Category: Travel Tips

The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the gaps many organizations had in their corporate travel policy. Those gaps include risk and safety protocols, comprehensive unused ticket management, and corporate travel policies, to name a few. Now, corporate travel managers want to fill those gaps as travel resumes. 

But how? Can updating a corporate travel policy really influence the success of a travel program? And how do you balance the needs of the company and the satisfaction of travelers? We’re examining those questions and more in the following article about corporate travel policy.

What is a Corporate Travel Policy?

If you’re new to business travel, it’s important to understand the basics. So what is a corporate travel policy? A corporate travel policy is the set of guidelines outlined by an organization to manage their business travel program. Then, travel managers and traveling employees use those guidelines to plan, purchase, and participate in business trips. 

The two main objectives of a travel policy are to protect the travelers and to protect the company. Additionally, compliance is higher if it’s:

• easy to understand
• meets the needs of your travelers
• communicated effectively
• and integrated with booking tools.

That can feel like a tall order, but it need not be. 

How to Write a Corporate Travel Policy

One of the most important steps when writing a travel policy is collaborating with the travelers. Unfortunately, this step is often forgotten or ignored.

Firstly, get feedback about their booking and travel experience. Secondly, learn what works for them, what doesn’t, and why. Thirdly, ask about their preferences. Lastly, include them in the decision-making process. Doing so fosters goodwill and better buy-in on the policies you outline. 

Remember, travel policies are not about control. They’re also not only about cost savings. For example, let’s say a company creates their policy focused solely on the expense. With this narrow perspective, they decide that travelers must always choose the cheapest ticket possible, regardless of airline or schedule. Unfortunately, while this may reduce overall travel costs, it ignores the stress put upon the traveler. What if the cheapest flight is a 5:00 a.m. departure with a five-hour layover? Yes, it may save money, but it’s hard to maintain morale and loyalty if employees are wrung out. You want your people to feel valued. 

Furthermore, unhappy business travelers are often less effective in their work. Ultimately, this results in a lower ROI. You may even begin to experience rapid employee turnover. Ask yourself, is saving on travel costs worth the possibility of losing accounts or consistently going through the hiring process?

Moreover, effective travel policies strike a fair balance between the well-being of travelers and protecting the company’s resources. For example, some companies allow travelers to book a higher class of service (like business or first class) if the flight is longer than a set number of hours. Similarly, other companies will allow a more expensive hotel if it’s in a more convenient location. 

Things to Consider When Writing a Corporate Travel Policy

In this section, here are a few items to consider as your write or update your corporate travel policy: 

Flights – Should travelers book direct flights? Can travelers get lounge access at the airport? Can business or first class seats be purchased for longer flights? Do you have preferred airlines? 

Hotels – Will employees always stay at the same hotel chain? What happens if a hotel is priced higher but is in a more convenient location? Will extras at the hotel be allowed? 

Car Rentals – Do you want to outline what type of cars can be rented? Will limo services be allowed? What about using taxis or companies like Uber and Lyft?

Approvals – Does someone need to approve the itinerary before tickets are issued? How will this be done?

Reimbursements – How will employees be reimbursed for travel expenses? Or will they use a company credit card? Are there consequences for not submitting receipts? How much should travelers tip on meals? What’s the meal allowance? 

Traveler Well-being – Can travelers combine personal travel with business travel? Can employees accumulate their own travel reward points? Do employees have the freedom to decide to travel or not? Can they limit their number of nights away?

Safety and Security – Who should travelers contact if there’s an emergency en route? Should they purchase travel insurance? What is the extraction plan in a disaster? 

Sustainability – Is sustainability an important initiative for your company? Should travelers only book with certain carriers on specific types of planes? Should they only buy non-stop flights? 

10 Post-pandemic Travel Policy Trends 

Corporate travel policies are as unique as the organizations they belong to. There isn’t a one size fits all template. But many organizations are taking advantage of the pause the pandemic created. They see it as an opportunity to evaluate what their travel program should look like. 

