Passengers on Lufthansa Group flights for the next four months will be required to wear face masks.
Mouth-nose covers will be a compulsory prerequisite throughout the entire journey on Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings flights until 31 August 2020.
Passengers are required to use face masks on Lufthansa Group flights until at lest the end of August 2020
In addition, Lufthansa Group is asking all passengers continue to wear masks at the airport, before and after the flight, wherever the required minimum distance cannot be guaranteed without restriction.
The group has also provided details of changes to in-flight procedures:
The current regulation of Lufthansa Group Airlines to keep the neighbouring seat free in Economy and Premium Economy Class will no longer apply, as wearing the mouth-nose cover provides adequate health protection. Due to the current low occupancy rate, seats will nevertheless be allocated as widely as possible throughout the cabin.
Passengers are required to wear masks throughout the flight as well as at the airport
All flight attendants on Lufthansa Group flights in direct contact with customers will also wear a corresponding mask.
Passengers are requested to bring their own mouth and nose cover. A reusable fabric mask is recommended, but all other types of coverings such as simple disposable masks or scarves are also possible. The airlines will inform their passengers in advance by SMS or e-mail and on their websites about the new regulation.
The airline group also gave information about the likelihood of transmission on its flights:
In principle, infection on board remains very unlikely. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, no concrete cases of transmission on Lufthansa Group flights have become known. All Lufthansa Group aircraft are equipped with the highest quality air filters, which guarantee air quality similar to that in an operating theatre. In addition, the air circulates vertically instead of being distributed throughout the cabin
The requirement comes in to force on Monday, 4 May 2020 and will “preliminarily apply” until 31 August 2020.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Lufthansa-mandates-use-of-face-masks.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-05-01 16:00:422020-05-03 13:08:39Lufthansa Group mandates use of face masks for passengers
The Covid-19 pandemic continues to cause uncertainty to industries in the United Kingdom and beyond. The travel industry is not immune to the disruption caused. But at Global Travel Management we are committed to ensuring we provide a safe business travel management service and that our clients have access to up to date information and guidance.
What we are doing
We are monitoring the Covid-19 pandemic and how the travel industry is dealing with it very closely. Members of our management team are in regular dialogue with industry bodies and are working to ensure that travellers’ best interests are at the forefront of decision-making. We will be happy to answer any questions you have.
We have closed our office premises and transferred all travel management functions to employees working from home. You can still reach Global Travel Management by phone or email in the usual way.
Where you can get more information
We have a news page on our website that gathers some of the most important and breaking news on Covid-19 and its impact on the travel industry and business travellers. Covid-19 news page.
You can follow our Twitter account which contains business travel news as it breaks. GTM Covid-19 tweets. (Opens in new tab).
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a frequently-update page offering guidance for British people travelling overseas during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. FCO guidance for travel. (Opens in new tab).
British Airways is flying thousands of UK nationals who have been stranded in India as a result of the Covid-19 crisis back to the UK this week.
The airline has already flown back thousands of travellers as part of 65 rescue flights which have either operated or are planned to operate in the coming days from destinations across the globe. This is through agreements with travel operators including cruise companies and national authorities, as well as part of a continued effort between British Airways and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to bring people home from cities all over the world. The airline is also carrying hundreds of tonnes of essential supplies including medicines and personal protective equipment to the UK through IAG Cargo.
More flights from India to the UK are continuing this week.
In India the airline is serving eleven airports across the country with special flight departures over a period of two weeks. Flights are taking off from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai and the airline has also extended its operation to serve additional cities which include Goa, Amritsar, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. The repatriation effort has been a collaboration between the UK and Indian Government authorities, British Airways and the airport teams in both Britain and India.
Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said:
It is an honour to support the government’s repatriation efforts and keep a small fleet of aircraft flying to bring stranded Britons back to the UK. When families step foot on board our aircraft and tell us how emotional it feels to be coming home, it reminds us why the job we are doing is still so important. We are hugely proud of our colleagues who continue to work with such dedication and commitment through this crisis to fly people and essential supplies across the world.
The Foreign Office’s Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, said:
We know this is a difficult time for British travellers in India and we are pleased to have partnered with airlines, including British Airways, to get them home. This is a huge and logistically-complex operation, and we are working tirelessly with the Indian Government and state authorities to help more British travellers get home.
