slough-based multi-national Reckit Benkiser to enhance its cleaning regime and protocols. You can read about this new partnership, here.
But, probably the best piece of business travel-related news came from the Focus Travel Partnership. CEO Abby Penston reported the findings of the latest Covid-19 Recovery Survey and the results are clear: booking numbers are up, thanks, in part, to the introduction of air bridges. This means more businesses are getting back to business travel to restart and fire up the economy.
Monday, 27 July
Last week saw airport re-openings, countries being dropped from the mandatory quarantine list, more flights being resumed and a guide to getting back to business travel being published.
Passenger numbers at Manchester Airport have continued to increase, leading to the re-opening of Terminal 2. This came in the same week that the UK Government dropped its requirements for passengers returning from five countries to self-quarantine on arrival for fourteen days.
Among airlines resuming services in response to passenger demand are Finnair and Etihad Airways (to Shanghai), and Qatar Airways (to Guangzhou) while British Airways announced new flights from Gatwick to Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Finally, in response to the gradually-increasing demand for business travel, particularly from the UK, we have produced a comprehensive document giving details of what companies should to when they start to plan their return to business travel. You can read about this – and downloand a free copy – here.
Monday, 20 July
After last week’s several “good news” items, we thought we would concentrate on just one this week. The great news for one of the biggest airlines in transatlantic travel, Virgin Atlantic. The airline’s future has been protected thanks to a solvent recapitalisation. This is great news for the airline’s staff, for the sector as a whole and, of course, to any businesses looking to ensure they have enough choice of airlines to two, key business markets: the United States and South Africa.
Monday, 13 July
Last week, there were several, new items of good news.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has revised its global advisory against all but essential travel, opening the way for more business trips to be possible. Delta Air Lines has re-opened lounges in Chicago, Denver, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix and San Francisco.
London City Airport has re-opened. Automatic quarantine requirements have lifted for travellers coming into the UK, from some destinations.
And last, but not least, one particularly important #businesstravel journey reached a critical point, when Test cricket finally returned…
Monday, 6 July
This week, the good news came in threes.
First, the government confirmed that there would be a list of countries that will be exempt from last month’s quarantine requirements, starting this week, on 10 July. Read the story here.
Second, the government produced its list of 59 countries – and it contained some surprises. See the full list here.
Third, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office released updated its global advisory against ‘all but essential’ travel, exempting destinations that no longer pose an unacceptably high risk for British travellers. This came into effect at the weekend. You can read about this, here.
Monday, 29 June
This week, there is really only one, big piece of business travel industry news. The government’s lifting of quarantine restrictions for passengers arriving (or returning) from some countries. Click the link below to find out about the government’s intentions, Foreign Office advice changes and the latest information about air bridges. The story is moving forward very quickly, so keep checking back to see regular and ad hoc updates.
There was more good news in the last week from the business travel sector, yet again. As the industry prepares for more companies to return to travelling on business, we were able to bring a range of good news items to our Twitter followers.
Turkish Airlines launched a discount scheme for health care workers
Iberostar plans to re-open several hotels, while OYO and Premier Inns build new ones
Japan Airlines and Air Transat re-start international services; Virgin Australia re-starts domestically
Austrian Airlines have secured rescue funding, while agreeing environmental commitments
You don’t have to wear gloves at Manchester Airport any more…
…and you don’t have to keep your distance on Air New Zealand flights
And, if you’re worried about losing your tier status on British Airways Executive Club, there’s good news for you, too
— Global Travel Management (@GlobalTravelMgt) June 9, 2020
Japan Airlines (JAL) is planning to fly more international flights in July than it flew in June “to help support customers planning to return to Japan and for those planning to travel for business and personal reasons”.https://t.co/uVvu875e6v via @BTUK#BusinessTravelpic.twitter.com/OMtt1WfiXP
— Global Travel Management (@GlobalTravelMgt) June 10, 2020
Virgin Atlantic has announced a plan to restart flights, with services from Heathrow to Orlando, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York JFK and Los Angeles to resume next month…
…and Turkish Airlinesresumed domestic services last week, with international services to start on 18 June.
But most people’s attention was rightly focused on the 50 Leading TMCs list being revealed by industry publication BTM Europe…
— Global Travel Management (@GlobalTravelMgt) May 27, 2020
Monday, 18 May
Lufthansa Group is amongst a raft of airlines announcing schedule increases having publicised 1,800 additional roundtrips per week to its schedules from next month…
Details of the new Lufthansa Group schedules for June have been announced.
