Business Travel On the Fly is a monthly podcast aimed at both business travelers and travel managers, that dives into issues affecting those of us who spend time up in the air, out of the office, and away from home on work trips. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or on your first trip, we will unpack the future of business travel with experts from in and around the industry. Plus, you’ll get top travel tips from road warriors around the globe.
Listen on this page directly or on these other platforms:
March 2023 - Episode #027
If there’s one job harder than being a clairvoyant at a sceptic’s convention it’s being a futurist in these mightily uncertain times.
It’s hard to read an article these days that doesn’t warn us that bots will wipe out entire industries or that the global economy is about to implode. But is there nuance and cause for optimism?
CWT's Julian Walker talks to Shawn DuBravac, NY Times bestselling author, futurist, economist and analyst for the GBTA CWT Global Business Travel Forecast about the near-term cost of airfares and hotel rates, and how companies and organizations of all sizes can prepare their budgets, and people, for the societal and technological shifts ahead.
Find out:
January 2023 - Episode #026
Over the next 10 years, we are likely to see change on a scale not witnessed since the Industrial Revolution. We’re on the cusp of massive economic and social disruption that has wide-reaching implications for us all. So how do you discern between what's 'pie in the sky' and what's really going to happen? And with AI-powered automation surging ahead, how do you innovate in the right direction for people, purpose, and planet?
Joel Hanson, CWT's Director of Global Innovation Business Development helps us spot the subtle signs of change that, however nascent today, contain the seeds of tomorrow’s business travel landscape:
November 2022 - Episode #025
Internationally-recognized thought leader, NY Times bestselling author, futurist, and top-rated keynote speaker Dr. Shawn DuBravac delivers pragmatic and provocative insights on the trends, technologies and paradigms transforming the globe.
Hot on the heels of his predictions in the GBTA CWT Global Business Travel Forecast 2023 that reveals global and regional price projections and analysis for airfares, hotel rooms and cost-per-attendee (meetings & events), DuBravac speaks to CWT Communications Chief Julian Walker about the critical issues that could influence pricing and how we travel & meet in 2023:
October 2022 - Episode #024
Kari Wendel, VP strategic and enterprise customers, and global operations at CWT Meetings & Events is at the helm of the agency’s ‘total meetings management’ approach working with larger customers with centralized meeting strategies, large events & corporate incentives.
In this podcast, find out:
August 2022 - Episode #023
Richard Johnson, Global Head of Solutions Group, and Heinrich Lange, Senior Director Sales Northern Europe, and Head of Global Account Management, EMEA of Lufthansa unpick the practicalities of accelerating the development and integration of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the collective efforts of the entire aviation industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Find out:
June 2022 - Episode #022
Volatility, complexity and change brought on by the pandemic has been a huge social and economic disrupter for most. It has - and continues to - transform the way in which we interact, consume, work and travel. What influence does this change have on business travelers’ behaviours, needs and expectations? In this episode Christina Scorsis, CWT’s VP Traveler Experience Evolution, opines about her own shifting attitudes, and how companies and organizations can keep pace with the aspirations and expectations of the conscious business traveler to retain talent and support a healthy company culture.
May 2022 - Episode #021
Belinda Hindmarsh, Chief Growth Officer of global travel management platform CWT is joined by Kit Brennan, Co-founder and Director of award-winning carbon intelligence platform Thrust Carbon. Together they have decades of experience in the travel tech space.
In this episode Belinda and Kit turn their sights on the hotel industry which is infinitely more complex than air travel when it comes to measuring sustainability.
March 2022 - Episode #020
Belinda Hindmarsh, Chief Operating Officer of RoomIt by CWT and China and John Pelant, Chief Technology Officer are leaders of CWT’s women’s employee resource group. With decades of combined experience in travel and tech, along with leading a global multinational operating in over 140 countries, they talk about avoiding proximity bias, the role of business travel in creating equal opportunities, and the power of intentional listening.
January 2022 - Episode #019
CWT is physically present in over 140 countries and staffed by 12,000 employees ranging in age from 18 to 90. As the company celebrates a whopping 150 years in travel, CWT's previous CEO Michelle McKinney Frymire talks about how travel can drive opportunities, how attitudes to work and life are changing and solving for the biggest issues of our time from climate anxiety to inclusivity.
July 2021 - Episode #018
Since 1999 CWT and the Carlson Family Foundation have taken a holistic approach to fight human trafficking through our core business activities, philanthropy, advocacy, and strategic partnerships.
CWT’s Julian Walker, Head of External Market Communications & PR speaks to Yvonne Chen, Director, Private Sector Engagement, ECPAT USA about how we can individually and collectively turn the tide on trafficking.
