Will vaccine bring business air travel back?
Dec 16, 2020, 10:26 am
#31
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Aadvantage platinum; IHG Spire
Posts: 546
Anecdotally people who have attended virtual conferences have said they're awful, and stopped attending - so I believe there will be demand for in person conferences. Also if you work in tech support, there sometimes isn't a good online alternative to actually being there.
Stats did show increased productivity initially for WFH, however as time has gone on that has waned - probably as the novelty has worn off, and people feel less pressured to "prove" they are working. A number of businesses who initially said they would go to a WFH model permanently have backtracked. As some others above, I can see a hybrid model, where people split their time between the office and home.
My other half normally travels weekly, and he has clients asking when he can come and visit - he's also desperate to travel again!
Stats did show increased productivity initially for WFH, however as time has gone on that has waned - probably as the novelty has worn off, and people feel less pressured to "prove" they are working. A number of businesses who initially said they would go to a WFH model permanently have backtracked. As some others above, I can see a hybrid model, where people split their time between the office and home.
My other half normally travels weekly, and he has clients asking when he can come and visit - he's also desperate to travel again!
Dec 16, 2020, 10:22 pm
#32
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
What I see in some responses here - confirmation bias. Translation- ‘I am desperate for travel, seems everyone, businesses including, should be in the same position’.
I already wrote what I think. Let’s check in Jan 2022.
I already wrote what I think. Let’s check in Jan 2022.
Dec 17, 2020, 5:36 am
#33
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
People who get vaccinated will likely be more willing to travel after vaccination than they are currently/pre-vaccination. That would suggest that vaccination will drive some recovery in business travel.
Dec 17, 2020, 5:49 am
#34
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
There is no decision even on horizon to make entry simplified for people who are vaccinated. Considering that generic public is not going to get vaccines next three months, I would keep expectations low.
Dec 17, 2020, 5:54 am
#35
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Dec 17, 2020, 6:07 am
#36
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,652
Vaccination passports are already on the horizon. Israel won't be the only country to do this kind of thing: https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus...waiver-1554534
Dec 17, 2020, 6:34 am
#37
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
I hope that businesses take a good look at what proportion of their pre-covid travel was really necessary to increase profitability of their business and what proportion was people having fun at their company's expense. But of course spending more than necessary in order to build relationships can also increase future profitability.
I know that some people used to be sent long-haul very frequently, costing tens of thousands of Ł/€/$ in flexible tickets and hotel stays every year and in some cases I found it hard to believe that they really added that much value to their company - or whether they could add a similar amount of value to their company even if their frequency/duration of travel was halved.
Video conferences may be less efficient but the real question is whether the costs of travel justify the increases in productivity.
The above is a totally different argument to whether people should return en masse to working in offices.
I think if over the next few months vaccines are demonstrated to work on a large scale that will more likely lead to a huge resumption in personal and leisure travel before business.
This article says that 50-75% of Israelis surveyed will refuse the vaccine!
I know that some people used to be sent long-haul very frequently, costing tens of thousands of Ł/€/$ in flexible tickets and hotel stays every year and in some cases I found it hard to believe that they really added that much value to their company - or whether they could add a similar amount of value to their company even if their frequency/duration of travel was halved.
Video conferences may be less efficient but the real question is whether the costs of travel justify the increases in productivity.
The above is a totally different argument to whether people should return en masse to working in offices.
I think if over the next few months vaccines are demonstrated to work on a large scale that will more likely lead to a huge resumption in personal and leisure travel before business.
Vaccination passports are already on the horizon. Israel won't be the only country to do this kind of thing: https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus...waiver-1554534
Dec 17, 2020, 6:45 am
#38
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,652
There was a report that 49% of French citizens do not want it either. I don't think it is worth worrying about until the majority of the 51% or even 25% have received it. Those that do not want it may be faced with some difficult choices over their personal freedom (to travel anywhere) in the future.
Last edited by DaveS; Dec 17, 2020 at 7:15 am
Dec 17, 2020, 4:22 pm
#39
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Chicago
Posts: 63
One thing I've noticed... working with existing customers works pretty well virtually...attempting to get new customers is nearly impossible.
Dec 17, 2020, 7:06 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: SAN, BOS
Programs: AS MVPG100K, BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Plat,
Posts: 2,281
WFM vs in the office and traveling for business are two completely separate things, IMO and to conflate them is a bad argument.
As an academic, in person classes will resume for most by the fall 2021 if not spring 2021. But it’s hard for me to fathom any kind of conference, guest lecture, or most kinds of field work that occurs in person that require airplane travel.
But who knows. Perhaps this prompts the legacy carriers to adopt b6’s mint J model to attract wealthier leisure travelers. I’m certainly no aviation expert
As an academic, in person classes will resume for most by the fall 2021 if not spring 2021. But it’s hard for me to fathom any kind of conference, guest lecture, or most kinds of field work that occurs in person that require airplane travel.
But who knows. Perhaps this prompts the legacy carriers to adopt b6’s mint J model to attract wealthier leisure travelers. I’m certainly no aviation expert
Dec 19, 2020, 10:24 pm
#41
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: California
Posts: 241
This. I attended a couple of fake sessions of a virtual conference in my industry and it was awful. No way I would ask my company to pay for that kind of experience again.
Dec 20, 2020, 2:51 am
#43
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
This is norm in tech sector at this moment.
Dec 20, 2020, 4:30 am
#44
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: VIE
Programs: SAS EBS / *A Silver, Hilton Diamond, Radisson VIP, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,757
The last sentence is the key. As long as it's the norm and everyone does it, it works well. When your competition starts to travel, they will suddenly have an advantage and your company will need to react.
Dec 20, 2020, 9:51 am
#45
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
It is less than 40 days remaining until I am employee of this company after 12 years. So if a competitor wants to take an advantage - I am readily available, if you need a cloud architect, drop me a message.