Outsourcing business travel management has gained much popularity over the years as businesses have become overwhelmed by the time-consuming tasks needed to organise business trips. Businesses are looking for business travel agencies that will help them save money, time and energy.
Various business travel management solutions can achieve these results but finding the solution that works best for you and your business is important which can seem daunting and confusing.
But don’t worry we have got it covered. In this article, we will cover the following:
1. What is Business Travel management?
2. Types of Business Travel Management Solutions.
3. Advantages and Drawbacks of Each Solution.
4. Necessity of a Business Travel Management Company.
5. 10 Best Business Travel Management Companies in the UK.
Business travel management solutions should make your business trips easier and not more complicated.
What is Business Travel management?
Business travel management is the process of planning business trips. This process includes many different aspects in order to control, track, and report a company’s travel expenses.
Business travel management can be implemented by an in-house travel manager or admin professional, or an external business travel agency.
Types of Business Travel Management Solutions
Booking for a business trip can be achieved through various solutions. Let’s look at the three main solutions businesses use.
1. Consumer booking sites
Although they are not designed with business travel in mind many businesses use them and directly make bookings on accommodation or airline websites or use aggregator websites such as Expedia, Airbnb etc.
2. Travel Management Agencies
Travel management agencies are external companies tasked with handling all business travel aspects for a business. They are industry experts who arrange travel for businesses of all sizes and needs. They cover all details of a business trip including booking flights, arranging accommodation, duty of care, travel support and many other services. Travel management companies find you the best deals and stick to your business’s travel policy.
3. Travel Management Software
Travel management software is a program where all travel arrangements can be handled. These programmes are used to book and manage travel arrangements online. They are normally handled by the business without any external agency.
Advantages and Drawbacks of Each Solution.
1. Consumer booking sites
Advantages:
-Bookings can be made at any time of the day.
-Don’t have to waste time on phone calls to make bookings.
-Can access real-time availability of flights and accommodation.
-Less human errors.
Drawbacks:
-Need to compare many websites to find the best prices.
-Have hidden costs like having to pay fees for cancellations or changes.
-Time-consuming and slow process of sending emails back and forth to make a booking.
-Upfront payments needed.
-No travel support is provided when issues on your trip arise.
-Complicated manual process for reimbursements and expense tracking.
-Very difficult to ensure travel policy is being stuck to.
2. Travel Management Agencies
Advantages:
-Saves you money as travel management companies can negotiate better prices for flights and hotels. Making your overall trip more cost-effective.
-Experts in the industry, meaning they can offer advice, optimise travel itineraries, avoid common mistakes and facilitate productive travel.
-They are available 24/7 to help and support travellers, making assistance available at any time, this is very important for emergencies or unexpected changes.
-They save businesses valuable time by handling all aspects of planning a business trip.
-They ensure all travel is in line with company policies. This allows consistency and control.
-They make the process of booking a business trip smoother and quicker.
-Provide duty of care allowing you and your travellers peace of mind.
-Gather data for you to make more data-driven decisions when it comes to your business trips.
-Human interaction allows for a more personal relationship and ensures more personalized trips for travellers.
Drawbacks:
-Can be a long process of phone calls and emails to sort out travel requirements for your trip.
-Have to pay a service fee on top of the booking costs.
-They are technology-dependent, which can cause various issues.
-You have to find a good reliable travel management agency you can trust.
-Can be difficult to make changes last minute.
3. Travel Management Software
Advantages:
-Instant access for your business to create and change travel plans, which is available 24/7 and not just during working hours.
-Better deals can be accessed due to software being able to aggregate huge amounts of data quickly.
-Reduces errors significantly.
-Gives employees a self-booking option.
Drawbacks:
-Impractical user experience that travellers don’t like.
– Difficult to get offshore customer service, which is a huge frustration for travellers.
-No human support in times of emergencies or unforeseen changes.
-Can be very complicated and confusing with too many features.
-Unable to control travel when travellers don’t use the tool.
-Don’t have cheaper options for flights and accommodation available.
-Impossible to ensure company policy is being stuck to.
-Data and internet dependent. To access your travel plans, bookings, and itineraries a stable internet connection is needed.
Necessity of a Business Travel Management Company.
Booking, planning and organizing business trips are stressful and not always a smooth process. Having a Travel management company handling your business travels is a necessity for all businesses. Travel management companies come with many benefits that allow you to reach your business travel aims. These companies help you reduce costs, allow better time management, create efficiency, and reduce your stress when it comes to business travel. They find the solutions that work best for you and your budget.