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 (@GlobalTravelMgt) April 21, 2020
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Oh-I-feel-like-crying.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-04-21 11:35:462020-04-21 11:35:49British Airways is helping thousands of British travellers return home from India
United Airlines has announced it will continue to fly six daily operations to and from a number of destinations in Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and the Middle East “in an effort to get customers where they need to be.
The airline has describe the situation as “fluid” but claims that “United continues to play a role in connecting people and uniting the world, especially in these challenging times”.
United Airlines flights continuing until and through May:
Newark/New York – Frankfurt (Flights 960/961)
Newark/New York – London (Flights 16/17)
Newark/New York – Tel Aviv (Flights 90/91)
Houston – Sao Paulo (Flights 62/63)
San Francisco – Tokyo-Narita (Flights 837/838)
San Francisco – Sydney (Flights 863/870)
In addition to the above, United Airlines has reinstated the following flights to help displaced customers who still need to get home.
Flights through until 27 March, outbound
Newark/New York – Amsterdam (Flights 70/71)
Newark/New York – Munich (Flights 30/31)
Newark/New York – Brussels (Flights 999/998)
Washington-Dulles – London (Flights 918/919)
San Francisco – Frankfurt (Flights 58/59)
Newark/New York – Sao Paulo (Flights 149/148)
Flights until 29 March, outbound
San Francisco – Seoul (Flights 893/892)
In destinations where government actions have barred the airline from flying, United Airlines are looking for ways to bring customers who have been impacted by travel restrictions back to the United States. This includes working with the U.S. State Department and the local governments to gain permission to operate service.
If you need help planning how to get home, contact your GTM Account Manager.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/United-Reinstates-Flights.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-03-23 13:59:362020-03-23 13:59:41United reinstates some international flights...
The European Union is proposing suspending all non-essential travel for 30 days. Only residents, family members and essential staff – healthcare workers and medical experts – will be exempt from the measures.
The Commission presented guidelines to Member States on health-related border management measures in the context of the COVID-19 emergency. The aims are to protect citizens’ health, ensure the right treatment of people who do have to travel and make sure essential goods and services remain available.
European Commission President Ursula von der Lyen said:
Our measures to contain the Coronavirus outbreak will be effective only if we coordinate on the European level. We have to take exceptional measures to protect the health of our citizens. But let’s make sure goods and essential services continue to flow in our internal market. This is the only way to prevent shortages of medical equipment or food. It’s not only an economic issue: our single market is a key instrument of European solidarity. I am in discussion with all Member States so that we confront this challenge together, as a Union.
She later confirmed the position with regards to UK citizens at a press conference:
UK citizens are European citizens so of course there are no restrictions for the UK citizens to travel to the continent.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/EU-proposes-travel-ban.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-03-16 16:31:292020-03-16 16:32:48European Commission proposes EU-wide travel ban
The United States is to extend its European coronavirus travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
The Vice-President of the United States, Mike Pence, announced that the US government will be extending their travel ban (affecting countries in the EU Schengen area) to include the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
The ban will begin at midnight Eastern Standard Time on Monday 16 March (04:00 GMT Tuesday). US citizens will be able to return home after this date, however, they will be “funnelled” through selected airports.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated its travel advice to the United States, advising against all but essential travel
More and more airlines are now relaxing their previous rules and making tickets even more flexible.
Reacting to the latest announcement, Global Travel Management Sales Director Paul Baker said:
Global Travel Management, will be monitoring all comms from the world’s airlines so that we can help our customers to re-book and/or obtain refunds as they need to.
If you need to change your flight plans following the latest restrictions, please contact your GTM Account Manager.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Breaking-news.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-03-15 10:24:042020-03-15 12:32:46United States bans travel from the UK and Ireland
At Global Travel Management we are working hard to ensure all clients’ business travel plans run as smoothly as always, despite the ongoing uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
To ensure that trips go ahead with as little disruption as possible, we have implemented a four-point plan based around knowledge, communication, certainty and mitigation.
Knowledge
Our teams of travel consultants are kept up to date on the latest situations on the geographical limitations imposed by airline schedule changes and what special measures must be undertaken when travelling to affected areas. If you need to tap into this pool of expert knowledge, just ask your GTM Account Manager.
