Did you know that from the 13th September 2019 there are new regulations coming into place with an extra layer of security for online purchases.

​Officially: PDS2 (Payment Services Directive 2).

This new regulation covers ALL card payments made online, both personal and company credit cards. 

So what does this mean? It means that every time you make a booking with online payment, your bank will ask you to authenticate it using a code from the bank to verify that you are the person who is authorising that payment.

The Good News:
This is good news as it make sure to limit fraud online! so you know that all your payments will be safe.

What might it effect for you and something to be aware of:
If your card is used to make your travel bookings online and it is not always you making the booking then every time you will receive a text with the authentication code to input into the screen to verify the payment.
This may not seem too bad, however if you have someone else making the booking and you are on a flight or in a meeting where you can not check your messages then the booking can not be made until you give the person assisting you the code.
This will delay the booking and potentially the price or availability may change by the time you are able to give the code so it could be an issue.

For your Travel bookings - what is the solution?
As a travel management company we can make the bookings immediately for you without the need for the credit card.
So no worrying about if the cardholder is available to give the code or not.
We would then simply invoice for the bookings as per our agreement with your company.
Making it very simple.

Get in touch with us to set up and account and away you go!

The Travel Company Edinburgh
edinburgh@ttce.com
0044 (0)131 467 7000
www.ttce.com

Here at The Travel Company Edinburgh we are very excited to be working with Medical Travel Companions as their UK partner. It is very exciting because the service that we can now provide is a fabulous addition for all travellers that need this service.

What is Medical Travel Companions?
Medical Travel Companions is a unique service that assists people with their travel needs from a local domestic or complex international journey. There are a large number of individuals or families who choose not to travel due to a variety of reasons. MTC can remove many of the barriers that will allow many to realise their travel dreams.

MTC travel companions are experienced paramedics, nurses, or nannies, that have undergone a rigorous selection process. They have a range of knowledge including: families with elderly parents, young children, people with a mental health issue, disability, or simply people who just need reassurance or help on a holiday or in transit.

MTC companions are available on a global basis.
Key Benefits of Using Medical Travel CompanionsTravellers can engage MTC services for travel on all forms of travel including, tours, cruises, flights, private vacations, or concierge transport services for local transportation requirements.

MTC companions are available to help you to your desired destination or even to stay with you for the duration of the entire trip. Medical Travel Companions is flexible and can tailor a solution to suit your specific needs.
​
MTC companions provide caring assistance to travellers such as:

• Elderly
• Disabled
• Insurance recovery
• Patient discharge
• Sporting groups
• School groups
• People with a psychological condition
• Children needing assistance
• People recovering from surgery or illness
• Families
• Or it could simply be a case of a person travelling on their own who requires a trusted companion to accompany them on their travel journey.

About Ben Wilson | Co Founder & CEO of Medical Travel CompanionsBen holds a Bachelor of Business Degree from the University of South Australia.
​Ben brings to MTC experience in the Airline, Airport, Travel, Health and HR sectors. Ben is responsible for the day to day strategic direction of MTC on a global basis.
Before starting Medical Travel Companions in 2000, Ben held management roles for a major international airline, and also at a global management consulting firm.
Ben has travelled extensively, including completing a transatlantic sailing voyage.
He has lived and worked in the UK and Africa. Ben is married and has three children and enjoys boating, Kangaroo Island, diving, tennis and, of course, travelling.
Text accredited to: Allan Suss, Podcast travel

Contact us on +44 131 467 7000 or edinburgh@ttce.com or link to make a booking Medical Travel Companions

The very first thing to think of is 'What is this meeting for and what do we want to achieve?'
Is it: A brainstorming session, simple meeting, training, inspirational staff meeting, fun day out, an awards event, a serious meeting to discuss strategy or anything else you can think of.
Once you know what you are looking to do in the meeting, that’s when you can decide what you need and you can then source the perfect venue. This can take a long time to get right, especially if you are not familiar with the town or city you want to hold it in. This is where we can help you by doing all the leg work and negotiating the best rates for your meeting.

What are you looking for?

• Do you need a venue with accommodation for the delegates or even just for the speaker?
• The size of the room to fit your numbers
• Do you need AV (Audio visual) equipment for your event?
• What time will the meeting start and finish?
• What is the timing of the different parts of the meeting, working this out will help you to work out when you want to have the breaks.
• Will you be providing food and drinks?
• When do you want your refreshments? In the room for a working coffee break or lunch break or outside the room so your delegates can stretch their legs?
• If you want to keep everyone really happy what about Breakfast before the meeting or working breakfast sandwiches?
• What will you provide for lunch on the day a buffet, a restaurant meal or a working lunch?

