JOHANNESBURG – You’re at the airport. Business class ticket in hand, you head toward the lounge only to be turned away at the door. Or your meeting moves and you try to change your flight, and discover the original ticket is non-refundable. Or you arrive at check-in with two bags, as you’ve grown accustomed to in business class, and learn you’re only entitled to one.

It’s the reality of “unbundling”: the practice of separating a standard airline ticket into its individual components. As an example, business class used to mean something fairly consistent. A lie-flat seat on long haul. Lounge access. Two bags. The ability to change your flight if the world intervened. You paid a significant premium for it, but you knew what you were getting. Those days are over.

According to Amadeus, the shift began in 2019, when Emirates introduced its special business class ticket – a stripped-down product that retained all the onboard comforts you expect (lie-flat seat, an elevated restaurant-style dining experience and top-tier entertainment system  ) but removed ancillaries like lounge access, seat selection and chauffeur services. It was a proof of concept: passengers would accept a reduced overall experience, at a reduced cost, if the seat itself remained premium.

Other airlines soon followed, with the likes of Qatar and KLM also introducing business class “lite” options. Come 2026? Tiered business class structures are fairly standard across the industry. The seat is the same. The cabin is the same. The ticket is not.

The three things most likely to disappear

Guaranteed lounge access is usually the first casualty. United’s unbundled “Base Polaris” fare includes access to a United Club lounge – not a Polaris Lounge, with its premium dining and spa facilities. Emirates’ base fare excludes complimentary airport lounge access. But as Mummy Mafojane, GM at FCM South Africa explains, for many travellers, particularly those on long-haul journeys with onward connections, the lounge is not an optional extra – it is a significant part of what they paid for.

“It’s very different for leisure travellers and business travellers,” says Mafojane. “Leisure travellers are often happy to pick and choose their perks. But business travellers rely on lounge access to work, decompress and even shower. No access can be an unwelcome surprise.”

Flexibility is the second to go. Base-tier business class tickets are frequently non-refundable and non-changeable – conditions that would once have been unthinkable at this price point.

“This is a particularly important consideration for travel bookers and travel programme managers,” says Mafojane. “2026 has already delivered a masterclass in travel disruption – at this point, locking yourself into a rigid, non-refundable ticket isn’t a saving; it’s a liability.”

Baggage is next. Finnair’s “light” business class fare excludes checked baggage unless the passenger holds elite Oneworld or Finnair Plus status. ZIPAIR, the Japanese low-cost long-haul carrier, goes furthest of all: its lie-flat business class seat includes nothing beyond the seat itself – no baggage, no meal, no seat selection. Everything is purchased separately.

The problem isn’t the product, it’s the presentation

ZIPAIR is actually a useful reference point. A lie-flat seat with each additional service priced individually and transparently, is a coherent offering. Travellers know what they’re getting. The more significant problem arises when legacy carriers sell something structurally similar, stripped of lounge access, flexibility and baggage, while marketing it under the same business class branding that has historically implied a comprehensive end-to-end experience.

For corporate travel programmes, the consequences extend well beyond a disgruntled traveller. A non-changeable ticket reissued during disruption, a bag fee at the counter, or a stranded employee with no flexibility and no recourse represents a programme failure, not just a personal inconvenience. Base fares also typically earn fewer frequent flyer miles and accrue less toward elite status – meaning the apparent saving at the point of booking may cost considerably more when the full picture is considered.

The corporate travel blind spot

For business travellers booked through a corporate travel management system, the risk is compounded. Many company travel policies were written when business class was a single, standardised product. They haven’t yet been updated to account for fare tiers within business class, meaning an employee may be booked on a base fare and arrive expecting the full experience. Travel managers, Mafojane explains, are increasingly having to specify not just the cabin class, but the fare tier, in their booking policies.

How to check before you commit

The fare tier name is your first signal. Base, Basic, Saver, or Light anywhere in the fare description is a warning to look further. Don’t rely on the airline’s general business class page, always check the specific fare conditions attached to the ticket you’re about to buy.

Confirm lounge access explicitly. Confirm baggage allowance in the booking summary, not the marketing overview. Check whether the ticket is changeable and refundable; if it is neither, you are holding something that functions more like an economy saver fare than a traditional business class ticket, regardless of what seat you’re sitting in.

“Obviously, travellers love a lie-flat seat, and all the space and comfort business class delivers,” says Mafojane. “But flexibility trumps all when it comes to a well-functioning travel programme.”