— Global Travel Management (@GlobalTravelMgt) May 12, 2020
Monday, 11 May
In a week where the news mainly concerned messages from Her Majesty the Queen and the Prime Minster as well as celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the Victory in Europe, we also found some good news in the business travel sector.
American Airlines will resume some European and South American flights from 4 June.
British Airways will return to Beijing Daxing out of Heathrow from 14 June and several other routes during the same month.
Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon will increase their capacity from 21 June.
KLM continues to have longhaul flights to Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Mexico City, Toronto, Curacao, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo Narita, Osaka Kansai, Seoul and Hong Kong; as well as daily flights to Barcelona, Budapest, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, Prague, Rome and Warsaw.
Korean Air intends to resume flights to cities including Washington, D.C., Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Frankfurt, Singapore, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.
Qatar Airways says it will increase flights to 80 cities by the end of June.
Forbes has reported that United Airlines plans to “pencil in” four flights to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai from June.
Capturing the mood of a nation that is looking forward to the end of “lockdown”, the Daily Mail reported that one-third of Britons will be travelling more than ever, once the restrictions end.
And while the airlines’ planning continued to gather pace, we at Global Travel Management took some time to commemorate VE Day…
— Global Travel Management (@GlobalTravelMgt) May 8, 2020
Monday, 4 May
In the last week, Virgin Atlantic have shared some of the great stories of how their staff are helping to repatriate British people from abroad, helping to deliver food, helping staff in NHS hospitals, helping to handle NHS 111 calls and lots more. But they’re not just helping, they’re taking time to say thank you – a big, red thank you – to other people and organisations and the work they are doing.
Scott Pawley has posted about the airline industry reaching the bottom of the curve
And these pieces of good news from Asia may reflect some positive changes in airline capacity around the world. Our Managing Director Scott Pawleyposted on LinkedIn about a report suggesting the airline world may have reached the bottom of the curve. In short, there has been an increase in flight seat capacity.
It is not only business travel that has seen good news in the last week, because Dubai aims to reopen its tourism by July, according to the Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
Wizz Air have recommenced flights from London Luton Airport to airports in Hungary, Israel, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Spain.
And finally, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has released the results of a poll of more than 5,000 of its members which shows signs of optimism and recovery on the horizon. The study found that most companies are planning a recovery for 2020, with one in three planning for a recovery within the next three months.
Monday, 27 April
A British Airways flight from China, loaded with PPE and other essential kit for the NHS.
Last week, British Airways announced an increase in flights to China to London from 13 a week to 21. The flights will be able to carry up to 77 tonnes of cargo for the NHS, including PPE (personal protective equipment) which is of vital importance to health and social care workers.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “We are in a unique position to help in the global response to Covid-19, whether it is through carrying UK residents back home, transporting vital cargo back to the NHS, or through our colleagues who are offering their skills to volunteer. We’re proud to be playing our part, and I’m grateful to everyone who is working to make these flights happen in these difficult times.”
The news of BA’s increased China-London flights came the same week that the airline shared details of repatriation flights from India. As our news story shows, the airline has been helping to fly thousands of British citizens home from India. And our tweet, below, shows how welcome the repatriation flights were for the passengers – and how hard the crews are working to make this happen.
British Airways is helping thousands of British travellers return home from India. Here are some great shots of hard-working @British_Airways staff – some on a 23-hour shift – and some very, very happy passengers.
Global Travel Management recognises the hard work put in by many individuals, groups and companies to ensure that business travel has been able to continue throughout 2020.
We have selected twenty outstanding contributions that have been made in this unique year that have resulted in businesses continuing to be able to travel and win business now, and continue to do so as we move into another year.
We have picked twenty recipients of this virtual honour. They are listed below. Each has provided a unique and enduring legacy, ensuring people, businesses and the travel industry have been able to survive the year and can look forward to the future with more confidence, certainty and expectation.
Here are the ‘Twenty Heroes.
1 Navitas Solutions
Navitas is a business run by travel technology
experts, Darren Waughman and Paul Toomey who deliver a suite of solutions,
including decoders, a PNR watcher and ticketing management. These products are created by Darren and Paul
and thanks to these two – and Emma Griffiths – travel management companies like
GTM have been able to keep running, efficiently, throughout 2020.
If you need something, Navitas is always the first place to go – if they haven’t got it, they’ll make it for you. If they can’t do it; it can’t be done.
