CORPORATE TRAVEL
BOARDING PASS All the latest news for the busy EA organising corporate travel
Spare a thought for your travel agent
In a bold move , Qantas has cut commissions it pays its travel agents for booking international flights from 5 % to just 1 %. This comes as a particular shock given how challenging the sector and its staff found the pandemic – and they are only just starting to get back on their feet .
So , if you use a travel agent for booking your company or exec ’ s flights , now may be the time to discuss a fee-for-service model if you don ’ t have one already .
Qantas ’ decision is said to be discouraging some travel agents from booking with the airline . That may be well and good if your company is open to booking flights with other airlines but not great news if your exec wants to continue flying with Qantas to grow his or her frequent flyer points .
Dean Long , head of the Australian
Federation of Travel Agents , said some airlines , including QATAR and Air Canada , have gone in the other direction and made the decision not to cut agent commissions : “ We ’ re seeing a number of travel professionals introducing service fees to cover the cost of supporting customers , especially given the rising cost of doing business and the massively increased workloads they ’ re having to shoulder .” S
Smart travelling with the Bellroy Tech Kit
Because many of you will have been travelling less over the past two years , you ’ re likely to be a little out of practice – and , as an ever-organised EA , you ’ ll know it ’ s always smart to get organised before you go . Enter Australian company Bellroy , which promises to help with this , offering a range of products for the savvy traveller .
One of the Melbourne-based purpose-for-good organisation ’ s most popular products for the corporate sector is its Tech Kit . A small , stylish bag , it allows you to organise all your tech accessories and remember where they are without tangling them all up .
The Tech Kit zips out flat for easy access and has a myriad of small pockets where you can fit chargers , cords and all the other critical bits and bobs needed by a busy EA and PA . Made of recycled woven material , it comes in a range of colours . And retailing at just $ 89 online , why not stock up on them and kit out the whole team ? S
Summer Issue 2023 | Executive PA 49