As travel managers update their policies, a few common themes are emerging. For example, here are ten trends we’re seeing with both current and prospective clients:

1. Mandating Corporate Travel Policies

Many organizations are now requiring travelers to book within their managed travel program. This is particularly true at universities where travel programs were often not mandated prior to the pandemic. However, after experiencing the challenge of getting travelers home when the world shut down, many now see the wisdom. Quickly locating and helping travelers come home was more difficult for those with non-mandated programs. 

Kathleen Roberts, Christopherson Business Travel’s Chief Revenue Officer, shared this about one new client, “We recently partnered with a new client that is mandating the use of their travel program for the first time. What they experienced with the pandemic, coupled with new growth, is allowing their CFO to say, ‘Here are some things we need to do to manage our spend.’ Mandating their program is one of those things.” 

2. Ensuring Use of Unused Tickets

Travel managers are requiring unused ticket funds be used before new tickets are purchased.

3. Allowing Higher Classes of Service

A number of clients are adding allowance for higher classes of service for longer trips. There is a trending toward business class tickets and non-stop flights. Longer trips accomplish more. That combined with non-stop flights is good for the bottom line, sustainability, and traveler well-being. 

4. Partnering with TMCs

Companies with previously-unmanaged travel programs are looking to partner with travel management companies. They now see the need for expertise in setting up an integrated program. They also want a policy that supports their goals.

5. Adding VIP Service

Many clients are adding VIP service options to their program and policy.

6. Re-training Employees on the Travel Policy

Workforces changed dramatically over the last two years. Consequently, travel managers see the need for revising and reimplementing their policies. They are also retraining their new employees on those policies. 

7. Adding Approval or Authorization Layers

Many organizations added extra travel approval layers when the pandemic began. For example, some companies wanted supervisor approval for domestic travel and Vice President approval for international travel. Those interim policies are still in place even as travel returns. Additionally, some organizations want to add a pre-trip authorization step before a trip is booked.

That said, don’t over-complicate the approval process. You don’t want to add friction. Furthermore, you don’t want so many layers of management that it’s difficult to get the job done.

8. Updating Per Diem Guidelines

Organizations are updating per diem guidelines to align with recent changes. This resource helps travel managers assess and make those changes. 

9. Creating Multiple Policies

Some organizations are creating multiple policies for multiple groups. 

10. Using More Broad Language

Airlines are quickly approaching equilibrium in their operations. They are adding planes back into their fleets. As a result, they are changing the class of service configuration for some international travel.

Consequently, this new class of service means travelers could potentially book the better class at a better rate. But this is only true for organizations with broad policy language. Conversely, this would not be possible if an organization’s policy were to strictly state that travelers can only book “one level up” from the main economy class.

Tips for Increasing Travel Policy Compliance

By and large, most business travelers are sensible employees who make reasonable choices that aren’t detrimental to the company. But getting them to work within the parameters of a corporate travel policy can sometimes be a challenge. 

However, this is often because the policy hasn’t been communicated effectively or consistently. Ask yourself, “Is our corporate travel policy:”

• Available
• Accessible
• Integrated
• Communicated

We encourage you to train and educate your travelers on your policies. 

Additionally, it’s important to note that the rate of compliance differs for each generational group. How baby boomers and millennials prefer to book travel is often different. Not surprisingly, millennials are often more compliant when the task can be done quickly through integrated and intuitive technology. Consider your workforce and the age of your travelers. Having a booking process that aligns with the behaviors of your business travelers is essential for increasing compliance. 

Ultimately, there must be a balance between allowing travelers to have autonomy and establishing limits for the program goals. This infographic outlines exactly how you can increase compliance to your corporate travel policy.

How Christopherson Integrates Your Corporate Travel Policy

In conclusion, our team works with clients to regularly evaluate any policies in place. They seek to understand goals and culture to make sure those polices align. Furthermore, they are business travel experts who follow industry trends. Consequently, they can offer suggestions, changes, and additions to achieve greater success. 

Additionally, we fully integrate your policy with our technology. This means that when travelers book online or with our experienced advisors, you can be confident the booking is compliant.

Contact one of our executives to learn more about our approach, technology, or cost-savings tactics.

Twenty-twenty was an unprecedented year in the travel industry in many ways, one of the most surprising being what the Hotel Reservation Service (HRS) calls “the dawn of a buyer’s market” in the hotel industry.

