Transport East’s Post

We know that reducing the cost to travel can enable direct and indirect economic and societal growth so this feels like a regressive decision. We need to increase equitable access to travel choice by recognising the real-world value to individuals goes far beyond the cost of a ticket.

Long Beach Airport is in the news with BIG travel numbers, solidifying its status as the favored travel gateway in Southern California. Mayor Rex Richardson points to the numbers as evidence, with more than 1.1 million passengers passing through the airport this summer, a record-breaking number that represents a 14% increase over 2023. "Seeing Long Beach Airport brilliantly bounce back from the pandemic and break its historical record from 2018 shows that we're moving in the right direction and the City's investments are paying off. As a vital asset for the local community and neighboring regions - stimulating economic activity, generating revenue for local businesses, creating job opportunities and further connecting Long Beach's economy - we're thrilled to see and support LGB as it far outpace the industrywide growth." - said Felipe Cusnir, Executive Director World Trade Center Long Beach. #WTCLB #WorldTradeCenterLongBeach #LBEP #LBairport #LongBeachEconomicPartnership #CityofLongBeach #economicdevelopment #growinglongbeach #growingtogether #growingbusinesses #GoBiz #Impact #Access #WTC #Opportunity #growlongbeachtogether #MayorRexRichardson #partnerships #GlobalCommunity #travelgateway City of Long Beach Leah Goold-Haws IMBA Randal Hernandez Ryan Altoon World Trade Organization Port of Long Beach Visit Long Beach Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DTLB Alliance) Bo Martinez Long Beach Business Journal California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)

Preliminary Information for travel planning Hope Nzekwe gave some insight into planning for a client's travel. The essential points to note is highlighted below: 1. Focus on the details. Attention to details is crucial and the small details matter. 2. Create a handbook with your manager’s/client’s travel documents and preferences. For example, preferred airline, route, travel times. This could be a folder in Google Drive. This way, in the future, you don’t have to ask for the details again and will know exactly what’s expected. 3. Know how time zones affect travel time. What matters is also knowing how long the journey is because timezone differences can make the trip look shorter or longer than it really is. 4. When it’s almost time to travel, consolidate all the important information your manager needs into a single, easy-to-read document/itinerary they can quickly access. #ALXACCEPTED #ALXVA #LifeatALX

Latest London travel data drills down into changing daily patterns of bus and rail use Post-pandemic travel behaviour changes have brought a number of challenges for transport authorities and operators, with both revenue implications and service planning issues to address. Tracking data has been emerging only patchily, so with help from Geoff Hobbs I examine the comprehensive information now available from Transport for London on key trends. #jacobseconomics Latest article on the Tapas network.

Less than 1/3 of all travel managers say cost containment is their travel program’s greatest strength. Let’s change that, shall we? Find out how with Deem 👉 https://lnkd.in/eXiAYr7k #TravelHappy #CorporateTravel #TravelManagement

An important shift when trying to mitigate emissions from business travel, is the air-to-rail shift. However, as laid out in this article, shifting business travelers from planes to trains is easier said than done. When trying to manage a long term change in behavior, it's to critical to understand the full implications of such a change. That's why, when working with clients on this topic, we present not only the viable routes but also the impact on travel budgets, preferred supplier contracts, the travel policy and their travelers. By fully understanding the business implications, companies are better positioned to drive change in their travel programs. https://lnkd.in/eJHGhFbf

