Business Travel News - June 29, 2009 - (Page 4)

NEWS TSA Eyes Secure Flight Clarity BY JAY BOEHMER The Transportation Security Administration this month clarified aspects of the Secure Flight program, noting that names on boarding passes do not have to exactly match those on government-issued photo IDs, in an attempt to overturn some misperceptions about the program. BCD Travel in a memo to account managers this month noted, “Conflicting statements and compliance dates issued earlier this year by various entities in the corporate travel industry have caused confusion over the program. Some of that confusion now is being cleared up by the TSA and airlines.” “The name is used for watchlist matching before a boarding pass is ever issued.” U.S. Transportation Security Administration BCD Travel senior vice president Rose Stratford this month said BCD has been in frequent touch with clients regarding the program. “We want to make sure that our clients are well aware that this does not change the process of how you check in at the security checkpoint,” Stratford said. “Everything you do today will remain the same: You don’t have to change your identification if it closely matches with how your name appears in the PNR.” TSA unveiled some aspects of the passenger prescreening program in May, requiring airlines to be prepared to collect passengers’ full names beginning May 15 and date of birth and gender beginning Aug. 15. Even so, domestic carriers will roll out the program on a staggered basis through the end of March 2010, TSA said. It expects travel agencies to “collect the necessary data in a timeframe that corresponds with the aircraft operator’s timeframe.” The program requires air- lines—and their agents—to collect a passenger’s full name, date of birth and gender. TSA on its Web site this month noted, “Boarding passes may not always display the exact name you provided when booking your travel. The name you provide is used to perform the watchlist matching before a boarding pass is ever issued, so small differences should not impact your travel.” Stewart Harvey, director of client management at HRG, said the message to clients is “don’t panic, but don’t postpone,” noting clients should prepare to educate their travelers that they may need to update profiles or provide further information at the point of sale. “Most customers want to populate what they’ve got against their own central hierarchy,” Harvey said. “They’d put the onus on the individual by sending that profile and telling them it’s their responsibility to make sure the information is accurate and reflects your ID or passport.” TMCs said they would be prepared this summer to collect new data sets required by Secure Flight. CWT North America director of quality and customer experience Steve Williamson said the TMC would enable functionality to collect date of birth and gender this month “and begin to request and collect each of the Secure Flight data elements within CWT Portrait traveler profiles, CWT Horizon online reservations and reservations made with CWT travel counselors.” Williamson said, “For clients using third-party online booking tools, the dates for collection may vary.” Stratford said BCD expects to start collecting gender and date of birth by Aug. 3. An American Express spokesperson said, “We’re working with online booking tools and GDSs to ready the tech to receive this information, and where additional information needs to be collected, travelers need to provide this new information that wasn’t needed before.” ■ jboehmer@btnonline.com ■ Business Travel News REARDEN OFFERING AMTRAK CONTENT VIA WANDRIAN Rearden Commerce late last month on its Personal Assistant online booking platform began providing Amtrak content through an application programming interface connection via rail IT services provider Wandrian. Rearden claims to be the first online booking tool with such a connection to Amtrak, which can be booked online at its own Web site or through other self-booking tools via all global distribution systems. Amtrak is working on non-intermediary direct connections with other online booking tools. Rearden enables travelers to print their own tickets instead of having to access them at self-service station kiosks. According to vice president of worldwide sales Tony D’Astolfo, Rearden loads negotiated corporate rates into the tool. There is no transaction fee for a Rearden Amtrak booking, but D’Astolfo said Rearden takes Amtrak volume into account when developing corporate account licensing fees. Rearden next plans to integrate Amtrak into its shopping matrix with flight options. It also is working with Wandrian to gain access for its online booking platform to U.K. rail content provider Thetrainline. INSIDE TRACK U.S. TREASURY PUBLISHES TARP TRAVEL RULES The U.S. Treasury Department this month published new rules governing some meeting, event, incentive and travel expenses for companies that received Troubled Asset Relief Program funds. The new guidelines, which entered a 60-day comment period on June 15, focus on executive compensation and corporate governance, and would require TARP recipients “to eliminate excessive and luxury expenditures,” as defined by the Treasury Secretary. Those could include “entertainment or events, office and facility renovations, aviation or other transportation services, and other similar items, activities or events,” the rule states. According to the new guidelines, TARP-receiving companies will have to identify such expenses, establish policies, set approval processes, require “prompt internal reporting of violations”and “mandate accountability for adherence” to such policies. Fearing the worst, some industry organizations, including the U.S. Travel Association and the National Business Travel Association, applauded the new guidelines. Though the rule is not final until the conclusion of public comment period on Aug. 14, U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow in a statement said, “We do not expect these rules to change in any material way.” ORBITZ FOR BUSINESS NAMES NEW LEADER Orbitz for Business this month announced the appointment of Frank Petito as the online travel management company’s new president, replacing former senior vice president and COO Dean Sivley, who left the company in May to become president and CEO of travel insurance company Travel Guard (BTNonline, May 6). Petito previously served as senior vice president of corporate development for parent company Orbitz Worldwide. He joined Orbitz in 2002 and served on the executive team that steered the company through two initial public offerings and its acquisition by Cendant in 2004. In his new role, Petito will continue to report to Orbitz president and CEO Barney Harford, who took the helm in January, replacing Steve Barnhart (BTNonline, Jan. 7). Petito could not be reached for comment. Sivley, who had worked for Orbitz for Business since 2004, will help guide Stevens Point, Wis.-based Travel Guard’s spin-off from beleaguered insurance giant American International Group as part of AIU Holdings. 4 Monday, June 29, 2009 www.BTNonline.com http://www.BTNonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Business Travel News - June 29, 2009

Business Travel News - June 29, 2009
Contents
Inside Track
BTN Research
Profiles In Travel Mgmt
Forum
Lodging
Aviation
Payment/Expense
Meetings Today
EuroBTN

Business Travel News - June 29, 2009