BCD announces Rennies merger in South Africa

Buying Business Travel | October 15, 2019

BCD Travel has announced its joint-venture partner in South Africa Connex Travel is merging with Rennies Travel. The combined business results in a total of 737 employees, with offices in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Stellenbosch and Richard’s Bay, as well as Namibia. The news follows BCD’s January announcement that Rennie’s Travel, owned by Bidvest, had joined its Global Network. Previously operating as BCD Travel South Africa, Connex Travel has been a Global Network partner since 2009. The merged companies will operate as Rennies BCD Travel.

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Destination and Tourism

Spirit Airlines and Liberty University Join Forces for Pilot Pathway

Spirit Airlines | September 15, 2023

Spirit Airlines partners with Liberty University to launch the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, focusing on nurturing the next generation of skilled pilots. Liberty University aviation students can apply for the program after their sophomore year and a faculty recommendation, gaining conditional employment offers from Spirit Airlines, mentorship, and essential resources. The program enhances the academic experience at Liberty University and aligns with Spirit Airlines' commitment to developing a proficient and motivated pilot workforce. The company emphasizes its growth, new aircraft acquisitions, and improved pilot benefits, offering a promising future for Liberty Aeronautics graduates. On September 14, 2023, Spirit Airlines, a leading customizable travel options provider, has announced a collaboration with Liberty University to cultivate the next generation of pilots. Spirit Airlines has unveiled the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program, a strategic initiative to expand its pool of skilled aviators. This innovative program, hosted at Liberty University's School of Aeronautics in Lynchburg, Virginia, marks a significant milestone in the airline's mission to bolster its ranks of professional pilots. Liberty University students pursuing aviation degrees benefit from this partnership. Students may apply to the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program after completing their sophomore year and obtaining a faculty recommendation. Successful candidates will receive conditional employment offers from Spirit Airlines, essential resources like a Spirit Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and invaluable mentorship opportunities. As they progress through their academic journey and accumulate flight hours, program participants will ultimately step into the role of a Spirit First Officer, contributing to the airline's commitment to excellence in aviation. This initiative enhances the educational experience at Liberty University and reinforces Spirit Airlines' dedication to cultivating a highly skilled and motivated pilot workforce. Ryan Rodosta, Senior Director of Flight Operations and System Chief Pilot at Spirit Airlines, shared, We put a lot of hard work into developing the Spirit Wings Pilot Pathway program and assembling a great group of partners making it incredibly rewarding to reach this key milestone. Liberty University offers a premier pilot training program designed to provide graduates with the skills to lead in the aviation field, and Spirit's growth creates opportunities for those graduates to achieve their dreams with us." [Source – Cision PR Newswire] Spirit's Pilots fly some of the industry's newest, most fuel-efficient aircraft to 90+ destinations across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Eight brand-new Airbus A321neo aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2023, creating opportunities for First Officers to get promoted to Captain quickly. Recently, Spirit's pilots ratified a contract that includes a substantial pay raise and improved benefits. In addition to industry-leading training, Spirit provides its pilots with an exceptional quality of life. The partnership would open exceptional prospects for their graduates, offering Liberty-trained aviation professionals a distinctive pathway to Spirit Airlines upon meeting the requisite training and experience standards. Rick Roof, Dean of the School of Aeronautics, emphasized that Spirit Airlines would gain access to pilots distinguished by their outstanding technical competencies and character, making them valuable contributors to the aerospace sector. He further noted that Liberty Aeronautics graduates could envision themselves as integral members of the Spirit team, enjoying the advantages of being associated with a renowned industry leader and operating some of the most advanced aircraft worldwide.

