Travel Mgrs. Form Air Forum

<B> Travel Mgrs. Form Air Forum</B>

By Jay Campbell

<I>Minneapolis</I> - Expanding their roles beyond the travel office, corporate travel managers here are voicing their opinions and concerns regarding air travel in their home town through a unique forum advising the airport authority.

Called the Passenger Committee, the forum is part of the Twin Cities Airports Task Force, an independent body providing input to the airport from area businesses, government, and the local aviation and educational communities. The Passenger Committee, made up of eight travel managers, chimes in to ensure decisions by the Minneapolis Airports Commission take into account the needs of traveling businesses.

Some of the lead issues include competition, facilities management, vendor performance standards, year 2000 issues and parking. The group pushed MAC to expand a little-used airport terminal that will be anchored by new entrant airline Sun Country, hosted a public forum on airline competition and pricing, and enlisted the University of Minnesota in an effort to estimate future passenger demand.

Even the little things count. For example, the MAC airport parking facility doesn't take American Express, which poses a problem for many area businesses that mandate the card. Similarly, the airport recently awarded a bid for telephones to Ameritech, although most managed travelers are using AT&T cards.

"We're here to let them know these things," said Lisa Trenda, director of corporate travel services for UnitedHealth Group, based here. Other companies involved in the committee include Alliant Technology Systems, Dayton Hudson, FSI International, General Mills, Honeywell, Medtronic and West Group.

These companies alternate hosting monthly meetings. The travel manager from General Mills, Erin Dunn, is chairman of the Passenger Committee. Both Dunn and Trenda are board members for the Task Force. "We've established this to offer a unified voice to the airport and the community," said Dunn. "It's our way to give feedback and also to learn. I now know a whole lot more about what's happening at the airport."

Some other cities have similar forums, but most do not. According to Tom Barrett, associate director of corporate travel services for Bristol-Myers Squibb in Skillman, N.J., "I remember the NJBTA once had a guy come in from the Port Authority, but there are no travel managers sitting on any kind of Port Authority board. It would be great--we'd really like to know what the airports are doing with our money.