Having a business travel management company guiding you through your business travel journey is important. They are experts in the industry and take time to clearly understand what you need from your business travels. They are also there to give you advice and make sure that the business travel journey is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
10 Best Business Travel Agencies UK
1. The Travel Group
The Travel Group offer business travel management solutions that are built on putting your needs and satisfaction first. They are a complete travel solution that manages all aspects of business travel like vehicle leasing, VIP services, visas, insurance, lodging and more. They provide you with a dedicated travel expert who is available 24/7 to assist you with anything from last-minute changes to lost passports. Their travel experts are some of the finest in the industry with much experience.
The Travel Group puts high value on honesty, innovation, and hard work as well as other values that represent what is important to them as an organisation. They offer business travel management that is fully customized as they understand every client is different and needs their own solution. They guarantee reduced travel costs and have access to negotiated rates allowing your business travels to be more cost-effective.
2. Fello
Fello makes sure to make every step of business travel as smooth and stress-free as possible. They work hard to provide a better kind of journey as they understand how important the traveller is to a business. They make sure to be by your side through it all and guarantee an exceptional experience every time. They have an experienced team that is committed and empathetic problem solvers. They work with you to develop travel programmes that are best for you. Fello offers personalised service 24/7 and puts the traveller experience first.
3. Agiito
Agitto has been in the business travel industry for many years. They are experts at connecting people and specialise in UK travel, meetings and events. They have created a team full of creative minds, innovators and problem-solvers. They take time to understand your culture, people and customers to fulfil your business travel needs effectively. They hold strongly onto their values and ensure these are visible throughout their business. They are also committed to being a responsible business and exhibit this through various avenues like carbon offset, charity and more.
4. Corporate Traveller
Corporate Traveller has been in the industry for the last 30 years. They provide simpler bookings, unified systems, better user experience and much more. They offer you a dedicated travel consultant to make your travels easier. Corporate Traveller use a travel platform called Melon that can be used for bookings, safety, reporting, policy and expenses all in the palm of your hand. They also promote sustainable business travel and have the tools and team to help you create a greener travel policy.
5. CTM UK
Corporate Travel Management offer a unique mixture of customer service, innovative technology and custom programme development allowing greater savings, improved efficiencies and high safety. They provide business travel that is more effective, reliable and enjoyable for all. They offer and design highly customised travel solutions based on your business’s specific needs. CTM create travel solutions for all travel styles and budgets.
6. Hays travel
Hays Travel is the largest independent travel agency in the UK which allows them access to negotiated rates with suppliers and airlines. They offer tailor-made company compliance and reporting for every individual business. Their staff are experienced and knowledgeable and can help save you time and money. Their services cover air, rail, hotels, car rentals, visas and more. Hays Travel understands that the main objective of business travel solutions is to save time, money and resources.
7. ATPI
ATPI is a leading group in the corporate travel industry. They offer travel and events solutions to businesses operating in a variety of specialised sectors. ATPI promises to deliver what matters to every single one of its customers. They have 24/7 support, technology that performs, travel compliance, and a team that shares your goals and strives to achieve them. They offer scalable solutions, local knowledge, personal touch, and sector-specific expertise.
8. CT Business Travel
CT Business Travel offers all the services you would want and more for your business travel with over 30 years of experience. They are focused on delivering high-quality services and support to businesses and their travellers. They take pride in how they look after their clients and employees and their core ethos is providing outstanding service. They provide an inclusive travel programme that includes access to experienced travel consultants, personal service, 24/7 support, duty of care and dual IATA license in the UK and Europe.
9. ACE Travel
ACE Travel partners their global capabilities with tailored business travel management to provide a comprehensive strategy built around you and your business. They offer pricing plans that work for your budget and your business goals. ACE Travel offer business travel management that is integrated with technology to streamline your business travel. They offer tailor-made travel programmes,24/7 support and advice as well as climate-conscious planning.
10. Good Travel
Good Travel aims to simplify your business travel through their expert specialists who care. They ensure to take care of your team so you can focus on what matters. Good Travel offers a human-led service backed by technology. They promise to save you time, focus on the traveller’s needs, increase productivity, cut down costs, reduce your risk and provide sustainable travel solutions. Their core values are people, planet and performance and these are at the heart of their operations and influence everything they do.
Finding the right business travel management solution for your business is important. With everything that goes into business travel management outsourcing is highly beneficial and can save your business valuable time. The Travel Group offers business travel solutions of top quality that include many highly beneficial services. If you are looking for the best travel management company for your business travel needs book a free travel assessment with The Travel Group and let them show you what they can do for you.
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