2017 U.S.-Booked Air Volume: $67 million
2017 Global T&E: $425.1 million
Consolidated Global TMC: BCD
BTN estimates that U.S.-booked air spend at investment bank
and financial services firm UBS declined about 14 percent in 2017 amid a drop
in overall T&E spend. Global T&E totaled 416 million Swiss francs
(US$425.1 million), down from 423 million Swiss francs in 2016.
UBS and BCD Travel in 2018 unveiled a service model in which
dedicated agent teams in Zurich, London and New York service UBS traveler
calls. The agents, well-versed in universal UBS travel policy, all use the same
technology and are available 17 hours per day, five days a week. Outside that
time window, nondedicated agents who nevertheless have been trained on UBS
travel policy are available.
UBS and PredictX have developed machine learning algorithms
to retrieve travel data from multiple sources to assess total trip cost before
a trip is taken. That data also is being used to generate real-time travel
spend trend reports automatically for key stakeholders. UBS also is developing
a predictive data set with reporting, including pretrip assessments of the
potential value of a trip.
In the 12 months ending June 30, 2017, UBS business travel
generated about 54,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, or
9,337 metric tons per full-time equivalent employee. Those figures are lower
than in the previous 12 months, when UBS business travel generated 67,000
metric tons, or 11,141 per full-time equivalent employee. The company
encourages employees to choose high-speed rail or remote conferencing
technology instead of air travel as a method of emissions reduction.
UBS had nearly 62,600 employees at the end of 2017, up from
59,400 one year prior. Operating revenue increased to nearly 29.1 billion Swiss
francs in 2017, up from about 28.3 billion Swiss francs in 2016.