Tag: BusinessTravel

South Africa's new South African Revenue Service (SARS) Traveller Declaration is part of a global shift that's redrawing the business travel checklist. Border and customs compliance has always been something travellers dealt with at the airport. However, that is no longer the case.

As airlines strip lounge access, flexibility and baggage from business class fares, that lie-flat seat may not deliver all the perks you expect. You're at the airport with a business class ticket in hand. You head toward the lounge, only to be turned away at the door. Alternatively, your meeting moves and you try to change your flight. You then discover that the original ticket is non-refundable.

The UAE has lifted its airspace restrictions. In addition, the US-Iran ceasefire appears to be holding as of 18 May 2026. Emirates has also restored 96% of its global network. Meanwhile, other Gulf carriers, including Etihad, Qatar and Saudia, continue rebuilding operations. Capacity constraints are also gradually easing. By most operational measures, conditions are improving. However, traveller confidence tells a different story.

In April 2024, when 18 months of rain fell on Dubai in a single day, more than 1,200 flights had to be cancelled, stranding over 250,000 travellers in terminals. Late last year, Cyclone Ditwah wreaked havoc in Sri Lanka during peak tourist season, forcing mass evacuations of foreign visitors. Right now, conflict in the Middle East continues to ground flights and drive disruption, further intensifying ongoing business travel disruptions.

Everyone knows how important it is to retain good staff, and how disappointing it is when a top performer leaves. This impact is felt more keenly in smaller businesses. For a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), losing a key employee is not just an HR inconvenience. It can shake team morale, disrupt operations and affect customer relationships.

At first, out‑of‑town work trips might have felt like a promotion. You represented the company, were sent to “make things happen”, flew Premium Economy, stayed in a fashionable hotel, networked and hopefully, secured new business. But after some time, red-eyes, quick turnarounds and other travel pressures started wearing thin. So, you begin checking out mentally. You wonder why this could not have been a Teams call. You also wonder why every “quick” trip requires intense preparation, domestic juggling and days of unscheduled recovery time.

If you do one thing differently in your organisation this year, let it be saying goodbye to ad-hoc business travel for good. This is the type of travel that sees your team make three separate trips to Johannesburg, Cape Town, or Nairobi within six weeks. Or book flights with less than five days' notice. Or add unnecessary expense, complexity and stress to already-packed schedules.

Portable chargers and power banks have become a carry-on essential to keep devices charged up for work or entertainment while travelling. But, with airlines changing on-board battery policies, travellers are being urged to be aware of new requirements and to rely on other measures to keep connected while in the air.