Scott Pawley
2 7r Group
7r Group is a UK based business, providing fantastic, cloud-based services to the travel industry. In a year in which working from home has become a necessity across many industries, 7r’s connectivity solutions have kept many travel management companies working remotely, but efficiently. Thanks to 7r, all GTM employees have been able to access all systems as efficiently from home as from the office.
3 Agentivity
Agentivity analyses booking data and provides reports that enable travel management companies to mange and develop their businesses. Thanks to Riaan van Schoor and Edd McArdle and the team at Agentivity for helping Global Travel Management to react in a timely manner to every changing issue from business travellers across the year.
A great tool! We use it all the time for bookings that require attention. It’s also great for finding bookings quickly where flights have been cancelled
Jane Marrison
4 Travelogix
Travelogix provide travel management companies an intuitive, accurate, fast and simple to use platform giving access in real time to data. Thanks to Chris Lewis and the team at Travelogix for their work throughout 2020.
5 Travelport
Travelport provides a platform through which travel management companies can access availability and fares on any flight at any time. Of the hundreds of hard-working people at Travelport, special thanks go to Emily Whalley and Kelly Thompson for their help throughout 2020.
6 The Editors
It’s been a busy year for business travel news. And there have been few busier than the editorial teams of TTG, BTN Europe, Travel Mole, Business Traveller and the travel editors of Which! and the Independent. These journalists have brought us thousands of stories and kept us all up to date with the changing face of business travel throughout 2020.
7 The Focus Travel Partnership
Global Travel Management is a long-term member of the Focus Travel Partnership, the leading business travel consortium for independent travel management companies. Focus has a membership of more than sixty, delivering – in normal times – more than £1bn worth of business travel. Thanks are due to CEO Abby Penston and her team at Focus for sharing knowledge, information, opportunities and events this year; and for keeping focus.
8 The BTA
The BTA is the representative association for the business travel community and travel management companies, with our TMC members accounting for over ninety percent of all managed travel booked in the UK. The BTA – and CEO Clive Wratten – have worked tirelessly this year to lobby government and industry partners to ensure business travel is protected, enhanced and allowed to thrive. A huge debt of thanks is owed to the team at the BTA for these efforts on behalf of the sector and for businesses who need to travel.
9 United Airlines
United Airlines has been a great corporate citizen throughout 2020. Like every major airline, United has enhanced its cleaning programme to ensure passengers experience the highest-possible level of hygiene through the airport, during boarding, onboard and beyond. But United has gone further still: free transatlantic covid-19 testing, increased diversity in its board, enhanced its mobile apps to accommodate passengers with reduced vision, donated 11 million miles to charities, permanently abolished change fees on Economy and Premium domestic flights and chartered flights to transport the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. And, if that wasn’t enough, this month United announced a programme to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050, effectively becoming “100% green”.
Thank you to United Airlines for their efforts and, in particular to Karolien De Hertogh and Sam Gillespie.
10 British Airways
The UK’s flag carrier, British Airways has continued to support British business travellers throughout the pandemic. To illustrate how British Airways is getting it right, here’s what they have won this year: Best Short Haul Carrier, Best Airport Lounge, Best Frequent Flyer Programme, Best New Seat and Best Travel App. And that’s just from the Business Traveller Awards.
Thank to you to British Airways and especially to Alexander Keech.
11 The NHS
The National Health Service is the UK’s healthcare system, delivering services that are comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery. It’s been stretched more than most organisations this year. But, staffed by committed, hard-working, diligent and brave professionals, it has managed, magnificently.
In 2020, we put our arms around the NHS, so that it could continue to look after us. We clapped. And we supported. And, today, we’re thanking them for helping us get this far.
12 Cricketers
The commitment and professionalism of the West Indies and Pakistan cricket teams to undertake Test and One Day International series in England in the Summer of 2020 should not be forgotten.
Both these teams – accompanied by medical, technical and management support – took the brave decision to make long-haul trips to the UK and play cricket for a broadcast-only audience. But, by doing so, they – and their counterparts from Ireland also made a short tour – demonstrated that business travel can be successful, even in the most trying of circumstances. These teams’ players and support deserve the thanks they are owed. And the part played by the Hilton Garden Inn, Old Trafford and the Hilton, Ageas Bowl should be acknowledged.
13 Özlem Türeci and Uğur Şahin
The German-born daughter of Turkish immigrants, Özlem Türeci and her husband, Uğur Şahin, also the child of Turkish immigrants in Germany, are co-founders of the German biotechnology company, BioNTech, which designed and created the first UK-approved Covid-19 vaccine, Tozinameran, manufactured in Belgium, in collaboration with United States and Chinese pharmaceutical companies.
