Saving time and money. Corporate travel budgets are shrinking; however the need for business travel hasn’t. Businesses are looking for travel management companies to be their advocate—to offer a wide range of services which include finding the least expensive options for airfares, hotels and car rentals, giving reports of the travel expenditures, “waivers and favors” when travel plans change rapidly and the restrictions the airlines charge can be lowered or waived plus a host of other amenities such as upgrades and mileage programs. Of course, personalized service and professionalism of the agents who handle these accounts is a must.
In looking for the best travel management agency to handle the job, size is of importance. I say this because the larger the company the more influence it can exert in negotiations with the airlines, hotels and car rentals. The dollar amount the agencies generate for the airlines, hotels and car rentals means a better savings that can be passed on to he client. It’s a win-win all the way around.
Another criteria to look for when choosing a travel management company is the length of time and experience of the agents who will be handling your account. How long have they retained their clients? How experienced are they with corporate travel? What technology can they offer? Does the agency have “State of the Art” technology? Can the agency offer services such as “Where you know where all your travelers are at any given moment”? For the techies of your firm, is there a laptop airline tool where they can chose their flights but also has the capability to monitor that the employees stay within travel guidelines of the company.
These are but a few of the very important questions to ask when selecting the right travel agency for your firm. An advocate who has your bottomline as their frontline.
