Jet fuel prices remain near record highs

News.com.au reports that near record highs for jet fuel prices mean that locally Qantas and Virgin Blue are likely to increase passenger fuel surcharges in the near future. Reducing business travel and related costs has always been a tangible motivator for remote work options and virtual teams, but it can be a false economy if implemented as a knee jerk reaction to issues such as increased fuel prices. Research and experience all show that people find it difficult to work virtually without the right support in place (what I call the collaborative infrastructure) - so if further increases to travel costs will impact on how the people in your organisation work together, start planning now to avoid greater disruption later.