Travel Business News - Europe

Jan 17, 2010 A large majority of travel managers polled separately by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives and the National Business Travel Association indicated their companies have not reduced business travel as a result of the Christmas Day attempt to detonate a bomb aboard a Northwest Airlines jet en route to Detroit from Amsterdam. But the byproducts of the terror plan--enhanced security screening and other reactive measures--already are affecting travelers around the world. The full consequences are not yet clear as authorities in several countries continue to review and enact new rules. Thus far, there is no evidence of a substantial drop in U.S. air travel demand as a result. "The terrorist incident in December has perhaps had some negative impact on ticket sales, particularly to/from Europe," according to a Jan. 11 research note from UBS analyst Kevin Crissey. "That said, the managements with whom we've spoken have not seen any material downtick that they can attribute to the failed attempt." But the situation raises questions for many frequent travelers and their managers. Will new security procedures that lengthen checkpoint wait times become too much of a drain on traveler productivity? Will carry-on restrictions become less consistent worldwide and force more travelers to wait for checked bags? How should national authorities and corporations that field business travelers handle health and privacy concerns related to the use of body-scanning technologies? How can corporate travel professionals stay on top of new developments? Jan 14, 2010