Blue Cube Travel Ltd

22/02/2022

‘Word of mouth’ is the strongest kind of recommendation. Not unique to business life though, we often turn to family and friends for ‘who can I trust and are they any good?’ Because we’re skeptical and want to avoid the usual sales and advertising claims.

So how good did we feel when an existing client offered up their vote of confidence in Blue Cube?

We felt great!

At Blue Cube it’s more than just a booking…

15/02/2022

What were you doing in 2003?

19 years ago, in the maternity ward of St. Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey, our very own Director of Operations, Tracey Wilson gave birth to her daughter Libby. Shortly after and once ready to return to work, Tracey joined Blue Cube.

Somewhat remarkably, and coincidentally as a 19-year-old, Libby recently joined Blue Cube as an apprentice trainee in our Finance team.

As we mark our 19th anniversary, we’re also proud to celebrate a strong sense of ‘family culture’ at Blue Cube but for Tracey and Libby it is quite literally a family thing!

14/02/2022

In 2003 we were part of an agency about to be swallowed up by a much larger TMC on a growth-by-acquisition trail. We knew many of our clients would be treated like small fish in a big pond. We didn’t want that to happen…we’d been looking after some of them for many years. They deserved better. We wanted to carry on giving them exceptional customer service…so Blue Cube was born to do just that.

19 years later we’re just as passionate and driven.

So, day in day out, we relentlessly focus on delivering outstanding travel services for clients who value and appreciate how that helps drive their business success.

At Blue Cube it’s more than just a booking…always has been. Always will be.

Mel Phaure & Kenny Stirling
Founders/Directors

11/02/2022

One of our clients, a global car dealer franchise, added the need for multiple breakout meeting rooms to a flight itinerary. Not an unusual request, but this was for a US city popular for conventions & events, and where even post-pandemic availability can be a challenge. Of course, we took it in our stride but it’s also the way we look after our clients that’s important.

At Blue Cube it’s more than just a booking…

10/02/2022

More positive news on a return to normalcy; Australia is to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated business travellers and other visitors from 21 February 2022, for the first time in nearly two years.

Under the new rules, visa holders who are not fully vaccinated will still require a valid travel exemption to enter Australia and will be subject to state quarantine requirements.

The Australian Govt announced the decision to reopen its borders had been taken because health conditions in the country were improving, with a recent 23 per cent decline in the number of COVID hospital admissions.

The country has been largely closed to international travellers since March 2020, but border restrictions were eased for skilled workers and certain temporary visa holders in November 2021. Since then and with just over half-a-million passenger arrivals into Australia, the country is now moving closer to being fully open for business travellers.

09/02/2022

19 years ago, just as one fabulous travel story ended, another was just beginning. In the same year that BA’s Concorde was retired, Blue Cube’s amazing journey started. More next week as we celebrate Blue Cube Travel’s 19th Anniversary!

02/02/2022

Right now, it’s the best call to make.

A new EU-wide travel regime began yesterday (01 February) and is based on a traveller’s health status (vaccinated and/or recovered from COVID) rather than the COVID situation in the country or region they’re travelling from.

Unfortunately, there are still some countries as EU member states deciding their own entry policies and restrictions. This despite research showing that travel restrictions are NOT effective in stopping the spread of COIVD-19. In fact, the damage is not to public health but to economic stability and people’s livelihoods!

Reading between the lines: organising international business trips can be way more complex that it used to be. Fast-moving changes to rules continue and with uncertainty that creates, the best approach is to get help from an experienced business travel agent.

There are also new rules for the EU Digital Covid Certificate which will now be valid for 270 days before a vaccine booster jab is needed. Equally, there are moves to extend the EU framework for travel within the bloc for travellers arriving from non-EU countries, such as the UK.

So, while this is getting established and when you next need to travel, just talk to a business travel agent. It may be the best call you make.



Source: https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Management/EU-countries-must-stop-going-their-own-way-on-travel-rules?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eltrbtneurope

27/01/2022

Throughout last year and despite the stop start nature of pandemic-restricted travel, a leading European logistics real estate investment and development firm still had to take care of business across Europe.