One Minute Week: A (business) class act – at a price More industry leaders are considering upgrading from commercial airlines to business jets, according to recent surveys. But there’s a catch … and an opportunity. A new generation of potential clients is considering business aviation for the first time, according to SKYSHARE. And it claims to have the evidence to back its claim. Up to 84% of c-suite executives and senior business leaders are interested in private flying, claims its recent survey of 1,000 full-time business leaders. The answers came from a travel-savvy audience. More than a third (37%) of respondents reported traveling monthly for business, with 77% using commercial flights as their main mode of transport. Further evidence of the sharpening appetite for business travel came from last month’s GBTA | Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA’s) convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of business travellers surveyed report increased spending compared with last year, according to the association’s latest report. Global spending for business travel is expected to reach a record $1.48trn by the end of December. By 2028, business travel spending is projected to exceed $2trn – boosted by economic stability, pent-up demand and recovery momentum. “At its core, business travel is about making human connections,” says Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA. “We are very optimistic for what lies ahead for business travel – and for those who work in and with this industry.” But now the catch (and the opportunity). The SkyShare survey identified 75% of respondents citing cost as the main barrier to using private aviation. “This survey was an opportunity to hear from folks who want to be our customers,” says Cory Bengtzen, CEO and founder, SkyShare. “How can we meet them where they are? All business leaders would love to fly private, but there are still a multitude of hurdles to overcome, with cost being the most significant hurdle.” Read the full story - including the second most powerful deterent to new clients trying business aviation - via the link. tinyurl.com/ynwkuk7m #OneMinuteWeek #businessaviation #businessjets #commercialaviation #airliners

Before 2025 gets into full swing, now’s the perfect time to take a fresh look at your company’s travel policy. Does it still meet your business’s evolving needs? Are the right controls in place to save you time and cut travel costs? At Tandem Travel, we help businesses like yours benchmark their travel policies against industry trends and best practices. Together, we can identify opportunities for improvement and innovation. Let’s connect for a no-obligation chat to explore how we can help you start the year on the right track. #CorporateTravel #BusinessTravel #TravelManagement #TravelReview #TravelPolicy #CostEfficiency #TravelTech

Did you know? Last minute (less than 1 month in advance) trip planning declined in 2023, but so did planning 5+ months out. And the top resources leveraged for trip planning continue to be recommendations from friends and family (58%), general search (51%) and OTAs (41%). Key research questions addressed in #Phocuswright's latest U.S. Consumer Travel Report 2024 (written by Alicia Schmid) include: 1. What are the future expectations and anticipated travel plans of U.S. travelers? 2. How do travel trends vary year over year and across different age groups? What do U.S. travelers and their trips look like? 3. What activities do U.S. travelers engage in during their trips? 4. How do U.S. travelers book different trip components, and what factors are most likely to influence their booking decisions? Get the answers here >> https://lnkd.in/dFJ7PpSK

Can we create fair competition in travel pricing?💡 It’s often a common belief that traveling by train is more expensive than flying. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll often find that train travel can actually be the more affordable option - especially when you consider hidden costs of air travel, like getting to and from the airport, luggage fees, and other extras. 💰 Now, let me be clear: I’m not here to preach that trains are the only way to travel. I enjoy flying from time to time, too. This isn’t about choosing sides - it’s about looking at the reality of the situation and addressing the disparities between these modes of transportation. The perception of rail being pricier often also comes down to how transportation modes are taxed and subsidized. For instance, kerosene is largely exempt from taxation in most parts of the world, allowing airlines to offer highly competitive fares—particularly on short-haul routes. In other words, customers rarely pay the real cost of air travel. Meanwhile, rail operators face substantial infrastructure access charges and other levies, which significantly increase their costs. This creates a paradox: the greener, more energy-efficient mode of travel is often perceived as less affordable. 🤷♂️ But there’s another key factor: dynamic pricing, booking horizons, and capacity utilization. For example, the average load factor for long-distance trains in Europe typically remains below 30%. That’s a huge untapped opportunity. If we could better balance demand across low and peak periods, train travel could become not just more sustainable, but also much more competitive and accessible. So, how do we rewrite this narrative? 🤔 It starts with treating all modes of transportation equitably in terms of taxation and subsidies. But it also requires smarter pricing strategies to maximize rail’s potential - and make it an obvious choice for more travelers. The challenge is complex, but if we’re serious about #sustainability, it’s one we must tackle. What’s your take? How do we make rail and air travel work together to shape the future of mobility? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Rail Europe #MakingTrainTravelEasy #Future