Welcome to the March edition of bta first’s newsletter
100 years of Motel
The first motor hotel (=motel) opened in December 1925 in San Luis Obispo, California under the name “Motel Inn.” It was the successor to the already established campsites for travellers, where people would spend the night in their cars or in tents.
A room cost USD 1.25 – which, adjusted for inflation, would be about USD 22 today and is still considered very inexpensive.
Today, there are nearly 50,000 motels in the United States alone.
Teams united – locations consolidated
As part of the integration of Kuoni Business Travel into bta first travel, several teams have been brought together at shared locations over the past few weeks.
The former locations of bta first travel Lugano, Kuoni Business Travel Uzwil and Kuoni Business Travel Altstetten have been merged into the joint locations in Taverne (Ticino), Widnau (St. Gallen) and Glattbrugg (Zurich), where the Sales & Key Account and Technology teams have also warmly welcomed their new colleagues.
For our customers, everything remains as usual: your contacts remain unchanged, as do all phone numbers and email-addresses, and the same personal support continues to be guaranteed.
We look forward to moving into the future with combined strengths and an even stronger team.
STMF 2026 – Strong presence, strong partnerships, strong dialogue
On Thursday, 26 February, bta first travel joined forces with valued partner Edi - Expense Intelligence to present at the Swiss Travel Management Forum (STMF) in Oerlikon. The STMF is the key event of the business travel industry and once again attracted around 170 visitors this year. A particular highlight was the presentation by Roland Birchmeier on local TMCs vs. global all-in-one providers.
A big thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand – the discussions were rich, constructive and truly energising.
We are already looking forward to the next edition in 2027.
Updates on the situation in the Middle East
The current situation in the Middle East may have an impact on flight routes and travel planning.
Continuously updated information can be found at the link below.
SBB stops delayed trains until the next timetable slot
On the heavily used route between Olten and Bern, the disruption management concept has been adjusted. This means that significantly delayed trains will more frequently be held at a station to wait for the next timetable slot instead of attempting to make up the delay.
Further details can be found at the link below.