So, it makes it all worthwhile for the Blue Cube team when we get a heart-warming note reminding us how we’re helping our clients get through difficult times.

With Blue Cube it’s more than just a booking…

27/01/2022

27/01/2022

Another positive sign of a return to normalcy; the UK Govt removal of the two-day COVID test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers arriving in the UK (England) from 4am on 11 February 2022.

Along with the travel industry, Blue Cube welcomes this news as it signals to the wider world that the country is “now open for business”.

A leading airline CEO neatly reflected the industry mood by saying “We believe testing for travel should now firmly become a thing of the past. It is clear travel restrictions did not materially slow the spread of Omicron in the UK and so it is important that there are no more knee-jerk reactions to future variants.”

For more detail: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19

21/01/2022

Kudos to Sumit Gupta – celebrating 2-years at Blue Cube.

It’s been a wild rollercoaster ride for your first two years and an incredibly challenging time to join our team, but we’re so glad you’re onboard with Blue Cube!

And despite starting just ahead of the pandemic triggered travel shutdown, we’ve been impressed with your sheer determination to be there throughout for clients wrestling with uncertainty and a series of stop-start partial resumptions of business travel.

It’s a fantastic testament of your commitment; day in day out you’ve always been in the office (rules permitting), on hand to share your travel expertise with our client travel managers and help them navigate through such difficult times.

From everyone at Blue Cube – We salute you!

20/01/2022

Massive kudos to Alice Pinto – celebrating 3-years at Blue Cube.

We love having you as a part of our team and you’ve been fantastic at providing support and reassurance for clients during the recent unprecedented times triggered by the pandemic. Even when WFH at one point quite literally meant working from South Africa!

And irrespective of the travel shutdown, from the day you joined us you’ve consistently demonstrated commitment to superb customer service which is at the heart of the Blue Cube way!

From everyone at Blue Cube – We salute you!

19/01/2022

Huge respect and kudos to Nick Hart – celebrating 17-years at Blue Cube.

Very much like your colleague Tracey who we celebrated yesterday, it’s an amazing achievement and you too must have experienced incredible changes within corporate travel industry over the years.

What’s undoubtedly helped you navigate even what a pandemic has thrown at us, is your dedication and a huge dose of charm that helps keep our travellers happy! Equally, you’ve always led your team by example whenever clients needed extra support and reassurance.

From everyone at Blue Cube – We salute you!

18/01/2022

Huge respect and kudos for Tracey Wilson – celebrating 18-years at Blue Cube.

Whilst the last couple of years must have been difficult, it’s an amazing achievement and you must have seen so many changes within corporate travel industry over the years. Of course, what’s remained true to this day is your legendary commitment to customer service which even a pandemic can’t diminish.

From everyone at Blue Cube – We salute you!

17/01/2022

Yay! It’s Frankie’s first birthday! And our Blue Cube humans are spoiling him rotten with Posh Pooch and 100% dog friendly cakes.

So, we’ll be woof-ing them down as soon as the candle gets blown out.

Woof!

Lola & Frankie
Blue Cube Office Dog Duo

14/01/2022

We know you humans like to get your ‘nose stuck into a good book’. So, here’s me and Frankie checking out a recent bc advert in The Business Travel Magazine. Give me and Frankie a break…sniffing through a magazine is tricky, tackling an entire book…forget it!

One thing our finely tuned dog instincts does tell us though about you humans that’s true and like the advert says – “Businesses get judged by how they treat their employees”.

Here at Blue Cube, we get lots of dog treats…and we’re just the Office Dog Duo!

Woof!

Lola & Frankie

PS. If you want to check out the advert yourself, go to https://thebusinesstravelmag.com/latest-issue/ click on the Nov/Dec 2021 issue ‘Back to the Skies’ and tab across to page 5.

13/01/2022

The last two pandemic disrupted years have been tough, and many travel colleagues with longstanding experience have sadly been forced to leave our industry. So, it’s heart-warming to raise a glass to several Blue Cubers who with resilience and sheer determination (and hope for the future) are still invaluable members of our team of travel experts.
Congratulations to each of you:
Nick Hart – 17 years, Tracey Wilson – 18 years, Alice Pinto – 3 years and Sumit Gupta – 2 years
(Left-to-right in photo)

11/01/2022

Over the last few weeks of 2021, we shared insightful and hopefully invaluable video content from our panel session at The Business Travel Conference 2021.