• Do you want to arrange a dinner or even a Gala Dinner?

There are many more things to consider but the above is a start. Now it's time to think about what you want from the meeting. These are potentially the same thing or they can be 2 different things.
My idea of the perfect meeting is something like this:

• Room that works for the specific meeting request, you would be surprised as people often think 'a meeting room is just the same as an other' you don't realise how wrong that comment can be!
• The room has blackout blinds if the screen is going to be used
• A venue that is flexible, so if there is a change last minute then the venue can accommodate me.

• Friendly, efficient and flexible staff at the venue.
• if using AV the venue needs to have technical support. Just in case you need it!
• A great lunch. it’s funny because people always remember the lunch from a meeting! I guess when you are out of the office and you are being given a free lunch in the middle of a training or team meeting etc it’s important that the lunch is delicious. It can make or break a meeting!

If you want some help in finding the best venue for your meeting or event anywhere in the world then get intouch:

The Travel Company Edinburgh
0131 467 7000
edinburgh@ttce.com

Before reading the below we would like to say how pleased we are that this is now being taken seriously and something is being done. 
The below article is credited to the BBC the link is www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47141538


Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda, Hotels.com, ebookers and trivago have been investigated over high-pressure selling tactics and misleading discount claims, the competition watchdog says.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was concerned the sites were making rooms seem more popular than they were.

The sites will now say if commissions they receive affect the results.
They also agreed to be clearer with discount claims and hidden charges.

The CMA began its investigation in June 2018 but didn't name the comparison sites it was investigating.
"The CMA has taken enforcement action to bring to an end misleading sales tactics, hidden charges and other practices in the online hotel booking market," said CMA Chairman Andrew Tyrie. "These have been wholly unacceptable."

Compare like with likeThe CMA will now seek to make the rest of the sector follow the same rules as the six companies it has named, it said.
Consumer action group Which? welcomed the CMA's intervention and said the changes should be "swiftly implemented".
The companies have all now agreed to the following, the CMA said:

• To make it clearer how hotels are graded, including whether hotels paying the ranking sites more have received a position higher up the list

• To not give a false impression of a hotel's popularity to rush customers into making a booking. For example, when saying that other customers are looking at the same hotel as you, it should be made clear it they are searching for different dates. Some sites were also placing sold-out hotels within search results to put pressure on people to book more quickly. Sites have now committed not to do this, the CMA said

• To be clear about discounts and only promoting deals that are actually available at that time. The CMA found sites comparing a higher weekend room rate with a weekday rate or comparing the price of a luxury suite with a standard room

• To show charges such as taxes, booking or resort fees in the price

'Trust'Not all of the six companies had fallen foul of all four of these bad practices, the CMA said.
"You can get some good bargains on these sites, but it is very important that you can trust what they say," Michael Grenfell, executive director of enforcement at the CMA told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"We will monitor them," he added.
The companies have until 1 September to comply with the demands, otherwise they could be taken to court.

There are no hidden fees or elements when you book with us.
Give us a call on 0131 467 7000 or email on edinburgh@ttce.com

​People often say to me 'why should I use a TMC when I can just book everything online?'

I love it when someone asks me this as there are so many answers depending on the company or situation of the person. All of them end up with the person realising that among other things; You can still book everything online and you have the backup of a 24 hour team of experienced professionals to help should you need it. 
​Just image this situation:

• You are the person responsible for booking accommodation, travel and meetings for your team.
• You have made what seems like hundreds of bookings this week and it is now Friday at 5pm and time to go home for the weekend - Hurray! 
• You pickup your things get in the car and are driving home thinking about what to have for your dinner or where you are going out to that evening.
• You have been singing along to the radio and the news comes on.
• You hear that there has been a problem at one of the airports that you regularly use and you know you have some of your team flying through there coming home from a week away.
• OH NO!! What do you do?
• What flights were they on?
• Which team members are travelling at the moment?
• What do you need to do to sort it out?
• Are they covered if they can not get home? 
• You will have to go back to the office and sort it all out!
• That will ruin your weekend plans!
• What a Nightmare! - not if you are using a TMC

When using a TMC there is no need to panic we can help you. We have all the information in one place and can tell you exactly what flights and hotels are booked and for who and help sort all the flights, re-book alternative flights, book trains if flights are grounded, book hotels where required or anything that you need.

So the answer to the question 'why should I use a TMC when I can just book everything online?' is:
Why would you not use a TMC when you can still book everything online through systems like the one we can provide you and you have the backup of a 24 hour team of experienced professionals to help should you need it.

