How has the health crisis affected your business travel?
Noellie Jacquet - Normally, I go one week a month to Dubaiwhere our secondary office is located, the main office being based at Lyon. I didn't cancel anything during the crisis, especially as, given the lack of visibility, I booked flights late, a week in advance. This was already the case before the crisis. Apart from one last-minute flight cancellation, we haven't had any problems in that respect. This can be explained by the fact that we work with a country that is left openwhere things are very well managed locally, with good sanitary conditions. In Dubai, for example, my temperature was checked six or seven times a day, on arrival at the hotel, the office, the restaurant...
Are you apprehensive about air travel? 
Noellie Jacquet - I had to make a forty flights this year, almost as many as last year, whether on Emirates, Air France, KLM... And from my point of view conditions are very favourable There is no no problems by plane. Flights in the autumn were relatively empty, with social distancing on board. A company like Emirates really stands out in terms of health. Additional staff have been deployed in the lounges, cleaning has been stepped up, the crews on board wear an overblouse and passengers are given a hygiene kit with masks, gloves, gels, etc. There is no need to worry about the health of passengers. no need to worry about travelling with such measures. At theinformation I systematically consult the airline's website for up-to-date information, even when I have to travel with another carrier.
What do you think about the statements made by some airlines about compulsory vaccination for travel?
Noellie Jacquet - I don't think a company can make it compulsory to have a vaccine. This is a matter for the state, as it is in some African countries, but not for a private company. It looks more like a coup de communication from QantasAustralia and New Zealand have been closed for many months, and this is a way of putting pressure on the government to resume flights as soon as possible. But from my point of view, I'm in favour of anything that will get the airline industry back on its feet fairly quickly.as a form of 'Covid passport'. It's just a question of finding a sufficiently secure digital solution. But it's on the way.
Could videoconferencing replace your travel, even after the crisis?
Noellie Jacquet - Of course, a tool like Zoom "But it's not sustainable in the long term. The videoconferencing cannot replace face-to-face meetings. Our customers need to see us in person. In our business we have to travel, it's unavoidable. We used Zoom in the spring, when the Emirates were temporarily closed and we had no other choice. But as soon as the opportunity presented itself again, we were off again.
I have opted for slightly longer stays, reducing the frequency slightly
Hasn't the economic crisis changed the way you think about business travel? Don't you want to travel less?
Noellie Jacquet - Not at all! I was just waiting for the next flight. I'm passionate about flying and the passenger experience. What has changed, however, is perhaps the length of my trips: I've opted for slightly longer stays, with slightly fewer frequent flights.
Could this unprecedented episode lead to a long-term improvement in the passenger experience, with the use of new technologies and biometrics?
Noellie Jacquet - I was able to see the innovations deployed in Dubai airport, this route with facial recognition, self check-in encouraged. It's still a work in progress, but it's being put in place. Overall, it's time to moderniseto work towards a digital, biometric route. Now is the time to move forward and adapt, especially as these situations may arise again over the next few years: we need to be ready to bounce back without wasting too much time, as was the case in the past. We can't just stand by for months on end.