We thank our panellists for joining us at that event, for giving up their time and sharing their extensive experience and expertise - James Lawrence, Director at Peregrine Risk Management | Carol Fergus, Director Global Travel Meetings & Ground Transportation at Fidelity International | Alex Twiggs, Business Development Director at World Travel Protection | Ade F Stone, Co-Founder and Financial Engineer at Emirates & Sung.

Thanks – we appreciate your support.

06/01/2022

With widespread UK weather already dropping to freezing cold temperatures, we’re getting our snazzy jackets out to stay warm and ask that you humans heed a dog-friendly plea for you to do the same! So, wherever in the world you’re travelling to, please keep warm, stay safe and be well.

A Warm Woof!
Lola & Frankie - Blue Cube Office Dog Duo

04/01/2022

In the spirit of New Year resolutions and new beginnings, what better way to usher in a fresh calendar year than by thinking about that first business trip?

With health-related uncertainties and ever-changing travel restrictions due to the current COVID 19 landscape, we recognise how hard it is to make plans and be sure of them.

So, here at Blue Cube we’re building a positive vibe by thinking about all the places we’d love to visit but haven't got round to for one reason or another. That way, as and when travel rules change, we’ll have a fresh list of destinations to plan ahead for.

What about you? share with the first destination you’re hoping to get back to or even visit for the first time…(it might not even be a business trip destination!) and why!

16/12/2021

Even though you humans need to work from home where you can, as an Office Dog I’m still doing my bit to keep the Blue Cube flag flying in our London office!

So, here’s me on my daily commute into the office even though all Blue Cube-ers who can are now working remotely until the New Year – let’s see what your human Govt decides on health-related restrictions then.

On behalf of Office Dogs everywhere, please stay safe and take care – we rely on you for doggie food, treats, and walks as much as you rely on us to keep your spirits up!

Woof!
Frankie

15/12/2021

Hear Carol Fergus, Director, Global Travel, Meetings & Ground Transportation, at Fidelity (one of our guest panellists at ) explain more: https://lnkd.in/dSseqJ9D about how her organisation supports employees that travel on business with a team of champions and an in-house company blog as a dedicated space for knowledge forums and shared experiences on employee mental health.

This Travel Risk Management series is designed to encourage travel buyers to understand and embrace a necessary change in how to integrate better travel risk management within their travel programme – to make travel safer, improve traveller productivity, and ultimately make business travel more sustainable.

Hear Carol Fergus, Global Travel Director, Meetings & Ground Transportation at Fidelity (one of our guest panellists at ) explain how her organisation...

14/12/2021

A multinational energy and commodities trader that has matrix meetings once a year to bring together employees working within functions across the globe, relies on Blue Cube.
A recent matrix meeting was held at Arts Barcelona for which one of our business travel experts, Jayne Burchett-Vass, sourced the hotel, organised the meeting, sorted UK flights, passenger locator forms, and the required tests. As well as checking-in attendees at the start of the weekend, Jayne was available and ‘on call’ during the entire weekend.

With Blue Cube it’s more than just a booking…

09/12/2021

A fast-growing Glasgow-based technology company with innovative products that keep mission-critical energy systems operational has recently discovered the value and customer service benefits a travel management company can deliver. The time-saving and reassurance of working with Blue Cube to better manage their travel has certainly made one employee’s job a whole lot easier!

08/12/2021

Listen to James Lawrence, Director, Peregrine Risk Management, describe how important it is to ensure travellers are aware of cultural differences and racially motivated behaviours specific to a country they’re visiting, often for the first time.

Check out our 8-minute video from the Blue Cube hosted panel at : https://youtu.be/vVx4cjlUbPg

The travel risk management conversation continues with another uncomfortable topic that we should all be addressing. Bex Deadman, MD, Blue Cube Travel, explored racially motivated behaviour and in particular racial profiling which is the way law enforcement and border authorities rely on profiling people based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin, rather than objective evidence or individual behaviour. We all know it happens but it’s hard to identify and creates unnecessary angst for the traveller.