Communication
We will continue to provide relevant, timely communication on the latest situation via emails, news updates on our website and alerts on our Twitter page. If the situation changes during a trip, we will also provide relevant alerts via Dave, GTM’s traveller-supporting app. For the latest updates, please see Coronavirus – a guide to the latest travel news and medical advice.
Certainty
Our teams rely on comprehensive, accurate and industry-leading feeds of information, with access to up-to-the-minute data on schedules, changes and availability, so we can ensure the latest, most accurate information on the current situation.
Mitigation
We create and amend itineraries to ensure the most-appropriate and most-efficient use of travellers’ time. And, when necessary, we can provide alternatives and have back-up plans ready, for when travellers’ schedules have to change.
If you would like to discuss your travel plans or have any questions about Covid-19 and how it might impact the business trips you are planning, please contact your GTM Account Manager.
https://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Four-pillars-1.png312820Davehttps://gtm.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Smarter-Better-Fairer-GTM-logo_02.pngDave2020-03-06 15:27:122020-03-06 16:13:26How we're tackling coronavirus for business travellers
Exeter-based regional airline Flybe has entered administration.
The business has ceased trading, all Flybe flights and those operated by Stobart Air have been cancelled and passengers have been advised not to travel to the airport unless they have secured flights with alternative airlines.
Alan Hudson, Joanne Robinson, Lucy Winterborne and Simon Edel of EY have been appointed as Joint Administrators.
Global Travel Management continues to provide advice and information to customers affected by the collapse of Flybe. GTM Account Managers can help to arrange alternative travel and advise on the refund process where, for example, passengers have paid for tickets by credit card and are protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Richard Moriarty Chief Executive at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:
This is a sad day for UK aviation and we know that Flybe’s decision to stop trading will be very distressing for all of its employees and customers.
We urge passengers planning to fly with this airline not to go to the airport as all Flybe flights are cancelled. For the latest advice, Flybe customers should visit the CAA website or the CAA’s Twitter feed for more information.
Flybe also operated a number of codeshare partnerships with international airlines. If you have an international ticket you should make contact with that airline to confirm your travel arrangements.
If you require help or advice with regards to Flybe flights, please contact your GTM Account Manager, who will be happy to provide information or arrange alternative travel plans.
Global Travel Management visited The Business Travel Show at Kensington Olympia in February 2020. But, in case you missed the event, we have produced a run-down of some of the best exhibitors at the show.
The WIN Global Travel Network
WIN connects Travel Management Companies around the world, with a large network of locally-based TMCs in 75 countries. So, if you need to have business travel expertise in any location outside the UK, WIN can help Global Travel Management provide this for you.
Paul Baker, Sales Director of Global Travel Management said
I have worked with John Hobbs-Hurrell and his team for several years. They’re great at finding expert local knowledge in markets outside the UK.
Paul Baker with John Hobbs-Hurrell, Global Head of WIN Global Travel Network
Atriis
Atriis creates and runs the technology behind the industry-leading online travel booking tool. And it’s the platform behind GTM Online. It It’s available 24 x 7 and means that all forms of travel are available to search and book immediately, at any time, by GTM customers.
Paul said,
We use Atriis as the backbone of GTM Online for one simple reason: it provides a very simple solution to complete the complex process of booking travel, without the need to pick up the phone or send an email. Atriis have some exciting developments that will make GTM Online even better – we are looking forward to being able to share that information.
Amy Jeffery of Atriis with Paul Baker
Blacklane
Blacklane
is a global chauffeur service, providing airport pickups and drop-offs
or A-to-B trips between business meetings. They offer reliable,
professional, licensed, insured
drivers and you can book a Blacklane driver using GTM Online, or via
your GTM Account Manager.
Paul explained,
The main two reasons we like to use Blacklane is that they are professional and reliable. You can trust Blacklane drivers to be there when you need – and in all the time we have worked with Blacklane, they have never, ever let a client down.
Paul Baker, with Carolin Sander, Senior Key Account Manager of Blacklane
Heathrow Express
Heathrow Express offers a great way to travel between central London and your terminal at London Heathrow Airport. If you have a flight from – or to – Heathrow, don’t forget to book a Heathrow Express ticket, either online on GTM Online or direct with your GTM Account Manager.
