Business Travel Executive, Dec 2020/Jan 2021

39 Business Travel Executive askBTE com December 2020 January 2021 AIRLINES TEST SECURE DIGITAL HEALTH PASS Get Related Stories and News Click Here Tech Bridges the Gap Although vaccination efforts are already rolling out the world is still months away from firmly putting the pandemic behind us and it will many more months perhaps years before business travel regains momentum A key factor in the recovery of the sector according to research from travel technology provider Amadeus is the effective dissemination of vital travel information The survey of over 6000 travelers from the US the UK France Germany India and Singapore found the vast majority 84 percent said technology would increase their confidence to travel in the next 12 months by addressing concerns around mixing with crowds social distancing and physical touchpoints Among the technology experiences travelers say would increase their confidence in returning to the road 42 percent say mobile applications that provide notifications during their journey about localized outbreaks and changes to government guidance would help boost their confidence 42 percent cite contactless and mobile payment options as key to reducing incidences of physical contact throughout the journey 34 percent say they are more likely to travel if biometrics enabled contactless checkin security screenings and boarding 33 percent want to see one universal digital traveler identification on their phone that includes all necessary documentation vaccination and immunity status so they only had to prove it once The top five things travelers would most like technology to do to ensure safe travel during the recovery from COVID 19 Reduce queues and congestion in public spaces 38 percent Minimize face to face or physical contact with others 31 percent Protect financial data and personal information 31 percent Notify in advance when there is a delay 29 percent Ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of national test track and trace programs 28 percent Whether it is new mobile applications biometrics or contactless solutions we need to explore together as an industry and with governments how best to accelerate adoption according to Christophe Bousquet chief technology officer at Amadeus This research also shows that certain areas such as social distancing and hygiene remain a cause for concern for travelers during the journey itself As we learn more about the virus and how it is spread and as the rates of infection decline country by country thanks to vaccines the availability of accurate timely and accessible information is going to become even more critical in the months ahead By giving travelers easy access to the information they need to be assured of their safety while traveling and giving them tools that address their individual preferences we can build traveler confidence and speed up recovery Bousquet says International trials have begun for CommonPass a digital health pass for travelers that will securely document their certified COVID 19 test status while keeping their health data private Tests of the system were conducted in October aboard United Airlines flights between New York and London and on Cathay Pacific Airways flights between Hong Kong and Singapore with government authorities observing At present there is no standard format or certification system for COVID 19 test results for travel CommonPass an initiative of the Commons Project Foundation a Switzerland based nonprofit and the World Economic Forum establishes standard methods for lab results and vaccination records to be certified enabling governments to set and verify their own health criteria for travelers Further deployment is planned with additional airlines and routes across Asia Africa the Americas Europe and the Middle East in quick succession Serko Releases Zeno Expense Tool in North America S erko Limited announced the release of its Zeno Expense tool in North America The offering complements Zeno Travel and customers can adopt the two as a next generation expense management and travel booking solution With a rapid shift to a remote workforce standards for business expenses have become less clear cut In response the company says Zeno Expense provides real time spend management with users able to capture receipts and submit expenses as soon as they are incurred eliminating end of month expense reports and paper receipts Automation cuts costs and provides proactive alerts for out of policy or duplicate expense claims n