On our panel with James, were Carol Fergus, Director, Global Travel, Meetings & Ground Transport, Fidelity, Alex Twiggs, Director, World Travel Protection, and Ade Fabunmi-Stone, Co-Founder, Emirates & Snug.

At Blue Cube, we’re continuing to encourage travel buyers to understand and embrace a necessary change in how to integrate better travel risk management within their travel programme – to make travel safer, improve traveller productivity, and ultimately make business travel more sustainable.

07/12/2021

COVID - What are the new rules for travelling to the UK?

Today (07 December 2021) everyone travelling to the UK needs to take a COVID test before their journey - as well as a test after they arrive.

The government has introduced the measure as a response to worries about the Omicron variant. It has also placed Nigeria on the UK's travel red list. Before departure: All travellers to the UK aged 12 and over have to show proof of a negative test, even if they are fully vaccinated.

This can be a PCR or a lateral flow test, and must be taken no more than 48 hours before departure for the UK.

Private test providers must be used - so free NHS lateral flow kits are not allowed.

The test can be taken either in the country where you start your journey, or in another country enroute to the UK, if you're travelling that way.

After arriving in the UK, you have two days to take a PCR test.

The PCR test must be booked before you travel, and bought privately from a government-approved list of providers.

While you are waiting for a result, you must self-isolate - whether or not you have been vaccinated. You can stop self-isolating if your test is negative.
We directly email our clients with these kinds of updates, advise travellers, and help them return home if changes in restrictions or revised entry rules occur while they happen to be on a business trip in an affected country. For Blue Cube, it’s more than just a booking…

03/12/2021

Hi – I’m Lola - the other half of the Blue Cube Dog Duo!

You all saw Frankie last week, so this week it’s my turn to say ‘hello’

Here we’re playfully goofing around and while it may look like silliness to you humans, I’m actually teaching Frankie (who’s the young pup here) some valuable dog social-skills and acceptable bonding behaviour. Clearly, I’m taking my responsibilities as the senior in the office dog duo very seriously!

BTW, us dogs know all about the ‘Owners look like their dogs’ thing you humans like to say, but do not think you should copy what we’re doing here. Bonding with your office colleagues is admirable and to be encouraged…but NOT LIKE THIS!

Woof!
Lola

01/12/2021

More thoughts on being aware and supportive on different aspects of travellers’ wellbeing. And with an increasingly diverse workforce where employee capabilities, experience, and skills are not held back by physical disability, this must be recognised and unobtrusively supported when employees with a disability are travelling on business.

Alex Twiggs, Business Development Director, World Travel Protection talked recently at The Business Travel Conference ( ) and as one of our guest panellists who helped explore the lack of general awareness and the need to address every aspect of risk associated with business travel. It really isn’t just about visiting war-torn or politically unstable regions of the world, it’s about empowering the traveller to make informed decisions about their business trips.

At Blue Cube, we’re pushing an agenda for a better understanding and a significant change in how to integrate better travel risk management within business travel programmes – so travel buyers can make travel safer, improve traveller productivity, and ultimately make business travel more sustainable.

30/11/2021

Three days ago, breaking news on a new COVID variant labelled Omicron was followed by swift action from the UK Govt announcing travel restrictions and heightened testing requirements for travellers arriving in the UK from a number of southern African countries, including South Africa. The Blue Cube client service teams, who constantly monitor and update clients on these kinds of developments, acted proactively to get affected clients home quickly and safely.

26/11/2021

“Hello World” I’m Frankie

One positive that’s emerged from the pandemic lockdown is that many pet-owners have spent a lot more time with their four-legged friends. And the psychological benefits of caring for pets, companionship, and unconditional love that dogs in particular offer, is well documented. So, as people returned to the office many have brought their dogs with them!

Frankie is one half of the Blue Cube dog duo – and from time to time, they’ll be sharing their Office Dog Tails with you…
PS. From Frankie - If you’ve got an office dog, why not share a photo…