Get in touch and we can tell you how we can help you with your situation email us

Motivating your staff is key in any modern business, by rewarding your staff who meet and exceed your performance levels it will help them to strive for similar results in the future as well as motivating those that may be under performing.

But what is the best way to reward your staff who are performing well? Are cash rewards the way to do it? We believe that while paying a bonus may give staff an instant boost it will soon be forgotten once the credit card has been paid off!

We believe that incentive trips create much more impact, firstly there is the anticipation, followed by the enjoyment of the trip and lastly, memories that can last a lifetime.

We have a wealth of experience of creating incentive trips that will capture the imagination, get all of your staff talking and most importantly have your staff striving to raise their games in order to be included on the trip next year.

We can take care of everything, flights, hotels, restaurants and activities for the trip. We have a specialist team who would only be too happy to discuss your requirements and work within your budget in order to add value to your rewards program.

Want to find out more, contact me at mike.halliwell@ttce.com or call me on 07841 920752.

Alternatively contact the office at edinburgh@ttce.com or call 0131 467 7000

It can be a relaxing experience - travelling by train or plane gives some business travellers the opportunity to clear their heads of clutter and refocus on what’s important. For others, business travel feels like a bit of a nightmare, eating up their time and keeping them from getting things done. Whether you’re stressed or stress-free, there are various things anybody can do to make the time spent travelling on business more productive and more enjoyable.
 
Read
What better time to keep up to date with what's going on in your particular field? A lot of people don't feel they have the time to read up on what's going on in their business area, they're too busy getting on with their jobs. So use this in-between time to get clued-up on the latest developments and topical stories. You could turn to a trade magazine, scour the web for news stories or spend some time on a relevant industry blog.
 
Get creative
Without the usual distractions shift into problem-solving mode. Take the time to focus on the major problems you, your team or your company want to solve. Focus on one issue at a time and hone in on workable solutions. Hopefully, you'll then be ready to return to your team with some really useful, well-thought-out ideas.
 
Just to-do it!
Do you have an unruly inbox that’s collapsing under the weight of your ever-increasing mountain of emails? Maybe there’s a report that would only take half an hour to read but keeps getting overlooked? I'm still a big fan of the good old to-do list; make yourself one before you leave and then work through the quick wins on your travels. If you can’t sort the issue while you’re travelling, make a note of what you can do or who you need to involve to make things happen. Instead of allowing the time on board to pass you by, sort out those tasks you keep putting off – you’ll be pleased you did.
I often wonder how much business-related activities actually go on whilst people are travelling on business. Your company may allow you to travel 1st class for a journey over a specific amount of time – this is usually to give the added benefit of making best use of your time as well as comfort! So next time you are travelling on business, don’t give up on being productive, use our tips to leave you feeling accomplished.
 
Want to know more how you can get more from your business travel? Please contact us on 0131 467 7000 or mike.halliwell@ttce.com
 

By consolidating your travel spend with your preferred Travel Management Company, The Travel Company Edinburgh, we are able to work closely with your procurement/purchasing department to ensure that best value is provided for all your travel requirements.  By travel policy adherence, proactive account management and the extensive knowledge and expertise of our travel consultants we can drive down your company spend and make recommendations for best practice – improving the way you book travel.
 
Here are some of the key benefits that we provide: 
 

• Management Information is provided and discussed on a quarterly or monthly basis to ensure travel policy adherence and to also identify areas of savings by improving booking processes etc. 
   
  • For example; We are able negotiate deals with any high spend suppliers or for high volume transactions – e.g. frequently used airlines / flight destinations, preferred hotel properties/ room night volumes,regular rail journeys etc.
     
  • We can also identify saving opportunities - such as by booking further in advance of travel this can significantly reduce the costs of your travel spend – even on a lower value rail ticket.  We can identify such opportunities from the data we provide.

 

• We are able to track all flight bookings against ‘company’ airline membership schemes which ultimately provide the company with enhanced financial benefits.
   
• Our GDS reservation systems allows us to provide quotations for scheduled airlines and low cost carriers for your requested flight itinerary to find the most cost effective option – which is not always the low cost carrier!

 

• Our systems capture all mandatory purchasing requirements which ensures that bookings are only accepted when the agreed approval process criteria has been met.
   
• All bookings made are billed back to your company account.Hotel reservations is often an area where payment is an issue ; we pay for your hotel booking using company credit card facilities or via third party suppliers and then bill the company account – eliminating the need for the guest to pay on arrival or departure and submitting expense claims etc.