In other words, check the Ts&Cs carefully – and compare a premium economy fare with a ‘lite’ business class fare and decide which makes more sense on the day. If you hold elite frequent flyer status, check whether it restores any stripped benefits and be very mindful of which tiers you book.

What this actually means

None of this makes the tiered model inherently dishonest. For a leisure traveller with fixed plans, carry-on luggage only, and no interest in airport lounges, a base business class fare may represent genuine value – a lie-flat seat at a significantly lower price. The issue is assumption: the assumption that business class still has a fixed, reliable definition. It doesn’t. And in a managed travel programme, that ambiguity has a cost. A traveller turned away from a lounge, stuck on a non-recoverable ticket, or charged for a bag at the airport is an irritation at best and a significant unplanned expense at worst. Knowing which tier a ticket sits in, and what that means in practice, is now a fundamental part of the booking process, not an afterthought. And the onus sits squarely with the booker or travel manager.

Is it safe to travel?

The overwhelming answer given by FCM’s travellers to the question on everyone’s lips – is it safe to travel – was ‘YES’. Based on their most recent trip, 93% of clients believe it is safe to travel and that the travel industry (air travel, car and/or accommodation) is aligned with COVID-19 health regulations. Further to that, 83% said that they were either confident or extremely confident to continue travelling as per normal now that many travel-related restrictions have been eased.

If prospective travellers are feeling hesitant to take a trip for either business or leisure purposes, it is worthwhile asking your Travel Management Company (TMC) to provide detailed information with regards to the precautions the various airlines, car hire companies, hotels, and guesthouses have in place to help curb the spread of the virus. Knowing exactly what to expect – and that travel suppliers are indeed making safety a top priority – can provide a significant boost in peace of mind during such uncertain times.

Is it worthwhile working with a TMC?

With many businesses looking to cut costs, there is a good chance that decision-makers are revisiting the need for a TMC. The reality is that travel experts are more important now than ever before and taking a lead role in helping corporate travellers navigate their way through the many changes and challenges that COVID has brought about. Due to connections with an assortment of travel suppliers, TMCs know very well which ones are going the extra mile to maximise traveller safety, as well as how to negotiate more attractive rates when travel budgets are tight.

When asked how well they felt their consultant supported their travel requests and provided them with relevant information to ensure a seamless travel experience, 86% of FCM’s clients said that the service received was ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Above Average’.

Tips from the travellers

A number of FCM travellers shared advice for prospective business and leisure travellers from South Africa and abroad. Most urged anyone and everyone venturing away from home to adhere to all of the necessary COVID safety regulations and to take responsibility for their own safety. Wear your mask, carry your own hand sanitiser everywhere you go, and practise strict social distancing.

Time management was another important focus with clients suggesting to plan one’s trip well ahead of time to be prepared for anything. It’s also important that travellers arrive at the airport with time to spare as there is a health form to fill in and a COVID screening on arrival. Although this is quick, there may be a queue due to social distancing requirements.

Despite concerns about safety and travel delays putting somewhat of a damper on the experience, it is evident that business travellers are feeling positive about getting moving once again. With strategic planning, the guidance of a travel consultant or TMC, and a strong knowledge of the necessary COVID safety protocols to follow, there is no reason why travellers shouldn’t feel confident taking to the skies for the remainder of 2020 and beyond.

From 21 July, East London Airport, George Airport and Kimberley Airport will resume operations for domestic travel for business and essential purposes. 

“Mining is an integral part of our economy. The opening of Kimberley Airport is great news for the mining sector as it allows for easier connectivity to key sites,” says Oz Desai, GM Corporate Traveller and FCBT.

Corporate Traveller recently conducted a comprehensive ‘State of the Market’ survey. This survey revealed that businesses in the mining and construction sectors indicate the fastest return to travel with 64% of respondents in the mining sector expecting to travel domestically within one to three months and 69% of respondents in construction sector expected to travel locally within the same timeframe.

The survey further showed that construction (39%), training & education (35%) and financial services (34%) sectors would even increase business travel within first six months, due to a shorter lead time in arranging business travel.

Travellers or companies who would like to have more details surrounding the permits required to support the reason for business and essential travel can visit the recently launched Traveller Hub, an interactive resource providing extensive up-to-date Covid-19 travel information.

Users can search by supplier category, country or region for the latest news on border changes and restrictions; airline routes and safety procedures for travellers; hotel re-openings and hygiene measures; as well as rail travel and car hire announcements.

