Table of Contents
November 2025
Travelscrimping: Does It Cost More Than It Saves?
by Sarah Szubanski, Managing Director
I heard a new term recently – well, new to me – and it caught my attention: travelscrimping.
And in the golden age of social media, everything seems to get a label – but this one actually has real implications for businesses and their travellers.
Recent global travel research, including Concur’s latest survey, shows that 60% of business travellers are feeling a noticeable shift, with comfort being reduced in the name of savings. Fewer opportunities to access business or premium cabins, long day trips designed to avoid an overnight, or multi-stop flights that look cheaper on paper but drain productivity.
What really stood out, though, is this: A whopping 85% of travellers are now paying out of their own pocket just to make their work trips more comfortable – choosing direct flights, upgrading seats or booking accommodation that supports a proper rest.
It’s a timely reminder that while budgets matter, so does wellbeing.
When organisations cut back on the basics that keep people healthy and effective on the road, the hidden costs add up quickly – fatigue, stress, disengagement and reduced performance.
If “travelscrimping” sounds familiar in your organisation, it may be worth asking: Are we cutting cost, or are we cutting capability?
Sometimes, a small shift in policy or planning can make all the difference – without stretching the budget.
2026 Events: What’s Actually Trending (And How to Stay Ahead)
by Emma McLellan, Events Manager
If there’s one thing we can say with confidence about 2026 events, it’s this: everyone is back in the game – and they’re booking fast.
We had a client enquiry last week for accommodation in a regional hotspot… for 2027.
Every single hotel?
Sold out.
Not “nearly gone”. Not “tight”.
Gone 😲
It’s a good reminder that the events landscape has shifted. Availability isn’t just a “nice to get onto early”. It’s the difference between your ideal vision and the only thing left with a functioning smoke alarm.
But availability isn’t the only thing moving. Here’s what’s actually shaping the vibe for 2026:
• Smaller, high-end experiences are having their main-character moment
Lux dinners. Chef-driven menus. Leadership nights that feel intentional, not obligatory.
People want to feel something – not just sit in theatre-style seating waiting for the coffee break.
• The “one big event + smart touchpoints” model is taking over
Think: a flagship conference plus smaller, more meaningful moments throughout the year.
It keeps momentum high and makes budgets work harder.
• Sustainability is no longer a section at the end of the proposal
Teams want actions they can actually talk about.
Local suppliers. Reduced waste. Clear reporting.
Less “greenwashing”, more “here’s what we actually did”.
• Venues with personality are beating traditional conference rooms
Rooftops. Galleries. Boutique spaces.
Places where people walk in and go: “Oh… this feels fun already.”
• Travel + events = still very much a thing
Leadership retreats. Team resets. Strategic offsites with a bit of sunshine.
Fiji, NZ and WA are still the go-tos – because they deliver every time.
• And yes… lead times are stretching like never before
Between touring calendars, global events and destination “moments”, cities are chaotic.
You don’t want to discover your date clashes with a major concert, sporting final or a festival you’ve never heard of.
Where Platinum Fits In
This part’s simple: If you’ve got even a hint of a 2026 idea, tell us early.
Not to necessarily lock things in (well we can do that too)… but so we can help you dodge the obvious landmines and keep the good options open.
We’re here to make the whole process feel smoother, smarter and a little more enjoyable (which is the whole point, really).
Keep Calm and Carry-On (Your Power Bank, That Is)
by Sarah Szubanski, Managing Director
The thought of travelling without my portable power bank sends chills down my spine. So when I saw headlines like “Emirates bans power bank use on flights as airlines grapple with lithium battery safety”, the panic set in.
How would we survive a long-haul flight without Spotify, Netflix, or a dying laptop battery mid-spreadsheet?
Turns out, it’s not about banning power banks altogether – it’s about using (and packing) them safely.
To clear the confusion, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has just launched a global safety campaign called Travel Smart with Lithium Batteries, giving travellers seven simple rules for carrying phones, laptops, cameras, vapes (if you must), and other lithium-powered devices on board.
And while 93% of us think we know the rules, IATA’s latest survey shows many of us are still getting the basics wrong:
- 50% believe it’s fine to pack small lithium-powered devices (like phones or cameras) in checked luggage. It’s not.
- 45% think spare batteries and power banks can go in checked bags. Definitely not.
- 33% don’t realise there are limits on battery size.
In short: those little bricks of energy need to stay with you – not under the plane.
🪫The Smart Traveller’s Power Bank Playbook
IATA’s campaign breaks it down to seven easy-to-remember tips. Think of it as your pre-flight power checklist:
- Pack light: Only bring the devices and batteries you really need.
- Stay alert: If something feels hot, smells smoky, or looks damaged, tell the crew immediately.
- Keep them close: Phones, laptops, cameras, vapes all belong in your hand luggage, never in checked bags. (And with both Qantas and Virgin now preferring power banks to be kept on your person rather than in overhead lockers, it’s worth keeping them somewhere easy to reach.)
- Protect your spares: Keep loose batteries or power banks in their original packaging, or cover the terminals with tape to prevent short-circuits.
- Before you gate-check: If your cabin bag’s heading below deck, take out any lithium-powered devices first.
- Know your watts: Batteries over 100 watt-hours (like those for drones or power tools) may need airline approval.
- Check the fine print: Every airline’s rules vary slightly, so it’s worth confirming before you pack.
The campaign will roll out across airlines, airports, and travel partners worldwide, complete with a short, animated explainer video that makes the message clear: lithium batteries are safe when handled properly.
So before your next trip, maybe give your carry-on a quick power audit.
