April 2019 - CB Travel

Can you tackle these eco-friendly tips for corporate travelers?

Coordinate itineraries with colleagues to share cars or rides. Reduce carbon emissions by carpooling to the airport, hotel, or meeting together.

Use a city bike or scooter instead of short taxi rides. Bike and scooter programs are readily accessible in most major cities these days. Plus, it provides time to get some exercise and clear your head for a few minutes.

Take a train if traveling to a nearby city. Trains have less of a negative environmental impact, and are often overlooked as an effective and reliable transportation system.

If you need to use a paper map or brochure, put it back when you are done. Reuse is one of the main recycling principles. Letting others use the map or brochure again reduces overall waste in our landfills.

Use up the free swag before buying more office supplies. Remember all those cute pens and notebooks from conventions, vendors, and hotels? It’s time to take them out of that junk drawer and start using them. Make a goal of using up your existing supply of office materials before buying new pens and notebooks. Or, if you know you won’t use it, make a goal of not taking the swag in the first place.

Bring your own collapsible grocery bag. You’ll be surprised how often an extra bag comes in handy! These bags are collapsible and wont take up much room in your briefcase or purse. You can also use it as an emergency carry-on if you’re in a crunch.

Unplug before leaving home. Your electronics are always running, even you aren’t using them. Save power (and reduce your electricity bill!) by unplugging your coffee pot, tv, lamps, chargers, blender, etc, before you leave for a trip.

Install smart lights around your house. These LED lights are wifi enabled and connect to an app on your phone. Worried you left the kitchen light on before leaving for your business trip? Check from the app on your phone and turn it off! Save energy and money on your electric bill by setting up a timer system for your porch light or lights around your house. With various brands, they also connect to Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and HomeKit. They are a bit pricey, but worth it in the long run when it comes to energy saving practices and convenience.

Are you a master of staying green while on a business trip? Let us know in the comments below!

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The travel industry, especially air security, has always at the forefront of the latest technology. Just think about, where was the first place you walked through a metal detector? Or walked through a scanning device? It was likely at an airport security line. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are always spearheading procedures to keep us safe. Want to know what they up its sleeve now? Look no further, it’s Biometrics.

What are biometrics?

We are all unique in our own way, like snowflakes. Biometrics is the act of using these physical and behavioral differences to identify individuals. Identifying through fingerprints is a common biometrics technique. New technology has made biometrics effective in other ways, like analyzing the irises of the eye and even full facial scans.

What will air travel look like in the distant future

Did you know that over 70% of airports and airlines are will be rolling out biometric scanning systems in the near future? While keeping our airports secure, they are also easing the experience for the traveler. Here is what the process will look like:

Arriving at the airport, you will take a picture at a kiosk or check-in counter.
That picture will be automatically matched to your passport photo in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) database.
You can then proceed to the TSA security checkpoint. With this verification from DHS, you can walk through without taking out your id, boarding pass, and maybe even keep your shoes and jacket on.
At the gate while boarding your plane, your face will be scanned one final time. You will then be cleared and can proceed to your seat.

How are biometrics currently being used in travel?

Though many airports and companies are steadily working to make this a possibility, a few innovators have already weaved together biometrics and travel.

CLEAR has also been at the cutting edge of biometrics for years. As an alternative to TSA PreCheck, they use biometric eye scans and finger scans to verify identification of travelers through their private security check line.
Hertz recently sped up their car rental process with the help of biometric technology. Partnering with CLEAR, they’ve introduced Fast Lane. The traveler will simply select a car and drive it towards the exit. There, they will roll down the window for a biometric face scan. The camera will identify the traveler, then lift the gate so they can get on with their day. The entire process is expected to take about 30 seconds. It is currently only available to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards accounts. Starting at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, it is expected to expand to more than 40 Hertz locations in 2019.
Delta is at the forefront of revolutionizing the entire airport experience we mentioned above. They have launched the first fully biometric airline terminal at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. From the curb, to the baggage drop-off, through TSA checkpoint, and onto the plane; travelers will use facial recognition as identification throughout the entire airport experience.
Dubai airport has opened a new automated form of passport control. Though currently only available to business and first-class passengers, it is expected to completely replace immigration officials by 2020. Traveler’s identities will be checked and verified as they walk through a virtual aquarium, with cameras disguised as fish verifying identities. With the automated process, lines will essentially disappear, with estimates of cutting immigration control procedures to just 15 seconds.

What are the benefits of biometrics for business travelers

Essentially, every step of the process through the airport will become more streamlined. You will no longer continually dig through your bag for your driver’s license or even your ticket. You will essentially walk from the curb of airport to the seat on your plane with minimal stops and lines. It is also expected to increase efficiency of the travel industry as a whole. Some say the time it takes boarding a plane will be reduced to 20 minutes. With this faster turnaround time, planes will take off on time and delays will be reduced. Overall, biometrics simplifies the process for business travelers and airlines, while also providing top-of-the-line security.