Like all dawns, this one was preceded by darkness. The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the hotel industry have been numerous, including:

• overhauls to cleaning protocols;
• implementation of social distancing and touchless options;
• reducing and revamping food and beverage offerings and service;
• revamping and limiting housekeeping services;
• closing and reopening fitness centers, spas, and pools;
• and, most importantly, numerous hotel closures, staff layoffs and furloughs, and impending bankruptcies.

In his annual trend analysis report, Bjorn Hanson, adjunct professor at NYU’s School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, says most hotel vendors are suddenly facing “the lowest occupancies in history (generally forecast to be 50 percent for the US for 2021) and the largest decrease in average daily rates in history (20 to 35 percent).”¹

With health and safety protocols driving booming Zoom sales and other virtual meeting options like GoToMeeting, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, the pandemic has impacted travel buyers and managers, too, as they struggle to forecast when, where, and how much their employees will travel in 2021.

“It’s a buyer’s market. This is a certainty that may be clouded by the reduced level of corporate demand today, but it is nevertheless true. With rates down, occupancy down, and too much supply, travel buyers have the power to ask for better terms with hotels, which are desperate for volumes,” says TRIPBAM. “Yet, with the majority of corporates still halting or significantly holding back on business travel, delivering volume or providing accurate projections of expected volume for when travel resumes becomes difficult.”

In spite of these uncertainties, there are some concrete steps travel managers can take to secure better hotel rates in 2021.

1. Evaluate Changing Business Travel Patterns

If your employees frequently travel between your branch offices or to and from specific project sites, your 2021 hotel offerings may look similar to your 2020 or 2019 program’s.

However, Account Manager Carol Del Giudice suggests that most business travel patterns will be significantly different post-pandemic. “Companies that shut down physical offices now have virtual ones, so travel patterns are changing. They are meeting clients in neutral places because of those office closures.” And “neutral places” often means areas with hotels outside of negotiated contracts, so many travel managers should shift lodging options accordingly.

The question is whether you should respond to the shift by increasing or decreasing the number of hotels in your program, or both.

2. Assess Your Corporate Hotel Needs

Consider revising the number of properties/vendors in your hotel program if:

• You are no longer traveling to a particular area as a result of office closures (yours or your client’s), a change from in-person to virtual meetings, a change in project location, border closures, etc.
• You need to concentrate room nights at fewer properties to negotiate better rates
• Your vendor has permanently closed a preferred property
• You are willing to adjust your hotel program, including changing the number of properties and renegotiating rates, as the pandemic evolves and your travel needs change
• Your vendor contacts have changed and you are no longer satisfied with the service
• Your vendor is refusing to negotiate lower rates for 2021
• Your employee duty-of-care policy requires properties with cleanliness/safety certification or accreditation
• Your travelers have provided negative feedback regarding a vendor’s health and safety measures
• You have new projects or offices requiring more convenient lodging locations
• You can negotiate lower rates or different types of rates to decrease your hotel spend

3. Understand Your Rate Choices

Static rates—a flat rate implemented for an agreed-upon term but with seasonal fluctuations and date exceptions—are the most common type of negotiated rate. In addition to being available only 60–85 percent of the time, static rates may be a vestige of another era in travel. But they could still have a place in your travel program. As part of a dual-rate strategy, static rates can serve as a rate cap that controls travel spend when the market fluctuates.

For example, the Company Dime reported that TRIPBAM’s static rates were an average 3 percent higher than market rates in September 2020. That’s why TRIPBAM CEO Steve Reynolds suggests treating your negotiated static rate as a rate cap.

“In January, travel buyers were getting a 25–30 percent discount off market rates; now they’re getting 2 percent, or maybe even [sic] negative discount, because market rates have dropped 35 percent on average,” said Reynolds.

Dynamic rates—normally a percentage off the best available rate (BAR) that is negotiated with individual properties—are applicable 100 percent of the time. There are no room-type restrictions, blackout dates, or seasonal fluctuations. And when the market is difficult to predict, a dynamic rate lets travel managers take advantage of bargain basement room prices.