June 2021 - Episode #017
In this webinar, a panel of experts representing different viewpoints—including airlines, environmental non-profits, TMCs, and travel buyers— discussed a major point of contention in making corporate travel programs greener: how companies should set targets and measure success.
Listen to our podcast to hear the panel's points of view.
May 2021 - Episode #016
The biggest global vaccination campaign in history is underway. As countries around the world look to gradually ease restrictions, it is imperative that organizations prepare themselves and equip their employees for a safe return to travel.
Listen to our podcast to hear what our panel of medical, travel and technology experts say about this.
March 2021 - Episode #015
2021 is set to be a big year for hybrid meetings and events, with travel restrictions and various safety measures expected to remain in place. When done right, combining virtual and in-person elements allows you to boost engagement and reach a wider audience. Get ahead of the curve by learning how you can organize impactful hybrid events that deliver results for your business.
February 2021 - Episode #014
What will business travel, meetings and events, and the world of work look like this time in 2022? We hand the crystal ball to Michelle McKinney-Frymire, CWT’s CFO and President Strategy & Transformation, and Niklas Andreen, President Traveller Experience and Customer.
January 2021 - Episode #013
At the end of a year that completely altered business travel, meetings & events, and our working lives, who better to reflect on the past and anticipate the future than the editors and journalists at the coalface? Winners of the Business Travel Journalism Awards 2020 talk vaccine hope, slow travel, and cutting commutes for good.
November 2020 - Episode #012
The pandemic has forced businesses to take a closer look at their travel risk policy. Join experts from International SOS as they share advice on why travel managers should reshape their policy to meet the evolving demands of a world challenged by COVID-19.
October 2020 - Episode #011
Employee wellbeing is back on top of the corporate agenda, so it is vital your travel policy tackles the issues that matter most to your employees and address their concerns in this new world. CWT talks to a Director of HR Operations to explore why travel managers should be working closely with their HR professionals to set new policies and procedures in the COVID-19 era.
September 2020 - Episode #010
As businesses reconnect and travel restarts, questions remain over how to design an air program fit for an uncertain and changing world. During this webinar, Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM look to address some of the key issues for travel managers, including: 2021 RFPs, unused tickets, employee confidence and safety concerns.
August 2020 - Episodes #008 & #009
Restrictions may have eased but many companies still struggle with building confidence in their traveling employees. Hear from business and travel experts on how to get your people ready for the road. A diverse speaker panel talks critical learnings from essential service providers, how considerations have shifted, and how suppliers are adapting their operations to cope with a dynamic situation.
PART 1
PART 2:
August 2020 - Episode #007
What changes can employees expect before they catch a flight as we start to see a return to business travel? CWT will be joined by ACI World, as we discuss the new measures in place to boost traveler safety, how employees should prepare for a trip and the steps airports have made to build traveler confidence.
June 2020 - Episode #006
As travel slowly restarts around the world what will it mean for the employee experience and how should a travel manager prepare?
CWT speaks to International SOS, as we take a holistic view at getting employees back on the road and provide you with a roadmap and strategic framework for a return-to-travel.
May 2020 - Episode #005
Few events are as globally significant and historic as the Olympics, although COVID-19 comes close. CWT speaks with the International Olympic Committee and 3 PEAKS Leadership about the importance of communication and transparency, why it’s essential to have effective contingency plans and essential advice on dealing with ‘uncontrollable’ events as we've never seen before.
March 2020 - Episode #004
We discuss what the leading travel risk services company, International SOS is advising all clients right now. For those who still need to travel in these unprecedented and unsettling times, find out what you must consider before making that decision. Matt Bradley offers his take on how business travel will change post-COVID-19.
February 2020 - Episode #003
If there's one bane that unites business travelers from Singapore to Switzerland, it's submitting expense reports. Could this tedious chore be on its way out? Dave Holmes, VP for Payments at CWT, talks us through innovations in global payments technology that will make paying for, and accounting for, work trip expenses much more interactive – and much less of a pain.
January 2020 - Episode #002
How do we teach computers human language in all its complexity and context to the point where business travelers can book each element of their trip via messenger or chat? Ziv Baum, an AI specialist in Tel Aviv, discusses the ABCs of artificial intelligence and chatbots and how they’re being used in business travel.
January 2020 - Episode #001
Why is booking personal travel a lot more fun than booking business travel? It’s not just because the former means vacation and the latter work. Erik Magnuson, VP of Air Distribution Capabilities at CWT, breaks down for us how airlines and the industry are working to improve the shopping experience for business travelers.
Disclaimer: Travel tips and other information provided in this podcast are not based on your company’s travel policies. Please evaluate any suggestions or information provided in this podcast in the context of your company’s internal travel policy.