The vaccine is the first to receive regulatory authority in the United Kingdom on 2 December and the first to commence widespread rollout, six days later. We all owe a huge debts of thanks to Özlem and Uğur and to the scientists and businesses that have created and funded further Covid-19 vaccines.
14 John Holland-Kaye
It may seem strange to include, among the heroes of 2020 the Chief Executive of an airport which has suffered a dramatic and unsustainable downturn in passenger numbers and income. But John Holland-Kaye has been a steadfast proponent of pre-fight testing as a means of normalising air travel and has introduced, pioneered and, indeed, demonstrated the use of Covid-19 tests at London’s main airport.
As such, he has brought focus onto the air travel sector, and concentrated minds at the top of governments – at home and abroad – in order to ensure legislation or guidance is brought in to support the industry. Thanks to his media omnipresence, air travel in general and business travel in particular, has received greater attention than otherwise might have been the case.
15 Captain Tom
Captain Tom has had a busy year.
On 6 April 2020, 99 year old Captain Thomas Moore set himself a target to raise £1,000 in aid of NHS Charities Together by walking laps of his garden and, in doing so, set the benchmark for under-promising and over-delivering. By the time of his birthday, 24 days later, he had raised more than £30 million, had received more than 150,000 cards, had been honoured with flypasts from the RAF and British Army, been given a Pride of Britain award and recorded and released a number one single with Michael Ball.
And by the Summer, he had been knighted by Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle, received an Honorary Doctorate from Cranfield University and an Honorary Degree from the University of Bradford and had been appointed captain of the Football Association Lionhearts squad.
And now, British Airways is whisking him off for a holiday in Barbados.
But, more importantly, he deserves the thanks and praise of a nation that was in desperate need of good news.
An absolute legend [from] an exceptional generation that are still an inspiration for our Yorkshire soldiers today
Brigadier Andrew Jackson, Colonel of the Yorkshire Regiment
16 The Federation of Small Businesses
The Federation of Small Businesses is the campaigning voice and membership organisation for the UK’s small businesses, many of whom rely on being able to travel for work and to create new business opportunities. The Federation offers business services including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice in government.
17 The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps has had the two-fold objective of ensuring the UK’s citizens are able to travel where necessary, while ensuring that everyone’s safety is taken carefully into consideration. The Secretary of State has introduced measures for the safe use of public transport and ensured that travel corridors are used in order to accommodate safe, foreign business travel.
Shapps is also joint-chair (with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care) of the Prime Minister’s Global Travel Taskforce which made fourteen recommendations in its report last month, the first of which – the ‘Test to Release’ process, reducing the quarantine requirement for travellers arriving in England from countries not on the government’s list of safe travel corridors – starts on 15 December.
18 The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
Rishi Sunak was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer on 13 February and, less than a month later, announced a budget with £12 billion of spending to mitigate the economic effects of coronavirus. Within a week this was enhanced by a further £330 billion in emergency support for businesses. And, in July, a further £30 billion of spending was announced, including a stamp duty holiday, a cut to VAT for the hospitality sector, and a job retention bonus for employers. The Sunak-announced Eat Out To Help Out was a fifty percent discount to restaurant customers, designed to stimulate further the hospitality industry.
In all, Sunak’s interventions have mitigated the economic effects of lockdowns, meaning businesses who might otherwise have gone to the wall will have survived the pandemic and will be able to recommence business travel.
19 Trees 4 Travel
In the on-going battle against climate change, there are several organisation offering to help. Many have complex systems for buying carbon credits in order to ‘invest’ in programmes offering to reduce carbon emissions or to provide other benefits. Other programmes offer solutions centred around atmospheric carbon capture technology, a means of capturing carbon dioxide, transporting it and depositing it where it cannot – yet – enter the atmosphere.
One company, however, has enhanced a technology that is proven, has been tested for a very, very long time and offers the opportunity to capture carbon for decades ahead, increasing biodiversity, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere and without the ongoing consumption of power.
Trees 4 Travel has launched a simple, inexpensive, easy-to-understand and sustainable method to deliver all the benefits of carbon capture, with none of the disadvantages. It is for this solution that Trees 4 Travel make our list of ‘Twenty Heroes.
20 The team at Global Travel Management
Last, but not least, we’re nominating the team at Global Travel Management, for continuing to work diligently and enthusiastically throughout all the trials and difficulties of 2020.
