TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

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.

The new Omicron variant is causing panic among governments. Coupled with the new wave of Covid-19 in Europe, the two factors are leading to new, more restrictive travel rules, and even the closure of countries to foreign travellers.

The discovery of the new Omicron variant from southern Africa has panicked authorities around the world. Many countries, including France, have cut all links with the region. Others are simply closing down.

From the evening of 26 November, Morocco suspended all flights to and from France. This measure is intended to protect against the outbreak of the pandemic affecting many European countries.