FEATURE
The technology is here, now, to eliminate expense reports and expense approvals.
Imagine a system that imports a corporate card transaction for a $9.84 lunch at
McDonald’s, determines the transaction is within policy and within the norm for
the employee, approves the transaction for reimbursement and initiates a direct
deposit. There’s the potential for fraud, and travel managers can name other reasons to stand by their traditional expense reports. They could be right, but there
also are efficiences. If the idea of real-time, automated expense reporting—and
even approval—makes your stomach turn and makes your CFO spin in her chair,
dig deep and ask the real reason why. It may turn out that you’re ready.
3 ON THE HORIZON
• Brexit & Trump make for uncertain
travel forecasts
14 SME INSIDERS
• What happens when you cross SMM & SME
16 TRANSPORTATION
• United will launch buyer/agent portal
for self-service & reporting
• Norwegian’s transatlantic plans
• American loses another exec to United
18 PROCUREMENT
• IHG & AccorHotels Report Positive
2016 Results Despite Terror & Geopolitics
• Marriott Corporate Uptick, Plus More
Q4 Results
22 MANAGEMENT
• Capita will deliver data-driven traveler
wellness tools
Head of business travel
David Holyoke on accelerating Airbnb’s reach in the
corporate travel space.
What’s Inside 4 | On the Record
CONTINUED ON PG 3
“We want to build
further awareness and
education [among small
and midsize companies].
With enterprises, we want
to dive deeper in terms of
what we’re going to build
out to address the compliance and control issues.”
2017 EXPENSE MANAGEMENT REPORT
Next-Gen Expense
Management
COMPARING APPS: 3 Chauffeured Car Apps Side by Side
See how GroundLink, Blacklane & Carey Mobile App compare on business model,
geographic reach, fleet, advance booking window, cancellation policy, driver
tracking & how long drivers will wait.
PAGE 24
FULL COVERAGE ON PG 7
6 | Data Hub
Risk Management Among
European Companies
More than a quarter of companies
either lack confidence or are only
moderately confident they could address
a travel-related crisis should something
happen tomorrow.
President Donald Trump issued a revised
executive order on March 6, placing U.S.
travel immigration restrictions on Iran,
Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
On Feb. 3, District Judge James Robart
halted the previous, Jan. 27, executive
order, and on Feb. 9, the Ninth District
Court upheld that decision.
The revised order dropped Iraq from
the list of countries affected, citing the
“cooperative relationship between the
United States and the democratically
elected Iraqi government, the strong
United States diplomatic presence in
Iraq, the significant presence of United
States forces in Iraq and Iraq’s commitment to combat ISIS” as justification, despite Iraq’s presence on a list of
countries the Obama administration said
presented “heightened concerns about
terrorism and travel to the United States.”
The new order also revised timelines.
On March 16, nationals of the six affected
countries will be denied entry to the U.S.
for 90 days and decisions on all refugee
applications will be suspended for 120
days. That includes Syrian refugees, whom
the previous order suspended indefinitely.
The original executive order automat-
ically revoked as many as 60,000 valid
travel visas. The revised order reinstates
those and confirms that visas issued be-
tween Feb. 3 and March 15 will be valid.
It also confirms that the order does not
apply to green card holders or to those
with temporary student or work visas.
The absence of these carve-outs within
the original order was of critical concern in
the suit filed by the states of Washington and
Minnesota, over which Robart presided, particularly in terms of reduced business travel
and uncertainty around temporary work visas, as well as research and student travel
associated with state universities.
The new executive order may not alleviate uncertainty for international travelers. On
New Trump Order Revises
Immigration Restrictions
BY ELIZABETH WEST
Access to information about the situation
Communication with staff
Awareness of roles & responsibilities
WHAT DIDN'T WORK
DURING RECENT INCIDENTS
43%
43%