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Christopherson Ranks #22 On Travel Weekly’s 2019 Power List

TRAVEL WEEKLY | JUN 26, 2019

Christopherson Ranks #22 On Travel Weekly’s 2019 Power List

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Business Travel Travel Industry

Improving The Safety For Women Business Travelers In Your Company

Whether it’s a concern about terrorist attacks, identity theft, or simply food poisoning, your health and wellbeing is important while on the road. Unfortunately, according to a study by GBTA, women business travelers often feel concerned about their own safety while traveling on business. In fact, of the women surveyed, 80% reported at some point feeling worried about their personal safety while traveling. More needs to be done in the business travel industry to help women feel secure while traveling on behalf of their company.

Women business travelers often have concerns for their safety while traveling on business

This study from GBTA and AIG, found that:

  • 83% of the women surveyed reported that in the past year one or more safety-related concerns or incidences occurred while traveling for business.
  • 63% think about safety always or frequently while traveling, and their concerns for safety have been escalating.
  • 84% of women say their employers either did not provide safety tips or resources, or they were not aware of such tools. It is startling to think that majority of employers in the study are not providing the adequate duty of care and support for their employees. Even if these companies have risk management protocols in place, their communication is ineffective.

Ultimately, both the business traveler and the company wants the business trip to be productive and successful. Your travelers are less likely to do so if they are preoccupied with safety concerns or security issues. Women often feel these effects more in our society than other demographics, and this study shows how significantly under prepared most women feel when traveling on business. Recognizing this immense gap is the first step in helping to resolve the problem.

What can your company do to help women (and men) feel safer while traveling on business?

  • Listen to their concerns – As the person booking travel, you may not be aware that your go-to hotel in Seattle is down a dark alley and their after-hour front desk manager is a creep. Establishing an open culture in your office about business travel concerns could make a big difference. If travelers know they can come to you, you’ve already tackled one of the biggest hurdles in this issue. Depending on the travel policy or vendor contracts, you might not be able to change hotels completely, but you can at least keep these comments in mind when you review your program or vendor contracts down the line.
  • Discuss duty of care policies and procedures – We often find that most travelers don’t know the security features within their travel program. It often puts travelers at ease knowing that their itinerary is known, and communication is always open through features like our Security Check.
  • Educate travelers on theft, phishing scam and identity theft – Did you know that hotels have one of the highest rates of identity theft? Keeping your employees educated on the common threats, and more importantly, how to evert them, will provide them the tools to travel safer and with more confidence.

In this survey, 80% of the women at one point or another did not feel safe while traveling on behalf of their company. This should not be acceptable in the business industry today. It is up to individual companies to provide an open culture for employees to voice their concerns. As well as have effective communication for employees to understand the policies in place to make them feel supported.

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Business Travel Travel Industry Travel News

Southwest Airlines Will Require CVV Code in Booking Process

UPDATE – Southwest Airlines recently announced they are postponing the CVV requirement for booking from June 17, 2019 to a later date. Though not required now, a credit card CVV code will likely be needed to book travel in the near future. It is still recommended that you contact your Christopherson Account Manager and update your credit card information.

Does your company book travel with Southwest Airlines? If so, it’s important you know this information. Starting June 17, 2019, Southwest Airlines will require the credit card CVV code to complete their booking process. Fortunately, this update is a tiny one that requires minimal action. Unfortunately, if not completed by June 17, it will cause disruptions and declined transactions on Southwest Airlines tickets.

Reducing fraud through CVV codes

The credit verification value, or CVV code, is the three or four digit number on debit and credit cards. It can be found on the back of VISA, Mastercard, and Discover cards, or on the front of American Express cards. Providing the CVV code at the time of purchase confirms to online merchants that you have the physical credit card or debit card in your hands during the transaction. It is one technique that helps reduce fraudulent purchases. Southwest is the first airline to require CVV information on booking reservations, but others are predicted to follow soon. Visa is also requiring the CVV code in order to purchase online air tickets.

What does this mean for your corporate travel?

Finding the CVV code is pretty easy when you can just pull it out of your wallet. The process becomes more complicated when multiple departments or travel partners are involved. Some companies use one card managed by a Travel Manager. Others allow individual employees to book travel themselves with their own corporate credit cards. Understanding how your company books travel is the first place to start.

If Southwest Airlines is one of your carriers of choice

We’ve outlined the easiest way to update your CVV code to avoid any future delays or disruptions. How does your company book travel with Christopherson?

  • One company card is used to book travel: Contact your Christopherson Account Manager to update the credit card information with the CVV code. They will also verify additional card information, names, and billing addresses to ensure your account is current.
  • Travelers book their own travel with individual credit cards: Advise your travelers that they will need to provide their credit card’s CVV number whenever they book a reservation with a Christopherson travel advisor. Your travelers can also easily book Southwest through your online booking tool where the CVV code is not required.
  • A company card is used to book travel AND travelers book with credit cards:If the majority of your employees book their own travel, but a company card is used for contractors’, interviewees’, or lower-level employees’ travel booking be sure to contact your Christopherson Account Manager, as well as notify your travelers of these updates.

As we work to ensure no disruption to your travelers and protect your company against fraud, we appreciate your partnership and proactivity to this update. If you have any additional questions about updating the CVV code, please contact your Account Manager.