“We recommend a shift to dynamic rates,” said Client Consulting Services Manager Dallas Stewart. The discount won’t always be as high, but you’re still getting a better rate than BAR on blackout dates. It’s pretty standard for dynamic rates to be 10–15% off BAR.”

Chainwide rates—a flat percentage off BAR that is applicable to all hotels within a specific chain—generally don’t include amenities or provide last room availability. According to Stewart, chainwide discounts are most applicable to high-volume programs with an annual spend of $250,000 or more within the same chain family. They are also advantageous when your travelers stay at one hotel brand in various locations and may be more relevant in a pandemic market that emphasizes consistent health and safety measures above cost.

Amanda Hyun, Director of Sales and Marketing for Cambria Hotel Napa Valley, says that travel buyers’ number one concern is currently health and safety and notes that in this market it is “crucial now more than ever to outline the different cleanliness standards.”

4. Consider Using a Blend of Rate Types

As mentioned earlier, a dual-rate strategy may provide the best cost-control option in 2021. Implementation and Account Support Manager Adelina Litter suggests that travel buyers negotiate static and dynamic rates for 2021 to take advantage of the lowest rates throughout the year.

In September 2020, BCD Travel surveyed travel buyers to ascertain trends in rate sourcing. As shown in the graphic below, a significant majority—82%—said they would use a mixture of static and dynamic hotel rates in their 2021 travel programs.

“Creating just the right mix of rate types and amenities included in the negotiated rate process has always been a balancing act, even for the most seasoned sourcing professionals,” said Business Travel News in a recent white paper. “But in the next year or two, as the impact of the pandemic unfolds, the pressure to mix savings with safety, and flexibility with perks, will require even more finesse. Luckily, the vast majority of organizations are already starting from a good place in their programs—they just need to keep evolving in changeable times.”

According to Del Giudice, hotels are keeping lines of communication open to help travel managers understand these changes.

“Most hotels are reaching out to clients with an existing program. They are lowering rates and trying to get travelers back into their hotels. The onus is on the hotelier to make stays more appealing to the traveler, so they are offering more points, more amenities, and lower rates,” she said.

Hyun agrees that price is always near the top of travel buyer’s want lists. “One way we are combatting this for those who are on a static rate program is to offer the lowest rate guarantee at time of booking. Many of the national accounts are on this program now as it will default to the lowest rate available when searching on booking platforms and the GDS.”

5. Reconsider the Hotel RFP

With decreases in staff and fewer operating hotels, many relationships essential to the RFP process have dissolved. So travel managers must reach out to unfamiliar contacts and, in some cases, contacts in different positions within the company, to complete the RFP process.

“Travel managers are finding that some of their contacts are on furlough or have been let go. This makes it even harder to know who to reach out to and find a contact that’s familiar with them and their program,” said Client Consulting Services Manager Adelina Littler.

Hyun estimated that only 33% of RFPs were released during the traditional season and that “many are waiting until Q1 to submit or do a roll over with rates.” Hyun sees more companies—about 60%—switching to a dynamic pricing model “with anywhere from 10–25% off BAR on net, non-commissionable rates.”

6. Use Your Data

Whatever rate strategies you implement, keeping a close eye on travel patterns and travel spend enables you to adjust your program as the pandemic situation evolves and better prepare for 2022 rate negotiations. Littler and Stewart advise travel managers to audit hotel rates using benchmark options in the Prime Analytics reporting tool available in AirPortal.

“Track your discounts through your Domo and Prime Analytics reporting tools. Look at year-over-year spend and savings by benchmark, as well as by preferred properties. Track the savings at least every six months in preparation to negotiate rates for 2022,” said Littler.

According to a BTNGROUP white paper, most travel buyers agree with Littler’s recommendation: more than 50% of them review their hotel rates two to four times annually.

7. Consult Your Account Manager

If you’re unsure how to pursue rates for your travel 2021 program, take advantage of the consultative services offered by your account manager.

“We can offer the best approaches and give clients guidance whether they want to negotiate new rates or even pursue a hotel RFP,” said Stewart. “While we suggest that clients skip the RFP this year, since many hotels don’t currently have the sales reps to manage the RFP process, we can give them access to an RFP tool if they prefer.”