Thank you to those on the front line: Debbie, Deepa, Hayley, James, Jane, Jane, Julie, Juliette, Kelly, Mandy, Natalie, Natalie, Nick, Paul, Preeti, Scott and Yullah; to everyone behind the scenes; to the rest of the ‘Twenty Heroes; and to every client of GTM, up and down the country.
The UK Government has announced a new “business travel” exemption from the normal quarantine rules. From tomorrow morning, certain passengers travelling to or through countries which are not on the safe travel corridor list will no longer be required to self-isolate on return to England.
The Department for Transport explained:
Individuals undertaking specific business activity which would deliver a significant benefit to the UK economy – including activity that creates or preserves 50+ UK jobs – will no longer need to self-isolate when travelling or returning from non-exempt countries. Individuals will only be exempt when undertaking the specific business activity and will only be able to meet with others as required by that specific activity.
We
understand that the exemption will apply to senior company executives, such as
directors or their equivalents, either returning or travelling to England who
can deliver ‘significant’ economic benefit (e.g. work that creates or preserves
50 or more jobs for either an existing UK-based business or a new UK business,
within one year of the passenger’s arrival). They will only qualify for
the exemption if their work requires them to be there in person.
The DfT added
Exemptions will also come into force at the same time for domestic and international performing arts professionals, TV production staff, journalists and recently signed elite sportspersons, ensuring that industries which require specific, high-talent individuals who rely on international connections can continue to complete their work.
If you are planning overseas trips and have any questions with regards to this exemption, or the self-isolation process in general, please contact me or my team. We will be happy to help.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Green-light-for-business-travel.png4821200Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-12-04 10:32:552020-12-04 10:32:58High value business travel exempt from quarantine in England
Low-cost airline easyJet has reported seeing growing confidence for domestic and international travel after experiencing a significant increase in demand for flights.
Following the news that UK-wide restrictions over the Christmas period would be eased, searches for flights and holidays increased by over 200% week-on-week.
The airline also saw a significant rise in demand for December flights, with domestic connections between London and Bristol to Belfast and London to Edinburgh proving amongst the most popular.
Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet said:
Following the government announcement we have seen a 200% increase in searches for both flights and holidays, with domestic bookings significantly up week on week proving popular for those looking to visit friends and family over December. So we know underlying demand is there, which we see every time travel restrictions are lifted.
We continue to closely review our flying programme to ensure we are aligning our schedule with customer demand. We also launched our Black Friday Sale and the positive response in terms of bookings seems to show a growing confidence to make travel plans.
The safety and wellbeing of our customers remains our highest priority and during the pandemic this is more important than ever so we continue to have a number of safety measures in place onboard in line with guidance from the relevant authorities. This includes daily enhanced cabin disinfection effective in protecting against coronavirus for at least 24 hours and mandatory mask wearing for customers and crew. All of our aircraft are already fitted with HEPA filters, similar to those used in hospitals, which filter 99.97% of airborne contaminants in the cabin, including viruses and bacteria.
easyJet’s Black Friday offer runs until 2nd December.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/easyJet-confidence.png4821200Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-11-30 14:00:082020-11-30 14:00:11easyJet sees growing confidence for travel
You can pick up a piece of British Airways memorabilia as the airline is selling off surplus inflight crockery, glassware and blankets, and even trolleys.
For the first time in its history, British Airways has decided to unlock the doors to its warehouse this Christmas to give customers and aviation fans the unique opportunity to get their hands on items from British Airways aircraft which have circled the globe hundreds of times.
Customers and collectors can order bespoke British Airways inflight dining items such as William Edwards plates, soup bowls, cups, saucers and even a butter dish for reasonable prices, allowing them to create an authentic First Class flying experience at home over the festive period.
Bread baskets, hot towels, hot towel plates, champagne flutes, coasters and even the Club World casserole dish can be picked up. And customers can relax in slippers and a day blanket which are also on sale.
For a limited time there is the opportunity to purchase a piece of history with items such as aircraft trolleys and canisters taken from the Boeing 747, which British Airways has now fully retired.
Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said,
This is an incredible one-off opportunity for people to bring the magic of flying with British Airways in to their own homes. We know that these special items will fly and we are delighted to be able to offer them in time for Christmas to give people the opportunity to make it memorable during a difficult year.
British Airways William Edwards Medium Dinner Plate (24cm) (Set of 6)
British Airways Full Meal/Equipment box
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Copy-of-Client-benefits.png4821200Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-11-26 13:02:182020-11-26 13:06:00Serve up your own slice of British Airways history
