Skift Take

Traveling for work can be fun, but it represents a huge hassle. Travel managers are finally working to adapt to the needs of the travelers they serve.

The Skift Corporate Travel Innovation Report is our weekly newsletter focused on the future of corporate travel, the big fault lines of disruption for travel managers and buyers, the innovations emerging from the sector, and the changing business traveler habits that are upending how corporate travel is packaged, bought, and sold.

Business travelers have it rough these days. Flights are packed, seats are small, and there’s serious pressure to excel from management. As business travel has grown to record levels, so too have the concerns raised by those on the road.

This week we have three excerpts from Skift’s Travel in an Age of Permanxiety magazine, looking at the macro environment of traveler anxiety and the effect this has had on business travel. It’s worth a read for the travel manager or buyer in your life.

We also took a look at a new survey on what business travelers tell travel managers they really want. They’re concerned about work-life balance and staying connected while on the road.

The question remains: What is corporate travel at large going to do to make life better for the travelers it serves?

— Andrew Sheivachman, Senior Writer 

Business of Buying

Looking at the World Through Anxious Eyes: The world has always been a complicated place, but shifting geopolitical tensions and the echo chamber of social media have contributed to a culture of anxiety affecting travelers around the world. Read more at Skift

Delta CEO Sees Basic Economy as Way to Show Passengers They Aren’t Getting Ripped Off: Unbundling has been one of the biggest buzzwords in the airline industry in recent years, and for good reason. Full-service carriers like Delta think it is a great way to hit a broader range of consumers, but it doesn’t come without its risks. Read more at Skift

What’s Worrying the Business Traveler: In a complicated world, businesses are concerned with the safety of their workers on the road. Technology can help ease business traveler anxiety, but there is no flawless solution when something goes wrong. Read more at Skift

Business Travelers Remain Concerned About Work-Life Balance: Travel managers may finally take the initiative to improve quality of life for their travelers in a meaningful way. Business travelers themselves remain worried about the negative effects of traveling for work. Read more at Skift

Trump’s Third Travel Ban Halted by Hawaii Judge: Another travel ban has been halted, this time just hours before taking effect. At no point have the executive orders been able to prove that letting people from Muslim-majority countries into the U.S. would have a detrimental effect on security. Read more at Skift

Safety + Security

Hundreds of Flights Cancelled as Storm Ophelia Lashes Ireland: In the aviation industry, safety is paramount and with the worst storm in 50 years rolling across Ireland, airlines were naturally going to be extremely cautious. Read more at Skift

Hyatt Suffers Second Data Breach in Two Years: Hyatt isn’t alone. But the bigger question is why does this keep happening at so many hotels? And why does it always take so long for customers to find out about these data breaches? Read more at Skift

Disruption + Innovation

Smaller Airports Lose Passengers While Hubs Get Bigger: Airline consolidation and the phasing out of certain regional jets have contributed to the loss of routes at smaller airports. There’s no indication the situation will improve anytime soon. Read more at Skift

Airbnb Reverses Strategy in Return to Affiliate Partnerships With Big Players: The home-sharing giant is only partnering with websites that attract at least a million visitors a month. Airbnb is calculating that the revenue upside would be worth the brand sacrifice that comes with affiliate marketing. Read more at Skift

14 Apps to Calm Your Travel Mind: Permanxiety is now a sad fact of life. But you may be able to stress less if you lean on a handful of smartphone apps that can help you avoid health risks, security threats, and other potential travel snafus. Read more at Skift

COMMENTS

Skift editors Hannah Sampson [[email protected]] and Andrew Sheivachman [[email protected]] curate the Skift Corporate Travel Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Thursday.

Subscribe to Skift’s Free Corporate Travel Innovation Report

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Tags: business travel, ctir

Photo credit: Business travelers have to deal with constant disruptions while they are on the road. In this photo from 2013, passengers wait at Heathrow Airport in London on a day when an air traffic control problem left thousands delayed. 125015 / 125015

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