TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

The European Union is recommending that, from February 1, all travellers with full vaccination status should be able to move around the EU without hindrance, regardless of their country of origin...

Two new tools have recently been unveiled by Sabre and Ulysse to help travellers and businesses make sense of the formalities and other restrictions imposed country by country.

The second edition of the Jenji index, based on a study of expense reports on the French market in the second half of 2021, points to an upturn in business travel. It also points to a number of underlying trends that could well continue in the long term.

Laos opens up, Indonesia closes itself off to the French, while Thailand tries a middle way in restricting international travellers. Three decisions that reflect an Asian continent gripped by omicron anxiety...

US carrier Delta Air Lines has decided to stop awarding miles to passengers booking a flight with a "Basic Economy" fare. In doing so, the carrier is opening a loophole in the loyalty system in the United States.

There will no longer be a compulsory PCR test for properly vaccinated people arriving in or departing from England and Wales. The measure comes into force on 7 January, announced Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Tests required on arrival, compulsory isolation, entry bans, vaccination passes: a day-by-day update on the latest restrictions in force around the world.

Thailand has decided to re-impose a quarantine on travellers to the Kingdom because of the Omicron variant. The government has promised that this restriction will remain temporary. Singapore has also followed Thailand's lead by suspending its VTL "travel corridors" for a month.

At midnight on 20 December, France joined the "red list" of destinations banned by Israel. The United States has also been blacklisted.

A survey published by ITM (Institute of Travel Management) reveals the priorities of Travel Managers for the coming year, as well as the issues they expect to face in the field of business travel.

As the Omicron variant gains ground, more and more countries in Europe are once again barricading themselves in with partial or total containment measures. The former now includes Ireland, the latter the Netherlands.

The Gekko group, parent company of HCorpo, has launched the Miles&Act programme, rewarding business travellers for their responsible behaviour and compliance with travel policies.

The winter wave of covid in Europe and the development of the new Omicron variant are leading to new travel measures in Europe, particularly in Italy, but also in Finland, Greece and Portugal.

The three airlines of the Lufthansa group and now Air France are temporarily withdrawing from Hong Kong, due to the movement restrictions raining down on the Chinese city. British Airways, however, resumed services on 18 December after a three-week suspension.

Roland Berger has published a report on long-distance travel post-Covid. Its forecasts are pessimistic, to say the least, for the business travel industry, which will have to make do with a substantial proportion of travel volumes for many years to come...

In November, aviation analysis consultant Cirium launched a "Global Aircraft Emissions" report. The first report is encouraging: aviation has reduced its emissions by 40% since the beginning of the year.

Switzerland is increasingly concerned about the strength of the fifth wave of the Covid pandemic. It has therefore tightened the conditions for entering the country. All travellers will be required to undergo a PCR test within 72 hours of entering the country. This will be followed by a second test on the 4th day of their stay.

The French government has announced that flights to southern Africa will resume from Saturday 4 December. These flights had been suspended since 26 November.

Ahead of the launch of BCD Pay, business travel agency BCD Travel has published a study on corporate travel expenditure management habits.

From now on, all travellers arriving in France from outside the European Union will have to present a negative test. This measure is gaining ground internationally, particularly in the United States.