Suggested Strategies and Best Practices

With so much fluctuation in the travel industry, it’s important to remain focused on your lodging goals, whether that’s sourcing safer hotels, improving traveler satisfaction, or getting lower rates—or a combination of those elements. Keep these strategies and best practices in mind as you tailor your hotel program for 2021:

• Use dynamic rates or a mixture of rates.
• Review hotel health and safety measures before you roll-over or negotiate new rates.
• Remove from your program hotels that don’t have pandemic-related health and safety accreditations or prominently displayed health and safety measures on their websites.
• Concentrate your room nights at fewer properties to obtain greater savings.
• Review and audit rates often—at least twice annually.
• Use a hotel RFP tool only if absolutely necessary.
• Keep abreast of ongoing marketplace changes.
• Use benchmarking to audit hotel rates.
• Evaluate the need to improve hotel attachment rates.
• Educate travelers regarding the increased safety and savings that come with booking compliance using preferred vendors.
• Mandate use of preferred vendors and consider implementing a liability waiver if travelers book off-channel.
• Be prepared for hotel satisfaction metrics to change as hotels respond to returning business travel—your program may determine whether you negotiate contracts for shorter or longer durations.
• Be prepared to add hotels to and remove hotels from your program as needed.
• Verify that required amenities are included in your negotiated rates so your travelers don’t incur additional charges.
• Consider obtaining lower rates for extended stays that result in less frequent travel for your employees (e.g., office to project base trips).

—

Endnotes

¹ Hanson, Bjorn, PhD. US Corporate and Contract Hotel Rate Negotiations for 2021 Forecast – Negotiating at a Time of Unprecedented Uncertainty. Trend Analysis Report. September 22, 2020.

Disclaimer: As business travel needs vary from corporation to corporation, changes in vendors are company-specific managerial decisions, not a result of Christopherson Business Travel publications.

 

How to Reduce Corporate Travel Spend

Last-minute bookings, flight changes, additional amenities, hotel and airfare market rate fluctuations, and passenger changes can bloat your travel spend allowance, leaving you with expenses upper management may find hard to digest.

While business travel is notoriously hard to budget, travel management companies (TMCs) combine expert personnel with software and reporting tools to keep costs in check and align your travel program with your travel budget, no Alka-Seltzer® required.

In fact, the Global Business Travel Association estimates that TMCs save companies who spend at least $250,000 in annual travel from 5% to 50% of their travel spend, which is a significant savings.

Christopherson Business Travel can help you realize savings and reduce corporate travel spend using these seven methods.

1. Manage Unused Tickets

Before 2020, it was commonly estimated that 10% of business travel airline tickets went unused. However, the pandemic’s travel restrictions flooded many businesses with unused tickets, some with a total value of more than $1 million. That’s definitely an expense worth tracking and managing.

According to Christopherson Account Manager Patti Bragg, “The number one travel issue right now is unused tickets, especially when a company has guest travelers or non-profiled travelers. You need an unused ticket tracking and reporting system to see those tickets, be able to reuse them, and get those funds back. This one travel management feature really provides a lot of savings.”

To recoup unused ticket expenses, Christopherson provides a tool that tracks the entire life cycle of a ticket—from purchase to use—and automates unused ticket management, whether your travelers book online or through an advisor.

2. Capitalize on TMC Rates

You can reduce the rates you’re paying for airfare, lodging, and transportation by taking advantage of a TMC’s affiliate memberships and corporate buying power.

Hotels

Our memberships in the BCD Travel Global Hotel Program, Virtuoso, and the THOR Hotel Program provide clients with discounts, enhanced amenities, and benefits at more than 86,100 properties spanning 189 countries and 6 continents.

Depending on the property, our memberships can provide benefits such as free upgrades, breakfast, and Wi-Fi, as well as reductions on best rate pricing. So while you’re saving money, your travelers will enjoy additional perks.

“Our hotel programs really benefit clients who do lots of conference travel or group travel, clients for whom lodging is the major travel expense, and clients who don’t regularly log enough room nights to get company-specific rates. These clients can access our consortia rates. It’s a great value we bring to each account,” said Bragg.

