3 min read

AMTRAV'S Q4 UPDATE

Picture of Craig Fichtelberg Craig Fichtelberg : December 17, 2018

AmTrav

Hello,

AmTrav’s mission is to make business travel easier, which implies that we should make things as simple as possible for our clients. I was in Spain a few weeks ago, meeting with our international partners from around the world. In a discussion with our partner from Nigeria he mentioned that he thought it is actually more difficult to keep things simple. That seemed like an interesting contradiction which got me thinking. My mind drifted to packing for my Spain trip. I was going to be away for 10 days but I was committed to not having to check a bag for my trip. This required me to think extra hard in advance about exactly what I would need for this trip. Each packed item had to have a purpose. If I had decided to check a bag the item-by-item scrutiny would not have been necessary. I probably would have thrown a number of unneeded items into my luggage and carried them with me throughout Spain.

This is the exact same thought process that goes into every decision we make at AmTrav. For example, when deciding which report options we should provide to our clients we first determine which reports our customers use most often and as opposed to providing the kitchen sink of reports we narrow down the choices to exactly what you will need. Again, it would be a lot easier to just list out pages and pages of options but that would go entirely against our mission of making business travel easier. You have my commitment that we will do whatever we can to continue to innovate in ways that will make business travel easier for your travelers, travel managers and your company.

Craig Fichtelberg
President, AmTrav Corporate Travel

Did You Know?

1. AMTRAV HAS A NEW INTEGRATION OPTION WITH ISOS AND
WORLD AWARE (FORMERLY IJET)
For companies looking for heightened duty of care options, AmTrav now has seamless integration with WorldAware (formally iJet) and International SOS (iSOS). Please note that additional fees will apply for these services. Reach out to your Account Manager for more information.

2. REPORTS FOR COORDINATORS ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE
We are happy to announce that your coordinators can now easily access all travel reports for the travelers they book for in a2b. If you have any
questions on where coordinators can access reports for the travelers they book for, please feel free to reach out to your AmTrav Account Manager.

Industry Trends You Should Know

*United Airlines implements new boarding process. The new process utilizes just two boarding lanes rather than the five they had been using.

*American Airlines now allows Basic Economy travelers a carry-on bag.
Beginning on Sept. 5, American Airlines removed the bag restricitions from short haul Basic Economy fares. This means that your travelers who travel on Basic Economy fares – regardless of purchase date – will be allowed both a personal item and a carry-on bad like other Main Cabin fares.

*Baggage fees are increasing for many major airlines.
JetBlue, United, American, Delta, and others have all increased their fees for checked luggage for both your first and second bags.

*Business travel costs are expected to rise in 2019.
Hotel and flight prices are expected to increase by an average of 3.7% and 2.6%, respectively.

Employee Spotlight: Jim Wasson

Jim just celebrated his one year anniversary with AmTrav. Some fun facts about Jim: Jim was voted Best Hair in high school. He was also voted Most Likely to Do Well at AmTrav so it’s kind of serendipitous that he’s here. And he’s fulfilling his prophecy. With Jim, you’ll come for the sales expertise and stay for the interesting stories about rock and roll, cars, and what an amazing woman his mom is.

Where are you originally from?
Chicago.

Favorite things to do outside the office?
Water ski, play a little golf, cook Thanksgiving dinner for the family, hang with friends, etc. I’ll attend several open-wheel races in 2019, and I hit the Indy 500 every year.

Where is your “happy place” in Chicago?
Wrigley Field. My Mom grew up 3 blocks away, so some major family history there. Also the “original” Uno Pizzeria on Wabash and Ohio. My parents took us there as kids, and it’s still exactly the same. Still good too!

Secret talent?
I’m not claiming any talent, secret or otherwise, but I played drums in Chicago-based rock bands for 30+ years. My last band has 2 CD’s in iTunes under Six Foot Model.

Favorite part about working at AmTrav?Our people, and our teams’ good energy. Everybody is cool. I’ve been in this business all my life and I have never worked with a more fun, smart and diversified team of true pro’s. It’s a real family, and I’m honored to be a part of it.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing AmTrav bring on new hires as a result of our sales teams’ success. I love it when AmTrav’s growth means someone new gets a new job!

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