8 tips for making corporate travel arrangements
Travel planning can be stressful at the best of times, but when it comes to corporate travel, you really can’t afford to get it wrong.
Between research, budgeting, creating itineraries and communicating with all employees going on the trip, you've got your work cut out for you.
The good news is, there are some steps you can take to help make corporate travel arrangements that bit easier and we’re going to share eight of your top tips below.
1. Create a corporate travel procedure
One of the best ways to perfect your travel planning and ensure a smooth process is to get a standardised travel request and booking procedure in place.
There are serval aspects that will make up your procedure including:
Agreeing on a budget/allowable cost for booking
Providing details of any preferred vendors or group travel agencies
Setting up travel request forms
Getting a reimbursement process in place
Getting policies in place for any special exceptions or rules
By having a robust travel planning procedure in place, it becomes much quicker and easier to arrange corporate trips, in particular, group air travel and accommodation.
2. Draw up a checklist
Having a checklist for corporate travel planning ensures that every detail is carefully organised and completed.
This could be a part of the corporate travel procedure, so that no matter who is planning these trips, they can easily access the list or travel template.
Alternatively, if you are always responsible for planning these trips, you might want a checklist of your own to keep you on track and make sure you never miss a thing.
3. Build lasting relationships with corporate travel agencies
If you have to plan corporate trips regularly and usually for multiple employees, you might wish to work with a group travel agency to help you secure the best deals and make your own job much easier.
If so, it’s a good idea to build lasting relationships with your chosen corporate travel agent. That way, they will become accustomed to your policies and needs as a business, and they can offer you the most relevant travel advice and help to secure you the best deals.
The same applies to hotel chains and other accommodation providers. If your company books with them a lot and forges a lasting relationship, they might offer discounted rates for your repeat business.
4. Make sure you have all the relevant information before you start
Before you begin shopping around or working with your chosen group travel agency, you need to make sure you have all the relevant information and that it is always up to date.
From dates and locations to passport details and any other special requirements, having all this information on hand can make the booking process much easier.
This is especially true when working with a group travel agency as you can simply give them the key details and let them do the hard work for you.
Either way, it’s a good idea to have a database containing the key information, such as dates of travel, key events, payment details and employee information. They must be responsible for updating you on any changes to their information.
5. Book flights and accommodation as early as possible
Wherever possible, it’s a good idea to book your flights and accommodation as early as you can.
Sure, sometimes last-minute trips may be sprung upon you, but for those that you know about with plenty of time, booking early can help to save a lot of stress and can potentially help you to bag a better deal.
This is particularly true for group travel, as organising multiple employees can be tough. You’ve got to try and arrange group air travel, accommodation with enough space for everyone and the logistics of the trip as a whole.
So getting ahead of the game can make the whole corporate travel planning experience far less stressful.
And hey, if you’re working with a group travel agent, this gives them plenty of time to shop around and find you the perfect flights for the right price. So it’s a win-win for everyone involved.
6. Make sure all travel information is saved and accessible
It's important that all the details of travel arrangements are saved in a safe and clearly marked place that is accessible to all the relevant employees.
Again, this might be a part of your corporate travel procedure, ensuring that there is a secure file where travel information and personal data can always be kept.
It's also crucial that it is easy to find.
That way, if you have to share or review any of the information about the trip you will have it to hand. The last thing you want is flight information or details about accommodation getting lost in your inbox.
And if you are sent anything over from a vendor, provider or corporate travel agent, be sure to download the relevant documents and save these right away.
7. Create detailed itineraries
A key part of successful corporate travel is ensuring that everyone involved knows exactly where they need to be and when.
So once you have everything booked and you have the full details of the trip, it can be beneficial to put together an itinerary. This should be shared with every member of the group in order to prepare them for the trip.
This should inform them when they are travelling, where they are staying, any information about transfers and any events they will be attending. It might also contain information such as baggage allowances and protocols for expenses while they're away.
As well as this key information, it can be helpful to add key contact details at the bottom of the page, whether that's the number for the hotel, taxi company or group travel agent that has arranged the trip.
That way, should something go wrong or if a member of the group requires extra information, they have the details of who they need to contact.
8. Ask for feedback from employees
Last but not least, be sure to ask employees for feedback upon their return. By asking them how their trip went and if anything could be improved, you can update the processes and procedures to make corporate travel planning better for everyone.
This means it will be easier for you to plan in the future and that all attendees will have the smoothest and most enjoyable trip possible.
So, if you're ready to get a strong corporate travel procedure in place and start building relationships with relevant group travel agencies, you’re in the right place.
Get in touch with the friendly team at BTG Travel Management to see how we can help make group air travel easier for your team.