Airlines

As an industry leader, Christopherson receives priority privileges and benefits from major carriers, which we pass on to you to improve your service and save you money.

You’ll also get preferred seating on multiple fare classes and exclusive access to international airfare, and your travelers will access Southwest Airlines’ full content, including Wanna Get Away fares, as well as TMC-only change and cancellation perks on major airlines, such as Delta, United, and American, that result in cost savings.

Rental Cars

If you don’t have company-specific negotiated rates, you can capitalize on Christopherson’s corporate buying power and standing negotiated rates with all major rental car companies, including National, Enterprise, Avis, Hertz, Budget, and others.

Your account managers may also help you obtain better rates by introducing you to additional vendors who can give you deeper discounts.

For example, a client who preferred renting cars from a particular company asked Christopherson Account Manager Susan Moon how they could reduce their rental car costs. Moon was able to look at the client’s travel spend and identify savings opportunities. By engaging two other vendors in the discussion, she introduced the client to other companies that could provide lower rates.

3. Obtain Automated Savings

Rate Monitoring Tools and Services

Finding a lower price after you’ve made a purchase is one of the most frustrating scenarios for consumers. That’s why we provide expert travel advisors and automated tools to ensure you receive lower rates when they are available for the trip options you’ve selected.

Airlines

We use a quality control fare-checking module to automatically search every itinerary for lower fares until the time of departure. When lower rates are found for an identical itinerary, that booking is returned to your travel advisor or our online team for review and response, ensuring that you receive the lower fare.

Hotels

Like the airline industry, hotels raise and lower their prices based on market conditions and inventory. Our hotel rate monitoring tool screens travel advisor-booked reservations for lower rates. Rates are checked 72 hours prior to travel and, if a lower rate is found for an “apples to apples” comparable room, your reservation will be changed and the savings tracked and reported.

To increase your savings through use of preferred vendors and negotiated rates, Christopherson also offers a tool that automates hotel program compliance and simplifies duty-of-care requirements.

After identifying itineraries without hotel bookings, the tool sends automated reminders to travelers requesting that they fill in this gap in their travel plans, which ultimately helps you get more bookings with your preferred hotels and increases your negotiating power.

4. Negotiate Lower Rates

Based on your travel spend and volume, Christopherson’s account managers can assist with hotel rate negotiations or provide you with automated tools to obtain the lowest possible rates within your travel policy parameters.

For example, one of our account managers used a tool to help a large account consolidate a 100-property hotel program that resulted in a 38.9% cost savings in hotel spend.

Moon reported a similar rate-reduction experience: “Earlier this year we negotiated with United Airlines on behalf of a client. Because of the client’s travel volume, we were able to save them $100,000 on airfare alone,” she said.

5. Receive Consultative Services

Providing consultative services—such as getting to know the client’s culture, discussing their travel policy and budgetary goals, and conducting account reviews—is a vital component of reducing corporate travel spend.

“Every account needs consultative services. Having a ton of preferred hotels isn’t necessarily best, because booking more nights at the same hotel chain increases the client’s buying power. We look at these kinds of travel patterns during the client’s travel program review to help them reduce corporate travel spend,” said Christopherson Account Manager Paul Foster.

6. Book Online

For many businesses, reducing corporate travel spend includes getting travelers to use an online booking tool. When travelers use an online booking tool, rogue travel spend—travel booked outside of your TMC—is brought back under the TMC “umbrella.”

The benefits of reigning in rogue travelers include booking more nights with your preferred hotels, which in turn leads to better rate negotiations, and accruing fewer booking fees, as all travel segments are booked at the same time, during a single transaction.

“If a client has a high number of bookings with travel advisors, we discuss the nature of their business and whether they can save fees by using the online booking tool more. We provide training as needed to make sure their travelers and travel managers have the necessary expertise to book online,” said Christopherson Account Manager M’Liss Hunter.

7. Act on Your Data

New clients and those with previously unmanaged programs are always surprised at how much information we can give them. We provide a platform that collects and consolidates your real-time travel data in one accessible place, offers powerful reporting tools, and can even alert you if your monthly travel expenditures exceed your year-to-date budget.

