Business Travel News - February 11, 2008 - (Page 1)

FEBRUARY 11, 2008 INSIDE Sabre, Travelport Embrace Air Delay Data. . . 3 CWT Claims Sales Surpass Amex . . . . . . . . 4 RBC Banks On Alternative Carrier Balance . . 6 Carriers Plan Further U.S. Capacity Cuts . . . 30 Hilton Eliminates Reward Blackout Dates . . 32 3 6 34 CARLSON PICKS CAR RENTAL MARION BLAKEY HOTEL LEADER CONSULTATION TO KEYNOTE Paul Kirwin moves HRG’s Ian Flint Former FAA head to to head Americas delivers analytical, address ACTE/BTN hotel operation. sourcing tools. education congress. • Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum • Jack Blumenstein • Michael Boult • Tim Burke • George W. Bush • Daniel Calleja • John Davis • Christine Duffy • Duane Futch • Jonathan Gray • Glen Hauenstein • Kip Hawley • Donna Kelliher • Gary Kelly • Tom Klein • David Neeleman • Ronald Nelson • Olivier Onidi • Mary Peters • Steve Singh • Jean-Cyril Spinetta • Dave Spurlock • Andy Taylor BTNonline.com More Buyers Trading Down In Hotel Tier To Offset Costs BY MICHAEL B. BAKER Inflight Internet Advancing SIX CARRIERS FURTHER PLANS FOR AIRBORNE ACCESS BY JAY BOEHMER Midprice hotel chains are gaining favor with travel buyers, as trading down continued to gain traction as a strategy in 2008 hotel programs, a combined result of demands from up- Most Incorporating Midprice Hotels Dates Buyers Began Trading Down 2008 15% Do not trade down 30% 2007 25% 2006 10% 2005 or earlier 20% Domestic airlines are working to deliver the next musthave amenity, inflight Internet, as at least six carriers in the past two months have advanced plans to offer connectivity in the sky. Though carriers have taken divergent approaches to the depth of access, pricing models and the number of aircraft in which they initially will install offerings, inflight connectivity is expected to become widespread in coming years. Forrester Research vice president and principal analyst Henry Harteveldt said inflight Internet is nearing critical mass in the domestic airline business. According to a report released last month, Harteveldt expects onboard Wi-Fi to eclipse other inflight entertainment options within a few years. Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and Virgin America instituted plans to make some Continued on page 40 THE 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL EXECUTIVES OF 2007 Source: NBTA/Best Western survey of 104 travel buyers Fewer, Longer Car Deals Sought BY ELISSA HUNTER per management to cut travel program costs and repositioning of midprice brands as more attractive options for business travelers. Overall hotel industry data confirms the trend, and it’s not just limited to the upscaleContinued on page 8 Integration, Messaging Upgrades Traveler Tracking BY SETH HARRIS • Paul Tilstone For more, see page 10. Car rental buyers mostly are signing one- or two-year con• Gordon Wilson tracts with two car rental companies, according to a recently released survey, highlighting what analysts called a growing move toward longer contracts with fewer vendors that allow for renegotiation at specified periods of time. Consulting firm Runzheimer International last month released a survey showing that 62 percent of 43 corporate, educational and government respondents surveyed had two signed contracts for negotiated car rental rates, while 15 percent had only one. Only 23 percent had three or more signed contracts. Runzheimer recommended limiting contracts to one supplier to improve concessions. The survey results reflect what analysts called a move to consolidate Postmaster: Newspaper Handling/Periodicals Postaage While traveler tracking has become commonplace in corporate travel programs, risk management and security firms and travel management companies are working to aggregate cross-departmental data streams, improve messaging capabilities to travelers and provide more robust security programs. In the past three years, more than 91 percent of corporations participating in BTN’s Corporate Travel 100 have implemented traveler tracking, and BTN research showed Continued on page 40 Continued on page 42 ws PwC’s JIM LENNON Close the booked/actual gap. http://BTNonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Business Travel News - February 11, 2008

Business Travel News - February 11, 2008
Contents
Sabre, Travelport Embrace Air Delay Data
CWT Claims Sales Surpass Amex
Inside Track: Airlines Resurrect Saturday-Night Stays
Profiles In Travel Management: Royal Bank of Canada
RBC Banks On Alternative Carrier Balance
The 25 Most Influential Executives, 2007
Hong Kong - Asian Aspirations
Executive Dashboard: Carriers Apply Surcharges
Aviation: U.S. Airlines Limit Domestic Capacity
Carriers Plan Further U.S. Capacity Cuts
Hilton Eliminates Reward Blackout Dates
Lodging: Hilton Frequency Program Ends Blackout
Corporate Travel World: Blakey to Keynote
Car & Ground Transportation: EuroStar Growth
Destinations: Las Vegas, Asia/Pacific
Washington Wire: Border Crossings Tighten

Business Travel News - February 11, 2008