Erica ☀️ Penley-Claycomb, CRME

Here’s how an Aerospace & Defense company reduced travel costs from last-minute bookings using BCD’s Travel Report Card: https://ow.ly/Q7wv50UnE5g #TravelManagement #TravelSmartAchieveMore

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Check out this comprehensive travel checklist for international travel:

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120 Second Response Time - Every time & Anytime! There's something about the travel industry + corporate management that our clients appreciate the lightening speed response time. We staffed and implemented a process to reply with two minutes to every request. They aren't "processed" so quick, they are assigned and being worked on. This is 24 hours a day , 365 days a year. While many customers don't always run after "service", once they experience it, they can't go back. We call it the Platinum Travel Experience! How fast does your service provider get back to you? (996 incoming requests in the last 7 days replied to within 120 seconds). 

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Holiday travel predictions look to be “record setting”:

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😱 Imagine trying to check in for a flight only to be stopped because your name is wrong on the ticket. A small oversight – like a missing letter or using a preferred name instead of a legal name – could cause big delays with airline agents and security personnel. When you spot an error, make sure to take action immediately. Here’s a checklist: https://ow.ly/wSsV50Tr0sf #BusinessTravel #TravelTips

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Work conferences are evolving beyond traditional sessions, now featuring activities like karaoke, pickleball, and yoga to enhance attendee engagement. Dawn Gilbertson's article in The Wall Street Journal explores this trend, highlighting how these additions aim to balance professional development with personal well-being. https://lnkd.in/ePhPKvyT #WorkLifeBalance #CorporateWellness

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The Cornerstone Information Systems Index is meant to reflect the health of the travel industry according to the data that they have available. It's quite interesting. There was a 5.47% decrease in total processed trips from February 2024 to March 2024. Below are the numbers regarding the March 2024 travel index:  Avg Trip Spend $1,544  Avg Air Spend $801  Avg Hotel Spend $543  Avg Car Rental Spend $199

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Interest in exploring North America continues to soar, with the U.S. maintaining its top spot as the region's most sought-after destination from September through December 2024, mirroring its popularity from the previous year. A recent study by Amadeus and UN Tourism highlights that New York City stands out as the premier destination based on search interest and reservations, with Toronto and Los Angeles also playing a significant role in boosting travel enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Cancun and Miami are at the forefront of bookings made through travel agencies. Discover more insights into travel trends across the Americas here: https://gag.gl/8vY3Wu

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What separates an industry-leading hotel program from the rest? Having a strategy in place to actively manage your program and engage travelers. In Advito's latest blog, Ambra Christie, Vice President, Hotel Spend Management and Customer Success, shares 5 ways to ensure your business travelers use your hotel program in 2025: https://ow.ly/Ir7650TIvhS #BusinessTravel #TravelerEngagement #TravelerManagement

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Group travel is a key component of an effective sales strategy for hoteliers, but responding to a request for proposal (RFP) can be time consuming, resource intensive, and sometimes fruitless. This doesn’t have to be the case. By taking stock of your strengths, you can identify which opportunities to pursue and create open channels of communication with planners to maximize bookings and win more market share. John Russell, Product Director, Sales & Event Management, Hospitality, Amadeus explains how to take the friction out of group RFPs in this article for Premier Hospitality Magazine: https://lnkd.in/gdwftRcT

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Did you know that ~37% of all non-aeronautical revenue in North American airports comes directly from parking? This makes #RevenueManagement essential for revenue optimization at these airports. Check out how Ace Parking at Phoenix Airport is using IDeaS Parking Revenue Management to increase revenues and operational efficiencies.

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After 57 Years Southwest Airlines Is Dropping Its Open Seating Policy ✈ Southwest Airlines is making the biggest shift in its 57-year history. Effective immediately, the airline will start assigning seats and offering premium seat options, on all its flights. It is a seismic shift in the philosophy of Southwest, and one it is making because “preferences have evolved” among its customers, who are taking longer flights and prefer to be able to pick their own seats on those routes. “The research is clear and indicates that 80% of Southwest Customers, and 86% of potential customers, prefer an assigned seat,” Southwest said in its announcement. “When a customer elects to stop flying with Southwest and chooses a competitor, open seating is cited as the number one reason for the change.” President Bob Jordan said this week that the move is a “transformational change” but one that is the “right choice” because of that research. Open seating has been a huge part of Southwest’s DNA ever since it was launched. As the airline started expanding in the 1980s, Southwest’s marketing told passengers that “you choose who sits next to you.” “Unlike assigned seating, you’re free to sit next to someone just like you,” an ad from 1984 said. The idea was to keep things simple for their customers, with the pitch being to pay a low fare and get treated the same as everyone else with no priority boarding, no cabin classes, and no assigned seats. But now, all that is changing. Other big changes At the same time, Southwest is making two other big changes that it hopes will “broaden” its appeal to flyers. The first also has to do with seating. Southwest will start offering a premium ticket option on its flights that has extra legroom, another change that comes from customer preferences. The timetable for this change is a little less clear—Southwest says the layout details “are still in design.” The second is new redeye domestic flights within the U.S. that will launch on Valentine’s Day 2025. Initially, Southwest will offer overnights between five markets: Las Vegas to Baltimore and Orlando; Los Angeles to Baltimore and Nashville; and Phoenix to Baltimore. It expects to add more in the future, too. Again, another change Southwest is making because of passenger preferences. Why now? After two of the best years in travel history, airlines are seeing a drop in profit as consumer demand for air travel, and appetite to pay high prices for it, falls. Southwest’s second-quarter profit was down 46% compared to the same time a year ago and American Airlines said on Thursday that its second-quarter profit was also down 46% (American also has other major issues). Southwest’s changes and additions, along with American’s about-face on its sales strategy, are all seemingly in reaction to those results. #Burschtravel [email protected] 320-257-8939 www.burschtravel.com

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Did you know 88% of business travelers fly economy for short haul flights, but only 48% do for long haul ones? Check out BCD’s most recent Air Travel: Traveler Survey to learn more on the current state of corporate air travel: https://ow.ly/PNTC50TZPCF #TravelManagement

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