If your data reveal that “Matt” in “Department XYZ” is booking business class, you can act on those data to reduce your corporate travel spend by (1) revising your travel policy so business class isn’t an available option, or (2) you can discuss booking comfort class only with Matt and back up that conversation with visible, data-at-a-glance dashboard cards.

“If companies aren’t aware of their data, they can’t use it to reduce corporate travel spend,” said Hunter. “If they know about it, they can track it and analyze it.”

Data analysis is the confluence of consultative account management and data reporting tools: this combination of service and technology allows you to capitalize on your travel program and reduce your corporate travel spend. And that’s nothing to bellyache about.

After a year and a half I can clearly see the value based on the level of customer service and the transparency into our company’s travel spend.”

Jared Hughes, CFO, Forefront Healthcare

Why a Corporate Travel Agency Can Save You More Money Than Going It Alone

Partnering with a travel agency may feel like an expense rather than a cost-saving strategy. But here’s the secret: the hard and soft dollar savings that a corporate business travel partner delivers provides an actual ROI that can be measured.

How? We’ll explain.

At Christopherson Business Travel, our network is extensive. Our team of advisors and years of relationship-building and experience means we’re plugged into the travel industry far beyond what you could accomplish on your own. Our processes, connections, and automated tools create a powerful travel machine—one that can outperform a siloed, internal travel planner (especially one who juggles a handful of other responsibilities in your organization).

The beauty of a corporate travel management company is that you get the high level expertise and service you’d expect, along with digital solutions that align with your organization’s needs. Our travel management software delivers detailed, integrated insights through data analysis and reporting. It’s also valuable for the actual travel experience, too. Booking and managing trip details, locating travelers en route, and keeping your team connected across the globe are all streamlined on one convenient platform.

This article showed just a few ways our corporate travel management experts save you time and money (and in this day and age, aren’t those essentially the same?). However, these few examples are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many additional ways our corporate travel agency can enrich your travelers’ experience, lower costs, and improve the ease with which your organization does business around the globe.

Contact Christopherson and Start Saving Money

Want to reduce your corporate travel spend even more? Consider mandating your travel program, as explained here.

You can also contact our Business Development Team for more information on Christopherson’s money-saving tools and services.

If you’ve watched the news in the last six months, you’re likely aware of the mosquito-borne virus in Central and South America called Zika. Unfortunately, corporate travel managers with business travelers who work in that area also need to be concerned with the Zika virus. What should you know about the virus and how does it affect the health of your employees and your duty of care?

What is Zika?

• Zika is mosquito-borne virus that began spreading in Central and South American countries
• It can be sexually transmitted through males who have been infected
• The symptoms of Zika infection are mild, including fever, rash, conjunctivitis, joint/muscle pain, and headaches
• Only 20% of people infected even notice Zika symptoms
• It can lead to a birth defect called microcerphaly in infected pregnant women
• There is no Zika vaccine at this time

Recommendations for Business Travelers

• Pregnant women, and even women of childbearing age, need to be the most vigilant. It has been recommended that they defer travel to these Zika-affected areas.
• The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently released a new finding that the prevalence of Zika is substantially less above 6,500 feet above sea level. It is believed that the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries the virus, do not live in these high elevations. If possible, stay in these high elevation areas during your trip.
• Avoid bug bites by covering exposed skin and using bug spray. This handy infographic from the CDC provides additional tips to protect yourself.

What does this mean for a business’s duty of care?

Much about Zika is still unknown, however the World Health Organization has declared it an international health emergency. With that in mind, it is important to keep corporate travelers safe and healthy. Corporate travel managers should regularly monitor the CDC website and the World Health Organization website for updates and changes in protocol. Keep open communications with your business travelers about the virus and the risk. Make travel to infected areas optional. Locate medical facilities prior to business travel should an employee become infected and need attention in-country. Establish communication protocol to update and be updated by travelers needing help. Concerned travelers should also stay informed through the CDC.

As a top business travel management company, Christopherson Business Travel provides clients with SecurityLogic, a duty of care tool that helps corporate travel managers locate travelers in an emergency, verify their safety, and easily communicate information, should an emergency arise. To learn more about our travel management solutions, contact us here.