The Traveller Hub is fully integrated within Corporate Traveller’s Your.CT technology platform, and can also be accessed via Sam, the AI-based mobile app used by Corporate Traveller clients.

Road warriors spend nearly four weeks of their personal time on a plane and an average of 88 nights away from home per year. During all this time away, awkward moments are bound to happen.

Oz Desai, General Manager Corporate Traveller, shares light on some of the most awkward and cringe-worthy business travel moments every single road warrior will undoubtedly recognise.

Travelling with your boss

Picturing sultry evenings on the beach with a cocktail in your hand, your next business trip to Mauritius seems like a perfect getaway from the office… until your boss announces he will be joining you.

Ananya, participant in the 2017 Corporate Traveller Road Warrior campaign, found herself sitting beside her boss on a flight from Durban to Cape Town. She says: “I got up while he was sleeping, went to the restroom and stopped and asked the flight attendant for a tomato juice. She handed me a can, I went back to my seat, popped the top, and it sprayed all over my boss’s khaki suit pants! He remained asleep until we prepared to land and when he woke up, he freaked out! To this day, I deny any knowledge of what happened!”

“Business trips with the boss can be a recipe for disaster,” agrees Desai. “But, they can also give you the opportunity to show your worth and make a good impression, so, make the most of the opportunity. Use this time to collaborate and get to know more about them, at the end of the day, bosses are human.”

If you’re unsure on whether to take a professional or a personal approach, follow your boss’s actions. If he talks work, engage in it. If he shows signs he’d like to relax, feel free to watch a movie or doze off.

Table for one, please!

One of the most awkward and intimidating moments for novice business travellers is eating by themselves in a restaurant. However, road warriors will tell you that it’s not a good idea to order room service every night and stay in your own bubble.

Remember as well that there are worse things than eating by yourself. You could find yourself forced to eat local ‘delicacies’ to please your hosts.

Kagiso, Corporate Traveller Road Warrior participant, explains he’s eaten palm grubs, mice and grasshoppers around the world. He drew the line however when he was offered goat cooked by a man who wiped his sweaty brow and then flipped the meat with his hands.

Packing disasters

Packing for a business trip can be a major pain point for travellers: under-packing, over-packing or plainly packing the wrong items are all real concerns.

Rule of thumb: if your outfit description contains the words ‘sweatsuit’, ‘velvet’ or ‘Hawaiian’, you should really reconsider what you’re wearing. If you’re sharing a room with a co-worker or colleague, remember to pack respectable sleepwear. 

Charlotte, 2017 Corporate Traveller Road Warrior participant, had the trip from hell when the airline lost her luggage. What’s more is that she had an allergic reaction to the seafood she had eaten and also contracted an ear infection. “Imagine me trying to do a business deal with spots all over and cotton wool in my ears wearing the only tired-looking clothes  I had?”

Try and fit all the essentials you need in a carry-on suitcase, advises Desai. You will not only save time and effort, you also won’t run the risk of your luggage getting lost somewhere along the way.

Airport Security Mishaps

Getting swabbed for explosives, removing shoes and belts and setting off the dreaded security alarms, airport security is seen as a necessary evil by most road warriors. In fact, passing through security is seen as one of the top five concerns for business travellers according to Statista.

2017 Corporate Traveller Road Warrior winner Mike Drummond recounts how he flew to Harare on business. Following a sugar scare, Drummond had lost a considerable amount of weight and his fancy suit had become slightly too big. When arriving at security, he was asked to remove his shoes and belt.

“To this day, I still do not know what made this shoeless, beltless, most innocent-looking man set off THAT alarm,’ he recalls. ‘Yes, the dreaded ‘pat down’. A full airport, queues of people and I was asked to put my hands in the air. So there I was in the middle of Harare airport with no shoes, no belt and pants around my ankles. Looking very good from the waist up but not very kosher from the waist down. I was very quickly told to collect my belongings, get dressed and board my plane, which I did and received a very warm round of applause from a few of my fellow passengers.”

Most road warriors will tell you that travelling for business can result in some very strange moments that make for great stories to tell back at the office.

In 2020, Corporate Traveller once again wants to hear your stories as seasoned road warriors, as first-time business travellers or as occasional corporates. Whether your experience is entertaining, hair-raising or embarrassing, share your story with Corporate Traveller on https://www.corporatetraveller.co.za/road-warriors-competition and you could WIN a R20 000 travel voucher!