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Business Travel

Team Novo Nordisk Selects Spotnana to Manage Global Travel

businesswire | September 01, 2023

Spotnana, the world’s first Travel-as-a-Service platform modernizing the infrastructure of the travel industry, announced today that it is sponsoring Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team, and is supporting Team Novo Nordisk’s global travel through its award-winning Travel-as-a-Service platform. Team Novo Nordisk is using Spotnana to manage travel for all its sporting and operational travel needs, freeing up the team to focus on its mission to inspire, educate and empower people affected by diabetes, as well as promote an active and healthy lifestyle while competing against the world’s best cyclists. Spotnana is dedicated to supporting causes that advance progress and equality around the world. Our sponsorship of Team Novo Nordisk represents a commitment to our core value to build globally and service locally. “We are delighted to sponsor Team Novo Nordisk and provide unparalleled travel experiences to its team of professional cyclists and their supporting staff,” said Johnny Thorsen, Spotnana VP of Partnerships. “We serve customers across the globe, and our global mindset, including our celebration of diversity, informs the way we build our products and service our customers.” In addition to the pro team that competes in more than 30 countries around the world, Team Novo Nordisk maintains an active pipeline of talent across a wide range of countries through a development team and talent identification camps, together with an ambassadors program with athletes with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes competing in different sports all around the world, all of which require travel support. “We’re extremely pleased to be working with Spotnana,” said Sergey Davidenko, Team Novo Nordisk VP of Operations and Sponsorships. “Spotnana solves long standing problems for travel-intensive organizations like us. They allow us to compete around the world and focus on our goals, knowing we have 24/7 support for our travelers when we need it. “The Spotnana Travel-as-a-Service platform is visionary,” added Davidenko. “Spotnana embodies the innovation of tomorrow, while addressing the pressing technological needs of today.” Learn more about how Spotnana’s sponsorship is empowering Team Novo Nordisk to focus on its mission and goals by visiting Spotnana’s website. About Spotnana Spotnana is the travel platform that connects humanity. We are modernizing the infrastructure of the travel industry in order to bring freedom, simplicity, and trust to travelers everywhere. Our Travel-as-a-Service platform makes travel simpler and more affordable for corporations, while enabling our ecosystem of agency, supplier, and technology provider partners to increase operational efficiency, unlock new revenue sources, and accelerate innovation. About Team Novo Nordisk – Racing to Drive Change in Diabetes Team Novo Nordisk is a global all-diabetes sports team of cyclists spearheaded by the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team. In 2012, Phil Southerland, co-founder and CEO of the team, and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, came together to create Team Novo Nordisk, based on a shared vision to inspire, educate, and empower people around the world affected by diabetes and promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

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Travel Technology, Business Travel, Airlines and Airports

American Airlines and TravelBank offer better travel booking experience through New Distribution Capability (NDC)

PR Newswire | August 23, 2023

TravelBank is now offering New Distribution Capability (NDC) booking features with American Airlines through the TravelBank platform. The investments in technology made by American Airlines and TravelBank, which is now part of U.S. Bank, provide customers an enhanced shopping experience with more access to fares and greater availability of services and benefits offered by American Airlines through the TravelBank platform. TravelBank users are now able to use credits from a canceled or changed flight to keep everything in one place. Now, American Airlines makes legacy EDIFACT tickets exchangeable through NDC-based connections. It is the first airline to have this type of functionality. Users can expect a consistent and seamless experience booking, canceling, and rebooking any American Airlines flight booked on TravelBank regardless of the content source. "American Airlines is focused on providing a modern retailing experience and this is just one more initiative that gives customers access to enhanced content and functionality," said Neil Geurin, managing director of Airline Retailing, American Airlines. American Airlines makes it easier for its fliers using TravelBank to: Reschedule flights and turn canceled flights into new flight fares; Use existing tools and browse the ecosystem on their own, shortening processing times and Benefit fromNDC options, resulting in a more seamless experience with relevant, tailored content via modern retailing channels. "American Airlines is helping us maintain our mission of bringing customers a best-in-class experience and the most up-to-date technological advancements," said Duke Chung, co-founder and CEO of TravelBank. "Customers booking on American Airlines will now have the most seamless experience from pre-booking to post-booking." About TravelBank TravelBank is an all-in-one travel, expense, and corporate card management platform acquired by U.S. Bancorp, parent company of U.S. Bank, in 2021. TravelBank powers data-backed financial decisions for more than 15,000 companies. TravelBank helps reduce company expenditure by 30% on average while improving the employee experience through a user-friendly design, fast expense reimbursements, and travel rewards program. Businesses can design and deploy custom travel and work from home expense policies with ease, and create a baseline for spend that matches the needs of an organization. TravelBank's platform guides employees to stay within their company budget, so financial admins and decision-makers can focus on the core business, not the nuances of a company policy. Organizations of all sizes can harness the experience of TravelBank's in-house travel team alongside a dedicated customer success team for 24/7 concierge-level support, available by phone, email, or chat. Learn how to better manage your company's business spend by visiting travelbank.com today.

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