Getting your boss safely from A to B is one of the holy grails of being a good executive assistant. Here, PA Life asks four experts from leading TMCs for their top tips on making travel arrangements and their take on current trends within the market. “Industry evidence shows that, on average, airfares are cheaper if booked further in advance. The days of last-minute deals, when you could arrive at the airport and buy a cheap standby ticket, are gone. Now airlines have a specified quota of better value seats that go on sale first and prices increase as the departure date gets nearer. It’s not always possible to book meetings or business travel weeks in advance, but for events that are set in stone tell your TMC as soon as possible in order to get the best fares.
“Clear communication is key between PAs and TMCs or agents. When briefing a travel agent about a particular trip, make sure you are clear about exactly how flexible the traveller can be, as it can often result in greater savings. It’s also important to keep individual profiles up to date – if someone stops smoking or becomes a vegetarian it will affect their travel preferences and, when it gets personal, it can be emotive. Remember to change the details on their frequent flyer cards too, as these can override any other changes.
“Keep a log of all the important information that may not be included in the standard traveller profile, but which is vital when it comes to booking a trip. For example, scan any visas in travellers’ passports so that you have all of their proof of validity and the number of entries granted.
“If your boss is going to a country for the first time, research the local business etiquette. Cross-cultural understanding is really important for any international business person, as in some countries there are specific customs to be aware of to avoid causing offence. For example, in Asia it is a mark of respect to exchange business cards by holding the card in both hands when offering it and ideally placing it in a case rather than in your wallet or pocket.”
Karen Jackson, Head of Global Corporate Account Management at the ATPI Group. For more information visit atpi.com
“We all know the saying The devil is in the detail, but do we know how it relates to your business travel arrangements, getting it right for your boss and keeping everyone happy?
“If you’re arranging a long-haul itinerary then collate information as soon as possible so that seats can be held – this will ensure you have the best fare option. As a rule of thumb, most airlines will hold fares for up to three days.
“When it comes to preferred seating, the airline may allocate a seat but it won’t always be the one that your boss wants; remember, airlines will from time to time oversell their capacity, so always pre-allocate seats in advance.
“No doubt there might be some changes before the trip is confirmed, meaning that portable itineraries sent to smartphones are a must. With 80 per cent of travel bookers preferring to email requests, a TMC that offers a total solution, combining approval systems with the latest email applications, is essential.
“Having confidence in your travel company is vital. Working with highly experienced travel professionals is paramount for the busy PA, particularly with complex and last-minute arrangements. Knowing you are getting the best value available saves valuable time benchmarking competitors on the internet.
“For your own peace of mind, you need a seamless, in-house, out-of-hours service; a dedicated team who can handle any crisis in a matter of seconds. Travel arrangements become complex when handled badly – as a busy PA, selecting the right travel company will not only save you time but improve your efficiency.”
Belinda Swan, Commercial Director at Business First Partnership; visit businessfirstpartnership.co.uk for further information
“A recent YouGov survey found that 83 per cent of employees who use mobile apps on the road agree it improves the business travel experience. Apps such as Sabre’s TripCase or Concur’s TripIt provide an interactive itinerary, enabling business travellers to view all the individual elements of their trip on one master itinerary on one screen. And the best thing is that once the itinerary is on the phone, it can be viewed without the need for wifi or mobile connection.
“Everything from flight times and departure gates to hotel reservations, addresses and useful telephone numbers are stored with the itinerary. There are even other useful features, including turn-by-turn driving directions and airline seat maps.
“Best of all, the apps can be used to automatically update travellers of key changes such as flight delays or gate numbers. You can amend the itinerary easily from your computer and the app will automatically update your boss.
“Similarly, your executive can search for alternate flights if they need to make changes while on the move. And once the changes have been made to the new itinerary these can be shared with colleagues back in the office.
“There is even a facility to log expenses as they occur, thereby reducing the need to spend hours consolidating everything when back at work.
“Other apps your boss may find useful are Viber or Skype for cheap or free phone calls, WhatsApp for multi-device messaging, and Where To Eat?, which shows local restaurants and the cuisine they serve (plus directions too). A currency converter makes it much easier to calculate costs when you’re on the move in a global context and finally a torch app is a simple but invaluable idea.”
Peter Nixon, Commercial Manager at Business Travel Direct; visit businesstraveldirect.co.uk for more details of the services it provides
“In terms of what’s new in the business travel market, there are three hot topics that PAs should be looking out for. First of all, system integration is very current. TMCs should now be offering travel tools that not only work together, but which are capable of integrating with the systems already in place in other company departments, such as HR or Finance.
“Secondly, there is a buzz in the industry around the idea of ‘consumerisation’. The travel tools you are using should be easy and intuitive to use, like public-facing websites. Online booking tools should also offer you as much choice as possible, as well as the best fares.
“The travel management industry in the UK is highly fragmented, with many service providers from which to choose. One current trend in the market is the divergence of these suppliers into two camps – those that offer a ‘proper’ travel management service, adding value to your travel programme in a proactive manner, and those that simply provide a reactive booking service. Before talking about what’s new and what’s ‘hot’, it is key to look at what you should be getting as standard from your TMC.
“Any TMC should ensure you have online access, via a travel portal, to your travellers’ profiles to manage their preferences and other essential information. Your agency should provide you with access to an online booking tool and you should be able to contact them 24/7 on a single telephone number or email address.
“When dealing with your bookings the agency should provide a full service, arranging all facets of the trip. Its team should also be providing you with as much choice as possible, as well as guaranteeing the lowest fares. In addition, your TMC should be able to supply you with pre and post-trip reports on-demand. Finally, the agency you select needs to be able to cover all your CSR initiatives, such as traveller tracking/security, carbon reporting and so forth.”
Julian Munsey, Head of Strategic Business Development at Hillgate Travel; visit hillgatetravel.com for more details