Paul was keen to spell out what he thinks about Heathrow Express,
The great thing about Heathrow Express for our customers is that, when they book a flight from Heathrow and a Heathrow Express ticket, they can then sit back and not worry about anything. They’ll be whisked from Paddington to the airport in as little as 15 minutes, without having to queue for tickets at the station or complete post-trip expenses claims. And, as Heathrow Express can be booked on GTM Online or via GTM Account Managers, many customers have the view that their “flight” starts or ends at Paddington.
Paul, with Richard Young, Sales and Distribution Manager of Heathrow Express
Evolvi
We book UK domestic rail through the Evolvi platform. This means that GTM customers can benefit from the full range of UK rail services, including paper tickets, TODs (ticket on departure) and now, e-tickets. All these trains can be booked either online, using GTM Online, or via a GTM Account Manager.
Paul observed,
Evolvi provide a simple solution to a complex technical challenge: choosing, sorting, selecting and buying train tickets, anywhere across the UK domestic rail network. As Evolvi accomplish this reliably and efficiently, we make sure every GTM customer can access train tickets through Evolvi. Pic and caption
Paul Baker, with Melanie Glass, Head of Account Management at Evolvi
Travelport
Travelport isn’t the best-known name among business travellers, because, frankly, business travellers don’t need to know who Travelport is or what it does. But Travelport provides technology services which are critical to airlines, hotels and car rental companies; and a “travel commerce platform”, through which the world’s leading travel suppliers are able to make their content and services available to Global Travel Management.
We have a long-standing relationship with Travelport and almost every flight booking we make comes through Travelport’s technology. They’re an industry leader and we rely on their experience and expertise when planning future products and services, like our new app, Dave. Travelport also publish insights into the global travel market, such as Travel Trends 2020 which is a surVey drawn from more than 23,000 travellers across the world.
Paul Baker with Travelport’s Paul Broughton
Business Traveller
and Cellars in the Sky
One of our favourite sources of news about business travel – apart from the GTM Twitter account, of course – is the monthly publication Business Traveller. It’s been going since 1976 and now has fourteen editions around the world. One of the best features is Cellars in the Sky – the annual award scheme that’s been running since 1985 recognising the best wines served on board the world’s airlines in First Class and Business Class.
After meeting Tom Otley, the Editor of Business Traveller and Holly Khorsand, the Business Traveller Events Manager, and after sampling some of the Cellars in the Sky winning wines, Paul said,
Cellars in the Sky is a great way to highlight one of the most enjoyable aspects of flying in business class or first class. And I can confirm that the 2016 Brennan B2 available on Air New Zealand is a great choice as the best red wine served in business class last year.
Paul Baker with Holly Khorsand of Business Traveller
Let your GTM Account Manager know if you would like more information about any of the exhibitors listed here.
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ANA will expand its fleet with the mixed order of 20 new Boeing 787-10 and 787-9 aircraft, a move the airline says leaves it well positioned for long term success as it increases its emphasis on sustainability.
The order will include orders of eleven 787-10 aircraft and nine 787-9 models. The 787-10s, which has been selected to serve the airline’s domestic routes, will enter service between 2022 and 2024, with the 787-9s, scheduled for international service beginning in 2024 and concluding in 2025.
Yutaka Ito, Executive Vice President of ANA said:
Boeing’s 787s have served ANA with distinction, and we are proud to expand our fleet by adding more of these technologically advanced aircraft.
These planes represent a significant step forward for ANA as we work to make our entire fleet more eco-friendly and to reduce noise output. Introducing the 787-10 on the domestic routes will help ANA Group maintain its leadership role and improve our ability to operate as a responsible corporate citizen.
The Boeing 787 harness advanced aircraft design materials, significantly improving its efficiency compared to the Boeing 777 planes currently deployed by ANA. Replacing the domestic 777s with the 787s will allow ANA to achieve 25% better fuel efficiency. Because the 787 also generates less sound that the 777, the move will also reduce noise emissions.
If all 20 planes enter service, ANA will operate a total of 103 787s by 2025. The newly ordered planes will utilise engines manufactured by GE Aviation.
ANA HD considers a range of factors when adding aircraft to its fleet, and the Boeing 787 was selected after a thorough evaluation process determined that it would best meet ANA HD’s goals while helping the airline boost service and hospitality.
The next time you need to fly on ANA, contact your GTM Account Manager