The best stories will be featured on Jacaranda FM each week – and go into the grand prize draw. The competition closes on 17 March 2020, so submit your story today! 

Based on the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) last annual review of the economic impact and social importance of the sector, South Africa’s Travel & Tourism economy remains the largest in Africa. “It is a formidable and resilient sector, contributing around 8.9 percent to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2018,” comments Oz Desai, General Manager Corporate Traveller. “This includes 1.5-million jobs and R425.8-billion in turnover, the data shows.”

According to the WTTC’s economic report, business travel accounted for approximately 36 percent of total travel spend in South Africa in 2018, and projections for the corporate travel sector have remained largely positive.

Desai explains: “Corporate travel demand, which includes government travel, traditionally slows down around election time, and 2019 was a national election year. However, we are seeing more companies become aware of the benefits of travel and having a strong travel policy.”

Case in point, Desai says, a recent study by Oxford Economics claims companies realise U$12.50 (R185.98) in incremental revenue and US$3.80 (R56.53) in new profits from every dollar (R14.87) invested in business travel. 


Similarly, a 2019 report by theHarvard Business Review reported that businesses that see travel as an investment see up to47 percent revenue growth. Based on the research, travelling companies saw double the rate of improvement in areas such as customer loyalty and retention (50 percent vs 21 percent), market share (43 percent vs 22 percent), and employee satisfaction (35 percent vs 15 percent).

The growth in business travel has benefitted the SME sector, traditionally overlooked, with suppliers increasingly rewarding loyalty and expanding products and services for this market. That includes perks associated with loyalty programmes and discounts usually reserved for firms with sufficient volumes says Desai. The result is that the traveller experience is improving across the corporate line: from smaller SMEs to large corporations.

He maintains: “More than any other year, 2019 has been about people and improving the traveller experience. Travel Management Company (TMC) services are now as concerned with meeting the needs of the traveller as they are with managing and optimising company spend. Furthermore, blended technology – the mix of Artificial Intelligence, machine and human interaction is improving service levels and offering travellers 24-hour live support.”

Rand weakness and economic instability will remain a challenge for local customers, Desai says. However, he maintains, it is for the TMC to create efficiencies and provide a travel policy that fits each company.

Desai concludes: “Looking ahead to 2020, all signs suggest the corporate sector will continue to grow as businesses pursue new opportunities. With the right TMC partner to guide them, entrepreneurs don’t need to feel disenfranchised. Our message to South Africans SMEs is: Make 2020 the year to maximise your business travel investment and commit to a travel management policy that reflects your business’ needs and specific requirements.”

Three stunning stats showing the state of the global business travel market…

1. The Global Business Travel Association predicts global business travel spend will grow to US$1.6-trillion in 2020 and could reach US$1.7-trillion by 2022.
2. Oxford Economics claims companies realise US$12.50 (R185.98) in incremental revenue for every dollar (R14.87) they invest in business travel.
3. In the US, approximately 1.3-million people travelled for work each day in 2017 (Travel tech insights 2017 – DCSPlus/GBTA).

In light of Women’s Month this August, Nicole Adonis, GM FCM Travel Solutions, shares her business travel hacks, from balancing family and business travel to bleisure and packing tips.

• How to balance family and business travel

Being away from family or a partner is one of the main challenges associated with business travel for most women, according to the recent Women in Business Travel study, published by FCM Travel Solutions.

“Being away from home and my children makes me the most uncomfortable,” admits Adonis. “It would certainly help if my family could travel with me all the time, but of course, this cannot be the case.”

To successfully balance family and business travel, Adonis explains that she books at least one day off from work after a trip, allowing her to spend time with her children. She adds video calling also helps stay in touch with family and friends back home.

• How to enjoy business travel with a few days’ leisure

Whilst women are trying to ‘juggle it all’ with work and family obligations, a night away to catch up on sleep and some much needed ‘me time’ can make a business trip an enjoyable experience. In fact, the FCM study shows that women enjoy business travel more than men do.

“You get to experience new places, hotels, aircraft and of course learn from the people you meet,” says Adonis.

The best way to enjoy these additional perks is to add a few days’ leisure time to your business trip. “Try to do this after the actual business trip,” advises Adonis, “so you have something to which you can look forward.”

• How to pack wisely?

A business trip packing list doesn’t have to be complicated, you just need to remember a few essentials.

“Pack an outfit for each day, an extra T-shirt and a set of heels,” says Adonis. She adds that a moisturiser also needs to be on your packing list. “With weather changes and aircon on the flight, you always need a good moisturiser,” she laughs.

