Hello.  My name is Bob and I’m a travel accessoryholic.

I sometimes think my love of travel is fueled mostly by my love of purchasing travel accessories.  Sometimes I buy the accessory for a trip I never take.  But I digress.

I thought you loyal readers would like to hear about some of the items I have come across that I think would be useful, and then others that seem to be “pushing the envelope” of necessity.

First on the really useful list is a piece of luggage which won the Product Innovation Award at the recent 2012 Travel Goods Show in Las Vegas (see, I’m not the only accessoryholic).  It is the Road Warrior M Series by Trunk and Travel. It is six foldable cases that, with the pull of an interior rip cord, collapses to half of their depth for easy storage.

Tied for second place were the Domestic Carry-on Expandable Upright by Briggs & Riley and the Compressor by Samsonite. Both have zipperless systems that expand and contract the cases for more efficient packing.

One of the most clever new products is called the Scanner Bag from The Gadget Duck. The Scanner Bag is a luggage tag that unfolds and exposes a net sack to place all your pocket change and other metallic items you have in pockets while you go through security.  After you are through you simply take the contents back out, zip up the sack and you have your luggage tag back.

Now for some of the more dubious accessories (at least, in my opinion).

First, are those nylon pre-board organizers that you store your ID and boarding pass in with see-thru vinyl that  you hang around your neck.  Now I am not saying they aren’t useful… but every time I see an adult wearing one, I wonder if they have become separated from their school trip, or assume that they are mall walkers.

Second on my “dubious need” list is the ultra mini personal air purifier.  This is another accessory that you hang around your neck that is supposed to purify the air you breathe directly under your nose.  Caution: this only works if it isn’t covered up by the pre-board organizer also hanging around your neck.

Coming in third is the ultra violet light toothbrush sanitizer.  Now, I don’t know about you but

a) I don’t share my toothbrush with anyone, and

b) when traveling where the water is questionable, I rinse the brush with bottled water.

Soooo, whose germs am I killing?

And finally, there is the tray table Cabin Pillow. This is a pillow you blow up (not good for flights under an hour) and place on your tray table and then proceed to try to lie your head and torso on top of it while embracing it.  I guess only one question here: what happens when the person sitting in front of you decides to recline their seat?

That’s when you need the ultimate travel accessory: the Knee Defenders (also available through The Gadget Duck).  These are two pieces of plastic you place between the tray table rods and the seat in front of you that prevent the person in front of you from reclining their seat all the way, forcing your knees into your lower jaw.  Caution: Although not prohibited by the FAA, the Knee Defenders are prohibited by many airlines.

So try diplomacy first.

Happy Travels!

In the highly competitive airline industry, many airlines around the world have partnered via joint ventures (JVs) and alliances, for their mutual benefit and long-term viability. The alliance landscape that shapes the industry today is actually relatively young: the three major global alliances – Star Alliance, SkyTeam and Oneworld  – each were created within the past 15 years. While they haven’t been around that long, these three alliances account for more than 60 percent of total passenger traffic, which can offer both benefits and challenges to you as a traveler.

Before I dive into these benefits and challenges, it’s important that you understand key differences between JVs and alliances. The focus for airlines in an alliance is to combine their respective footprint to create expanded global networks, to align schedules for maximum efficiency, to engage in some combined marketing efforts, and in some cases, to share revenue. Conversely, airlines participating in a JV are aligned quite closely as part of a narrower relationship that includes fewer total carriers.

The alignment in scheduling and service levels between carriers participating in JVs or alliances provides some benefits for travelers. With complementary schedules, travelers often benefit from shorter overall travel times and better transfer options, while the alignment of frequent flier programs and other travel offers allow travelers to collect miles and other perks on each leg of their trip, regardless of specific carrier, as long as they are part of the JV or alliance.

The biggest challenge with the growth of JVs and alliances is reduced competition, particularly in specific markets, where airlines that previously competed begin cooperating. This can result in higher pricing and/or reduced frequency of service in certain areas.

The airline industry continues to evolve, and each change has potential to impact you as a traveler. Be sure to continue booking within your company’s travel policy and use approved booking channels to ensure you’re getting the best price and service available in your market. For more information about JVs and alliances, read the latest CWT ViewPoint.

Nick Vournakis’ recent blog post, “Travel policies: why to follow the rules,” gave us some insight into why it’s beneficial to abide by your company’s travel policy. In today’s guest blog post, CWT’s Joel Wartgow, a frequent traveler and Senior Director of the CWT Solutions Group in the Americas, adds his own thoughts on the travel policy and predicts where it may be headed.

In the travel industry we have recently been spending a lot of time talking about the fact that you, the traveler, are gaining more power over travel purchasing. While it’s not what many in managed travel like to hear, I can attest that these statements are true – I’ve been observing this trend among many of the clients with whom my team and I interact every day.

Not only do you have more access to travel-related information than ever before, with the ability to make actual bookings instantly through mobile applications (apps), but you also have access to more choices from an ever-expanding field of non-traditional suppliers. In stark contrast is the traditional travel policy, which applies one set of rules regardless of the situation and doesn’t proactively share contextual information with you the way mobile apps do. No wonder the travel policy has been getting challenged! That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a place. It will likely always be a foundational element to support the travel program, but it cannot be relied upon as the “be all, end all.”

