- December 2008
- Current Events
- Travel Tips
- Supplier News
- Regional
- International
- Government/Legislation
- Technology
- Industry Trends/Innovation
- Supplier Spotlight
- Supplier Promotions
Current Events
-
Flying through financial turbulence
With the current economic conditions and the predictions for at least the near future, business travel may be a bumpy ride for road warriors and their employers alike.
U.S. domestic airlines have been cutting flights, increasing ticket prices and ticketing restrictions, and adding baggage fees. These changes can have a ripple effect on the entire industry. Fewer flights to a city can often mean fewer hotel guests to fill rooms, fewer rental car customers, and so on. Convention centers, airport shops and restaurants also feel the impact of reduced travel volume.
Because the evolving financial situation is unprecedented, business-travel cost predictions are likely to evolve in the coming months as well. Companies are looking to identify opportunities for savings on travel expenses wherever possible, and budgets are being scrutinized more closely.
Following are tips that corporate travel managers and business travelers may want to keep in mind. Most are common sense, practical approaches that many travelers have used in the past.
- Follow corporate travel program (if in place).
- Keep passport current, and maintain necessary visas for international travel. This will help reduce last minute “rush” charges for expedited documents.
- Book air tickets as far in advance as possible to secure lower fares. Keep in mind: finalize travel plans prior to booking to avoid ticket change fees.
- Consider flying into or out of regional airports if the flights are more affordable (and within the travel policy).
- Check for airfare savings by staying over Saturday night or weekend when possible.
- Take advantage of promotions, discounts, and perks being offered by hotels.
- If selecting a meeting site, check for convention centers with an excess of available space (they may be less expensive), as well as off-season destinations.
- Check as few bags as possible.
- Ship presentation materials/equipment separately to avoid costly airline checked-bag fees.
- Look at the airline checked-bag policy, and pack and weigh bag(s) at home to comply.
- If more that one person is traveling to same destination, share ground transportation.
- Compare the costs of rental cars, shuttles and taxis at the destination, and consider which will be the most cost-effective and logical choice based on travel plans.
- Know rental car return requirements and comply.
Sources: ABC News, USA TODAY, Washingtonpost.com
RFID technology in use at some U.S. border crossings
According to a news release issued by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on November 18, the CBP has announced its first vicinity Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)-enabled land ports of entry.
Components of the new technology include new software, hardware, and the deployment of vicinity RFID technology. The systems are designed to work with the new vicinity RFID-enabled documents, which include the following:
- State Department-issued passport cards
- CBP’s trusted traveler program (NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST) cards
- Enhanced driver’s licenses (currently available in Washington and New York State)
As outlined in the CBP news release, “When read by CBP, an RFID chip embedded in these documents transmits a unique number to a secure database as the traveler’s vehicle approaches the border, enabling CBP officers to verify the traveler’s identity and citizenship more quickly than ever. No personally identifiable information is stored on the chip or transmitted when the RFID chip is read.”
As of November 18, the ports of entry that have been equipped with the new technology include
- Pacific Highway border crossing with Canada
- Peace Arch border crossing with Canada
- Mariposa and DeConcini ports of entry in Nogales, Ariz.
According to CBP, the technology enhancements are being implemented as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which “requires U.S. and Canadian citizens to present secure documentation that confirms identity and citizenship when entering or re-entering the United States from within the Western Hemisphere.” WHTI is scheduled for implementation at land and seaports on June 1, 2009.
Privacy rights advocates as well as the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) have expressed concern about the new technology. ACTE has requested that the use of the RFID readers “be temporarily halted until thorough testing can determine if it is a potential source of traveler identity theft.”
According to ACTE’s executive director, Susan Gurley, “ACTE believes that the traveling public needs to know what forms of ID have RFID chips in them, and which steps have been taken to prevent remote accessing of data.”
Sources: CBP.gov, ACTE.org, USA TODAY