 

• We offer a 24/7 emergency service which covers all bookings made through TTCE whether online or offline.  We can make emergency changes or alternative travel arrangements quickly and easily outside of normal office hours for all your bookings through one dedicated number which is provided on all quotations and confirmations.

 

• Where bookings are made via TTCE we can also provide a traveller tracking facility which enables us to report back to your organisation any travellers that maybe located in area affected by a major incident.  This facility is also used for incidents such as strikes that may affect travel plans; we will contact the booker or traveller and advise of alternative options if required.

 

• There is a misconception that our service fee makes the booking of low cost carriers cheaper to book directly on the airlines website.  Ensuring our fees are competitive, the added of value of 24/7 emergency assistance, traveller tracking, no requirement for an expenses claim and management information we feel provides value for money as well as confidence and peace of mind should changes be required.
  

So, you’ve trailed the internet and found the best deal available and having spent an hour and a half looking you have saved the company £20! Or have you really saved £20?? We will ignore the hourly rate of somebody looking for 90 minutes just now and see whether the company has fulfilled their obligation to the employee who will undertake the trip.
 
If your employees have to travel for business of any kind, it’s up to you to ensure their safety as far as possible and communicate to them what to do in the event of an emergency. However duty of care is not just about emergencies and major world events – it could be someone losing their passport, missing a flight or falling ill while abroad. It’s also about those travel details that can improve your employees’ wellbeing, like making sure they don’t have to drive after a long-haul flight.
 
What is duty of care?
The perception and profile of duty of care has changed dramatically over recent years. Previously thought of as a concern for larger organisations, those with high risk travel or managing emergency travel situations – duty of care has now become a recognised essential for any travel programme.
Duty of Care refers to the moral and legal obligations of employers to their employees, contractors, volunteers and related family members in maintaining their well-being, security and safety when working, posted on international assignments or working in remote areas of their home country.
In those circumstances, individuals and organisations have legal obligations to act prudently to avoid the risk of reasonable foreseeable injury or exposures leading to ill health. This obligation may apply both to acts and omissions. In addition to that, the employers are due to build a broad culture within their organisation addressing the health, safety, security and well-being of their employees and other related collaborators to the business. To do so, they are expected to develop and deploy appropriate travel risk management approaches to protect people from possible harm.
 
The importance of duty of care
Making sure that your employees feel safe and taken care of gives you a number of benefits. Firstly, simplifying travel and removing any nuisances makes it easier for your employees to get work done.
Secondly, looking after employees is a good way of retaining the very best staff.
If you’re branching out into new markets, you might find yourself sending employees to destinations where travel isn’t straightforward. So it becomes even more important to put in place simple solutions for employees if they come into difficulty. There’s also a need to prepare your employees ahead of their trip, so that they can clearly understand necessary preparations and what to expect when they arrive.
 
How businesses manage duty of care
The management of duty of care varies by organisation. Some businesses have an established, extensive duty of care programme with cross-functional teams spanning the travel department, HR, security, risk management and senior managers. Often these organisations have safety engrained in their culture such as those operating in the energy and offshore industries.
In other organisations, often smaller, departments such as HR or senior managers are solely responsible for ensuring the safety of travellers. In some cases, there is no direct reference to duty of care in travel policies – and reasons behind maximum driving hours for example, are not explicitly explained as a safety initiative.
 
Regardless of the size of your organisation, communication is vital. Travellers should be fully briefed before, during and after travel with necessary information and contact numbers – this includes familiarity with your travel policy. During travel it is important that employees have access to necessary information, such as who to contact in an emergency or specific high risk areas to avoid in their final destination.
 
How can a Travel Company help?
 
Before travel
•   Pre-trip reports – providing globally consolidated information on travel itineraries, particularly any booked to high risk destinations or out of policy
•   Travel alerts – keeping travellers and travel teams up-to-date with any potential disruptions or global events
•   Traveller profiles – key to any duty of care programme is ensuring that traveller profiles are current, including emergency contact numbers or records of any health issues
 
During travel
•   Employee tracking system – tools that enable the travel or safety manager to understand where their travellers are at any one time, based on ticketed itineraries
•   In-house 24/7 services – not just for emergencies but to deliver support at any time of the day and night, be that changing itineraries or asking for advice when travel is delayed
•   Major emergency response management – should the worst scenario occur, having support from your travel management company in regards to emergency response teams and planning is a necessity so you can react quickly and efficiently
 
Want to know if you are fulfilling your duty? Please get in contact mike.halliwell@ttce.com or call 07841 920752 0131 467 7000 and we can help with putting a duty of care plan together or ensuring the one you have in place remains best practice, including the latest travel tools.