Business Travel Executive, October/November 2020

7 Business Travel Executive askBTE com October November 2020 Face to face Meetings Still Critical Despite Pandemic PEOPLE The International Air Transport Association has named Muhammad Albakri as senior vice president for customer financial and digital services He had been serving as regional vice president for Africa and the Middle East Albakri joined IATA in January 2017 after more than a decade at Saudi Arabian Airlines including serving as CFO InterContinental Hotels Group has appointed David Oppenheim as senior vice president analytics and insights He most recently worked at Alaska Airlines as vice president of sales and distribution Previously he held numerous positions at United Airlines including leading the commercial analytics team Additionally IHG has announced the appointment of Wayne Hoare as chief human resources officer He has more than 30 years of experience in HR and joins IHG from RCL Foods He also spent 26 years at Unilever Japan Airlines has announced the retirement of Steve Smith vice president of global sales after a 39 year aviation career that began at Delta Air Lines He held leadership positions in sales for the US Europe and worldwide at other carriers prior to joining JAL in 2006 as vice president sales in the Americas region Subsequently he was named head of global sales United Airlines has named Mike Hanna as senior vice president of airport operations Hanna has been with United 22 years most recently as vice president of the airlines Chicago OHare hub Prior to that Hanna had been vice president of airport operations overseeing the San Francisco and Los Angeles hubs Nina Pinta the London based managed travel consultancy has added corporate travel specialists Gyasi Edwards Penny Worthy and Michael Morrison to its team Most recently Edwards was with TripActions and previously worked with Egencia and Booking com Worthy has been in the travel industry for more than 35 years She had been with Avis Budget Group Morrison has over 20 years The COVID 19 pandemic may have severely restricted global travel over the last six months but business travelers remain convinced of the need for face to face meetings according to newly published research In a survey of 2020 Business Traveler magazine readers worldwide on their sentiments in relation to the pandemic more than three quarters of respondents said they believe face to face meetings for sales and pitching are preferable to remote working while six out of ten business travelers said that the majority of deals and decisions cannot be made virtually Conducted as part of a wider Future of Business Travel report produced in partnership with travel trend forecasting agency Globetrender and American Express Global Business Travel the survey found nearly 40 percent expect to start traveling again before the end of 2020 However quarantines remain a concern with 91 percent stating that they would be less likely to travel if they were required to quarantine in their destination Unsurprisingly a vaccine would be a game changer with more than three quarters 80 percent more likely to travel although nearly as many 75 percent said that traveling in business or first class would also make the choice to travel easier Familiar brands would also increase confidence in travel with 87 percent stating they are likely to stick with airlines they know and 80 percent likely to stay at familiar hotels Medjet Adds COVID 19 Transport Benefit Medjet the air medical transport and security response membership program for travelers has announced that beginning Oct 19 it is including members with active COVID infections in its program Previously Medjet like all other programs of its kind had excluded COVID 19 transport Members who fall ill from COVID 19 and become hospitalized while traveling in the contiguous United States Canada Mexico and the Caribbean can now be transported to a home hospital of their choice Medjet said it is able to offer the benefit because it has sourced more aircraft with isolation pods and crews with proper training We have worked through operational issues clearances and ongoing restrictions relative to the 48 contiguous United States Canada Mexico and the Caribbean Islands said Mike Hallman CEO of Medjet