Body scanners record the surface of the human body beneath the clothing and display it on monitors. This should reveal hidden objects that an airport’s conventional metal detectors do not show. At present, body scanners are only being tested in Europe at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, for example.

Most readers of this blog doubt that body scanners are the answer to the security question. This is the result of the most recent AirPlus poll, “Do you think that whole-body scanners increase security or are they an unnecessary imposition on airline travelers?”. 7% of those who responded would accept simply any type of technology for safety’s sake. 60% of those who answered evaluate the search for dangerous persons or objects as more suitable than the use of body scanners. 33% of readers think that body scanners increase safety but that the traveler’s privacy must be guaranteed.

Research on these devices has not been completed. They must be shown to be safe, must not violate the traveler’s human dignity and fundamental rights and must also lead to significant conclusions.

Readers of this blog had the opportunity to vote for circa two months.  A new survey is now being held on the right-hand side under the headline ‘Poll’.

You can find the overview of all polls here:

http://www.airpluscommunity.com/pollarchive/

Airlines have proven a target for terrorists, but are they an easy target? The consensus, after a Nigerian passenger attempted on December 25 to mix and detonate explosives on a Northwest Airlines flight en route from Amsterdam to Detroit, is quite possibly yes. There is controversy, however, about what aspects of international airport security need to be addressed and how best to do it.

Immediately after the Christmas Day incident, in-bound travelers to the United States were subject to additional security measures and baggage restrictions that included random searches, physical pat downs and additional screening at departure gates. Some governments were advising travelers to the U.S. to arrive at the airport three hours in advance to allow extra time for security screening.

The news set off a firestorm of concerns about public safety versus personal privacy, due to the detailed nature of the images that full body scan technologies are able to produce (see additional resources for more information). For the corporate travel community, however, a recent survey from AirPlus International showed that even when exposed to more invasive security measures, travelers will likely consider it business as usual.

Asked whether a global implementation of full body scan technology would hurt in-bound corporate travel to the U.S., more than 78 percent of respondents said that business travelers would not have the option to forego trips based on privacy concerns. About 18 percent forecasted an immediate decrease due to the implementation of body scan technology, but they also believed that it would rebound as travelers adjusted to the practice. Just over 2 percent believed that corporations might allow business travelers to seek alternatives if they objected to the security measures.

For full survey results, please download the complimentary PDF:

AirPlus…The Wire February 2010 (PDF, 246KB)

Additional Resources:

U.S., Europe Reach Aviation Security ‘Consensus’

Travelers Face New Aviation Security Rules

Debate Over Full-Body Scans vs. Invasion of Privacy Flares Anew After Incident

We are pleased to announce the release of the UK edition of our annual AirPlus International Travel Management Study – a comprehensive analysis of global and UK-specific market research. The Study reveals travel managers’ views on the impact of the global recession and demonstrates how the BTM landscape has changed in the past 12 months. The research interestingly shows that the effects of the recession were not all negative – at least not for the UK companies. In fact, 49% of the UK travel managers surveyed reported no detrimental change to their travel volume and a further 10% said they experienced growth during the recession.

Although there was a divided opinion on whether business travel volume will increase or decrease in the next 12 months, the majority of the respondents predicted that both volume and spend will remain the same. As many UK companies started focusing their efforts on a more comprehensive use of travel policies to save costs, the belief of many travel managers is that this trend is going to continue, with 65% of the companies predicting that tougher policies will govern their travel booking behavior in 2010.

Please download full study (PDF, 3 MB)

Corporations are leaving both direct and indirect travel savings on the table by not implementing best practices around comprehensive travel policies and use of a single expense reporting platform, according to a recent online survey of travel management professionals fielded by AirPlus International. While a majority of respondents clearly understand the potential benefits, under 40 percent of survey respondents confirmed that they both utilize a single travel and entertainment policy throughout their organizations and supply a single T&E expense reporting platform for all travelers.

Corporations that have embraced industry best practice by creating comprehensive travel policies, benefit by having a means by which to encourage specific travel behaviors. Many of these companies have also invested in the technologies and tools that make it easy for travelers to comply with policy, including but not limited to the following: Online booking tools, corporate cards and automated expense reporting platforms.

According to the AirPlus survey, more than 79 percent of companies surveyed link credit card data to their expense reporting systems – a signal that they recognize the relationship between spend visibility and compliance. That compares to only 42 percent of respondents whose companies link their booking data to the expense tool, which can provide enhanced visibility into out-of-policy bookings and fewer expense reports submitted with critical policy violations.

Above traveler convenience and compliance, however, 56 percent of respondents to the survey pegged increased back-end efficiencies as the most important benefit of automated data feeds and integrated expense reporting platforms. Indeed, automated expense technology facilitates approval, reconciliation and reimbursement almost 30 percent more efficiently than companies that use manual processes, according to a June report from Aberdeen Group.

With all its potential benefits, automated expense reporting has its challenges. The biggest challenge among survey respondents was simply the diverse lines of business within their companies requiring different processes. Fewer companies experienced setbacks in the form of local statutory requirements, lack of senior management’s support and non-standard reimbursement and accounting processes. Still, moving toward best practices is likely worth the effort, and automated expense reporting has become more accessible – even for midsize companies that in the very recent past could not justify investing in these types of tools.

Download the full report for complete results:

AirPlus…The Wire January 2010 (PDF, 248KB)

Additional Resources
Coca-Cola Automating Expense Audits

Conference Highlights: Keynote Presentations, Industry Perspectives, Roundtable Discussions, Education Sessions, Networking Events, TransACTE and much more!
Start Date: 2010-10-03
End Date: 2010-10-05

However much travel you buy for your company, whether it’s a few trips a year or a significant investment, The Business Travel Show in Düsseldorf will introduce the market’s leading suppliers in terms of choice, service and value, offer you education on a variety of relevant issues and enable you to network with like-minded people.

Whether you arrange travel for your colleagues, plan meetings outside of the office, or are responsible for a large corporate budget line for travel, a visit to this event at the end of September will be invaluable to you and your business for the following reasons:

• Discover cost-saving alternatives
• Experience travel products and services first-hand
• Meet the top suppliers in the industry
• Secure the best contracts for your company
• Refresh your knowledge on recent developments in the industry
• Improve your expertise in purchasing and organising business trips
• Expand your knowledge from one of the many seminars and lectures
Start Date: 2010-09-29
End Date: 2010-09-30

Experience a conference that will be more participatory than ever before – from live audience polling to real-time interaction with colleagues around the world via ACTE’s virtual platform. It will be unlike any event in the marketplace.
Start Date: 2010-05-16
End Date: 2010-05-18