It’s important to include various “fix-you-up” medication in your bag as well, according to Adonis. “There’s nothing worse than getting sick in a foreign country. That is also the reason why it’s important to have travel insurance in place and to give your next of kin a copy of your policy.”

When it comes to technology, Adonis won’t travel without her mobile phone and airpods.

• How to survive the airport wait?

Who said waiting at the airport has to be boring?

Airport lounges, with amenities like free Wi-Fi, drinks, snacks, and glossy magazines, can be the answer to most of your travel annoyances. At the very least, they can give you sanctuary from the stress and hubbub of the airport.

“Make sure you check-in early and that you take advantage of the airport lounges,” advises Adonis. “Book the lounge well in advance and if you have enough time, you could even book a massage.”

• How to stay safe?

The vast majority (71%) of female business travellers believe they face greater risks than their male counterparts. This is according to a 2018 online survey conducted by AIG Travel and Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) of women who travelled on four or more business trips within the past year.

To mitigate possible risks, it is important to know where you are going and try to book your transportation in advance. “If you do not have data, it is important to have a map,” Adonis says.

Your mobile phone is important when it comes to your safety. however. “Ensure your mobile is ALWAYS charged,” says Adonis.

With regards to accommodation, staying in a hotel close to where you need to be will go a long way in ensuring your safety,  according to Adonis.

• How to stay productive?

One of the biggest productivity killers when travelling for business for Adonis is the unavailability of Wi-Fi. “Make sure you connect wherever possible and have your roaming activated before your leave,” she advises.

Being sick or tired can also play havoc with your productivity, says Adonis. “Travel with your meds and make sure you sleep on the aircraft,” she advises. “A good book and a herbal tea can help with this.”

• How to adapt the travel programme to the needs of female road warriors?

In an age where gender diversity is a red-hot topic, are travel programmes treating male and female travellers any differently and, if not, are travel managers missing a trick?

“I think we have come a long way to where we were just a couple of years ago,” says Adonis. “Organisations today are much more open and flexible to look at costings, services, locations and times of day when it comes to women travellers.”

As an example, Adonis notes, travel managers today are more open to private transfers as opposed to ‘on-demand taxi services’. They are also more open to looking at day-time travel versus night travel.

Still, Adonis believes there is an opportunity for organisations to mandate this, and include an official ‘addendum’ geared towards women business travellers to the travel policy.

One key travel hack is to use a reputable travel management company (TMC) for your travel needs. Ultimately all travellers – male and female –  want to be productive and get the job done. A reputable TMC will give you the advice and support you need to make your business trip a success.

The Association of Southern African Travel Agents (ASATA) is profiling the business travel preferences of South African business travellers.

Please take 7 minutes to help us by completing this anonymous questionnaire.

Sam:], Flight Centre Travel Group’s Smart Assistant Mobile app, was first launched to customers in the UK and USA in 2018. It proved to be a game-changer, with many clients saying that Sam:] ‘saved’ them during their business trip by being the first to alert them to flight delays and disruptions. The app was awarded for the ‘best user experience’ at the 2019 Mumbrella Travel Marketing Awards in Sydney, Australia

Now, the friendly and intuitive chatbot is set to revolutionise the lives of Corporate Traveller clients in South Africa with live updates. “No other travel management company (TMC) in South Africa offers this kind of ground-breaking support to SME business travellers,” says Oz Desai, General Manager Corporate Traveller South Africa. “Most TMCs only support a traveller reactively if they need a flight booking changed during the trip, or to send an impersonal or generic travel alert.”

Desai adds: “What makes Sam:] different to any other mobile travel app is the way it provides contextual information to our travellers. It aggregates all relevant information a traveller needs in one place at the point when the user needs it.”

Sam:] is programmed to keep travellers updated at all times, from weather updates at the destination to information on the traveller’s departure gate, flight time changes and where to collect baggage. The app will also suggest which restaurants and attractions to visit, alert travellers about traffic delays and will soon be able to connect travellers with a consultant via a live text or phone chat if the need arises.

Each Sam:] user can share their travel tips and finds with fellow travellers. Sam:] presents this information to the traveller based on their context so that only relevant pieces of data are presented to the user. The more a traveller uses Sam:], the more intelligent the chatbot becomes, and the information delivered to the user is even more personalised.