With Qantas and Virgin Australia now updating their own power bank policies, it’s the perfect time to make sure you’re flying by the (battery) book.
Because while we love our gadgets, the only thing that should be lighting up mid-flight is your screen – not your suitcase.
Are You the 1%? Take Our Travel(ish) Brain Test To See
by Dayne Byrne, Head of Technology
Concur T2: The Upgrade That’s Actually an Upgrade
by Lauren O’Dowd, General Manager | Customer Experience
Travel tech upgrades don’t always get people cheering. They often come with new screens, new buttons and a bit of “where did that go?”
Concur Travel 2 (T2) – Concur’s online booking tool – is a welcome exception, introducing a more intuitive experience for travellers, EAs and finance teams.
The biggest shift? The whole experience simply feels more intuitive from the moment you log in.
A cleaner booking experience
T2 introduces a more modern interface with clearer layouts, simpler navigation and fewer dead ends. The user journey now feels closer to what people expect from everyday consumer apps, which means less confusion and fewer support questions.
Better airline content (because NDC is here to stay)
With airlines shifting to modern distribution, legacy Concur couldn’t always display the right fares or ancillaries consistently. T2 is built for the way airlines distribute content today, giving travellers access to more accurate options without the old workarounds.
Smarter policy visibility
Travellers can now see policy guidance more intuitively during the booking flow. This reduces out-of-policy selections, cuts down on back-and-forth approvals and keeps programs running smoothly.
Faster enhancements
Instead of huge updates every few years, T2 is being improved continuously. Clients can expect quality-of-life enhancements and usability updates to roll out more often – reducing friction and improving adoption long-term.
As organisations begin planning their transitions for 2025–26, T2 is shaping up to offer a noticeably smoother experience for travellers and booking teams alike.
If it’s on your radar, now is a good time to get familiar with what’s changing and what this new interface means for your travel program.
Pottsy’s Pun of the Month: The Best (or Worst) Dad Jokes You Never Asked For
What do you call a factory that makes okay products?
A satisfactory 🏭
We Got Some Big Link Energy 🏆
At the inaugural Link LIVE event in Brisbane, Platinum Travel Group picked up the award for Highest Revenue Growth – FY25 Air.
Awards aren’t why we show up every day… but we won’t pretend it’s not nice when the work speaks for itself.
More importantly, it reflects the partnerships, growth and behind-the-scenes momentum that ultimately benefit the people who matter most – your travellers.
What this means for your travel program:
• A stronger voice with key airline partners, supporting better alignment and collaboration
• Closer partnership insights, helping us anticipate changes and communicate them clearly
• Continued investment in service, technology and program support, backed by proven growth
• Greater stability in an evolving market, as we strengthen our positioning across the supply chain
As the industry continues to evolve, we’ll keep focusing on the areas that matter most to you: reliability, transparency, smarter tools and a consistent experience for your travellers.
Why We Put Our Entire Team Into Three ‘Airline Armies’ – And What It Proved
by David Phillips, Head of Operations
If you’d walked into Platinum HQ over the past few months, you might have wondered whether you’d stepped into a travel version of the Hunger Games.
Three teams.
Three airlines.
One very competitive Platinum talent pool.
We split the entire business into airline-aligned squads and went head-to-head across a series of challenges: sales pitches, mock boarding scenarios, on-the-spot problem solving, Kahoot battles, and… whatever that creative interpretation of an in-flight announcement was meant to be.
It was fun. Ridiculously so.
But fun wasn’t the only point.
This initiative was designed to bring one of our core values to life: mutual investment.
At Platinum, we talk about it constantly. Mutual investment in our clients. Mutual investment in our people. Mutual investment in our suppliers. But values don’t mean much if they sit on a wall or in a presentation deck. They only matter when they’re lived, tested, stretched and strengthened.
That’s what this initiative was.
By giving our team a deeper dive into how our airline partners think, operate and innovate, we reinforced something fundamental to our business: we don’t operate in isolation.
The strength of our industry – and the strength of every travel program we manage – comes from the relationships behind it.
When our people understand our partners more deeply, our clients feel it.
When our partners see how invested we are, collaboration becomes easier.
And when we all work in sync, the outcomes speak for themselves.
In the end, yes, one team took home the bragging rights (of course it was mine 💁♂️).
But the real win wasn’t the scoreboard – it was the reminder that we’re all better when we learn together, compete together, and push each other to be sharper, faster and more informed.
This industry is stronger together.
And so are we.
If Hotel Invoices Had a Lost-and-Found…
by Marcel Stawiczny, Finance Manager
We hear it a lot: hotel invoices go missing, take forever to arrive or need three follow-ups before they land where they’re meant to. For finance teams, it’s one of those “small” tasks that quietly eats up a surprising amount of time.
One option that might help is Conferma Snap+ — an add-on service designed to automate the job of collecting and reconciling hotel invoices.
Even if the name isn’t familiar, the technology already sits behind many virtual card payments used in corporate travel – it’s been working quietly in the background for years.
Conferma already offers a standard version called Snap, which is included with all accounts and handles things like auto-matching invoices and sending reminder emails when they’re missing.
Snap+ takes this a step further. When those initial reminder emails don’t do the trick, a real person steps in to follow up with the property directly. It’s an optional, paid upgrade for teams who want that extra layer of support.
Snap and Snap+ are compatible with enhanced data card programs – think Amex Business Travel Account (BTA) or APG Pay – but the right fit depends on how your program is set up. We can confirm eligibility and pricing with Conferma based on your configuration.
If you’d like to understand whether Snap+ could help your team, just reach out and we’ll connect you with the right information.