I tend to believe the most effective approach to the travel policy lies somewhere in between controlling access to information, which often pushes compliance to a lengthy travel policy document, and allowing a total “free for all,” letting you book whatever and however you want. Rather than attempting to control behavior, I believe it would be most effective to let you make smart decisions while on the road. This would require you to have a general understanding of the process so you are aware of the impacts to the organization of both good and bad decisions.

We’ve all likely received a message telling us that we’ve booked a non-preferred airline and that we should go change our reservation, but beyond the fact that our booking is out of policy, do we really understand why? Even though the bottom-line ticket prices may look similar to you, your company may have negotiated with a specific airline to make the total cost of flying much lower than other options, or may be approaching its annual deadline to meet a market share agreement with the preferred carrier, and missing it could cost the company, say, $1 million in discounts next year. Imagine what the impact could be if you and your colleagues booked out of policy!

What if your organization provided more education around the impacts of booking outside of the travel policy, and what if they even took it a step further and offered a tool allowing you to better understand the overall impact your travel has on the organization as a whole based on each and every decision you make? Companies recognize that they need to continue driving cost savings in corporate travel, while the most forward thinking organizations are also considering how they can simultaneously enable travelers access to information and the ability to make decisions that benefit their comfort and convenience while on the road. What suggestions do you have?

We’re excited to introduce today’s guest blogger, Håkan Ericsson, CWT President of the Americas. Håkan took on this role beginning in January, following the retirement of Jack O’Neill, CWT President of North America. Below, Håkan tells us a little bit about some of CWT’s priorities as we look forward to the rest of 2012 and beyond.

Hello travelers!

It’s my pleasure to “virtually” meet you! I’m excited to be working more closely with our North America team. And while I’m new to the region, I’m not new to the travel management industry. Before taking on this new role, I spent the last four years responsible for CWT’s business in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) as well as Latin America, based at our global head office in Paris. During the last two years I have also been responsible for our global partner network, consisting of approximately 100 partners.

Beyond my professional background, I’ll tell you a little bit about me, personally. I’m originally from Sweden, and lately one of my favorite forms of non-motorized travel is running. I took up running less than two years ago, and have completed my first few marathons since then. It certainly gives some new meaning to the term “road warrior.” Additionally, I do quite a bit of business travel myself, so I hope to visit you via this blog now and again to swap travel tips and stories.

As far as CWT’s priorities when it comes to serving our travelers, I can tell you that we’re always working to provide efficient and innovative solutions both for individual travelers and for the overall management of your company’s travel program. We want to be sure we’re offering you the best value for every travel dollar you spend. From beginning to end, we want your travel experience to be a positive one, and we’ll continue to do everything we can in support of that goal. More than ever, we’re working to ensure we continue investing in our people here at CWT. By focusing on having a strong, talented team in place, we can assure you that the people who help you get from here to there are prepared and well-equipped to deliver the level of service you need and deserve. Click here for more information about CWT’s business priorities for the year as they relate to our clients’ managed travel programs.

The travel industry can be complex (to say the least), and is definitely ever-changing. Important for CWT as an organization is the ability to be flexible with the changing dynamics of the travel industry and the changing needs of business travelers. We will continue to develop systems and solutions that provide value to you, whether that value is in the form of hard-dollar savings or an improved travel experience.

We hope you’ve had the opportunity to check out some of our newest tools designed to enhance your travel experience. CWT To Go, the mobile app available for CWT clients to download free of charge, is one example of the type of innovation we are excited to introduce to travelers. We welcome your feedback on what other features or tools would help make the travel process easier and more enjoyable for you.

Whether you’re traveling for business, or planning your next vacation, it is CWT’s pleasure to serve you.

Until next time,

Håkan

In the last few weeks we’ve featured a few posts about the 2012 Travel Management Priorities the CWT Travel Management Institute identified in its recent research study—improving traveler compliance, driving air and ground transportation savings, and optimizing online adoption. This is part four in that series, and I’d like dive into another of the top four priorities—optimizing hotel spend.

As a frequent traveler, I find myself spending on average 75 nights in hotels each year. So even the little decisions I make during each trip can add up to significant savings or significant additional cost for my company. Here are a few tips you can keep in mind during the process of identifying, booking, and staying at your hotel to get the best value possible.

• Book your company’s preferred hotels. Many companies select preferred hotels only after thoroughly researching those hotels and their safety practices. By booking these hotels, you can be assured that the property meets your company’s standards for safety as well as value.
• Book via approved channels. It may be easy enough to call a hotel property directly and book a room, but if this is not your company’s approved method of booking, you may want to think twice before making that call. By booking via the approved channels, which may be the travel management company or an online booking tool, you can be sure that any discounts your company has negotiated are applied to your rate. Additionally, this will ensure your company has a record of where you are staying in the event of an emergency.
• Take advantage of negotiated amenities. Some hotels offer complimentary amenities as part of the negotiated rate. These may include free parking, internet access, or breakfast. If the amenities are ones you can use, take advantage of them rather than potentially spending more outside the hotel.
• Look at the whole picture. If multiple hotel options are all within your travel policy, try to consider the total cost of staying at one property vs. another. Selecting a hotel near your meeting location may help to reduce ground transportation costs. Additionally, some hotels may offer free shuttles to locations within a certain distance of the hotel. Considerations like these, along with total room rate and included amenities, can add up to a big difference in the total cost of your trip.

 

These are just a few of the basics to consider before your next trip. And if hotels are your home away from home, we’d love to hear your tips as well. Please share them in the comments below.