Also for travel arrangers, Sam:] offers support and guidance. A new functionality was recently introduced to support travel arrangers within Sam:] and offer them greater visibility of their travellers in-trip. The new version grants travel managers, PAs and bookers access to view their current travellers’ itineraries, as well as receive notifications about events that affect each traveller, such as flight delays or cancellations. The app prompts travellers to report they are safe via a push notification. One tap later, the travel manager is informed about the status of each traveller. As a result travel arrangers can take appropriate action or communicate directly with the traveller to ensure their wellbeing.

The roll-out to Corporate Traveller customers follows Flight Centre Travel Group’s full acquisition of Sam in 2019, which allows the Group to use and develop the functionality of the product in line with the needs of its clients.

Says Desai: “We’re thrilled to bring the Sam team fully into the Flight Centre family. We’ve worked closely with the team and product for many years now and look forward to continuing to drive mobile innovation for all our clients through the platform.”

Digital access has altered all aspects of our work and personal lives. From shopping to social interaction, entertainment, banking and fitness, connectivity drives the way we act, choose and spend, explains Nicole Adonis, FCM Travel Solutions South Africa GM.

“We talk about a connected consumer being the same as a connected traveller. Consumers who use travel technology in their personal lives, expect the same convenience in their work lives, which places corporate travel stakeholders under pressure to deliver new technologies that simplify the travel process,” says Adonis.

An example of this, says Adonis, is the increasing dependency on voice-activated digital assistants for basic search and query response functionality.

Research has also shown that Millennials and Generation X, in particular, have a keen interest in Artificial Intelligence and are comfortable using digital assistants on a regular basis. “When it comes to travel booking, we’ve seen our own chatbot, Sam, commonly fulfilling this need using a simple and intuitive chatbot-based interface, much the same as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp and speeding up processes.”

Adonis and her team of travel experts will be placing continued focus in 2019 on the connected traveller and his or her demands, as well as the negative impact of travel friction, which occurs when business people are travelling too much or have poor travel experiences, and role of Behavioural Ecomics on travel decision making.

Combining insights from psychology, judgement, decision making and economics, the field of Behavioural Economics considers why individuals make purchasing decisions, what they will buy and how much they are willing to spend.

“We’ve spent some time researching the connected traveller, travel friction and some of the other corporate travel trends we anticipate will be key trends in 2019. Corporates who are interested in these can visit our website and read our research paper for additional insights,” concludes Adonis.

With this investment, FCTG improves its technology capabilities, specifically in the small-and-midsize corporate market. FCTG plans to leverage Upside’s technology platform to continue the digital enablement of its Corporate Traveller business, pairing the proficiency of its people with cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning models.

“We have been impressed by the capability and flexibility of Upside’s technology and team to improve the business traveller experience. Its use of machine learning models to dynamically price business travel packages in real-time to save clients’ money while increasing traveller options is just one example of Upside’s best in class technology,” according to Andrew Stark, General Manager of FCTG.

For Upside, the deal substantially bolsters the company’s product offering to the small corporate market, where it will continue to operate under the Upside brand. Access to FCTG’s supplier relationships and global reach expands Upside’s inventory and enhances its ongoing software development with a broader set of travel data inputs.

“FCTG is the perfect partner for Upside as we get aggressive in serving small corporate clients. Not only does FCTG’s global scale, content, and experience immediately make our product more complete, but FCTG’s people and expertise also make us smarter, which is key as we accelerate into the future.” said Jay Walker, CEO of Upside.

The Upside product will soon take advantage of the emerging standards called Next-Generation Storefront, which are being developed by ATPCO in collaboration with airline and industry leaders. Incorporating the new standards for product display is a top post-investment priority for both parties and is expected to take place in Q2 of 2019.

“It’s promising to see FLT and Upside work together on providing the best traveller experience possible by making NGS a priority so flight shoppers can compare like-type products on third party channels. We’re inspired to see so many channels taking a step forward to transform flight shopping” said Gianni Cataldo, Head of Research & Development, at ATPCO.

“A direct flight between Cape Town and New York would be a very welcome development for both leisure and business travel from and to South Africa.

Cape Town recently overtook Johannesburg as South Africa’s number one financial hub, according to the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 24), while New York takes top position as the number one financial hub worldwide. Linking these two powerful business hubs with a direct flight will significantly boost business between the countries.

Direct nonstop travel, minimising total trip time, is as important as any other perk for business travellers and travel managers today. They want the most convenient and quickest flight options that will allow them to save time and show up rested at their destination.”