A monthly roundup of business travel news, featuring important technology updates, helpful links and resources, and the latest from the industry.
As many of our clients have begun traveling again, here are four things you should do this month to keep the startup streamlined and easy to navigate:
1. Update Travel Profiles
Have your travelers update their travel profiles to include both their mobile and office phone numbers (and any other applicable lines). Doing this will help their calls route properly to your preferred advisors regardless of the phone they call from.
While they are updating phone numbers, they should also review their entire travel profile to add or delete any new or outdated information. For example, their credit card may have expired. As a reminder, online bookings cannot be issued if the credit card is expired and will require a manual intervention.
2. Turn Booking Site Back On
If you removed the ability to book in Concur in 2020, or your Concur site is currently locked against traveler use, notify your Account Manager that you’re ready to turn the site back on and test it to ensure it’s working correctly.
Additionally, if you’ve changed any of your travel policies in the last year, your Account Manager can help you align your online booking tool with those new policies. Of course, such changes can be made at any time and do not have to be done when you are ready to turn your booking site back on.
3. Check Traveler Programs & Passports
Remind business travelers to check their trusted traveler and passport status. If their TSA programs have expired, they may have lost their Pre-Check benefits and cannot regain them until they renew that service.
Passport status will be of particular importance for some travelers. A passport is typically valid for 10 years, however nearly all countries now require at least a 6-month validity period in order to be admitted. Since passport services were suspended for a large portion of the pandemic, you should anticipate for longer-than-normal processing times for renewing these documents.
4. Review Unused Tickets
Transferable unused tickets (i.e. tickets issued in one person’s name being designated for use by another person) are now offered by some airlines. Airlines providing this type of exchange usually charge a service fee unless certain requirements are met or if you have a partnership agreement in place.
There may be instances where transferring a ticket may not be financially prudent or even possible. Christopherson’s clients can always view any transferable tickets in AirPortal and Account Managers can provide additional support as needed.
For more tips on how travel managers can be ready to support travelers and successfully manage their travel program this year, check out this blog post.
Additional Travel Industry News as of May 3, 2021
While the Real ID requirement is still in the works, the deadline was extended once again. Travelers should have a Real ID-compliant driver’s license by May 3, 2023. We’ve got the full scoop here.
Delta Air Lines is no longer blocking middle seats.
We’ve continued our Executive Q&A interview series with our Chief Technology Officer. Click here to read his thoughts on the role of artificial intelligence in business travel.
Good News Break
Here are a few fun, non-travel-related stories to enjoy:
- Have you seen this funny parallel parking video (don’t miss the end!).
- Amazing, lifelike chalk art.
- Where are all the Bob Ross paintings?!
