The Essential Bookers' Guide to Business Travel

guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

Welcome Having worked in the travel accommodation industry for over 14 years, here at SACO we know our stuff when it comes to business travel.

That’s why we have put together this guide to help you work out the best methods of researching, booking and succeeding in organising business travel for your colleagues.

Planning business travel for other people can be a minefield. With so much to organise, we want to help you cover every base, making sure you don’t forget the big things and helping you to think of the little extras that will make the traveller happy.

In this guide you will find some great tips, methods and foolproof plans to help make sure you don’t miss a thing.

Lesley Freed, Founder and CEO

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contents 1 2 To succeed in organising business travel, follow our 5 stage process...

Before you book Gather the information needed for successful booking. Page 3

Booking the trip Choose the right transport and accommodation for your traveller.

Page 5

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Preparing for the trip Inside tips and planning advice for seamless business travel. Page 15

4 5

Travelling abroad

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Prepare for travel with this quick and easy checklist.

Page 21

While they are there Things to consider for a hassle-free and productive stay.

Page 19

Really useful top tips The best websites and mobile apps for an easy, more cost-effective travel experience. Page 23

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before you book

With so many different types of travel and accommodation available, we have broken this section down into a checklist for you.

Gather your requirements. Ask yourself the following questions before clicking on the ‘buy now’ button...

✓1 3

What is the purpose of the trip? e.g.

Meetings, project work, awards dinner

✓2

How many people are travelling?

e.g. CEO, Project Manager, Junior Auditor

✓3 ✓5

✓7

Who is the traveller?

Are there any specific meeting times for the traveller?

Does the traveller have any special requirements?

e.g.

Health, allergie s, timings, preferences

✓4 ✓6

e.g.

Single day, overnight, multi-night, over 1 month How long is the trip?

What budget is available?

SACO Waterloo Serviced Apartment

Once you have all your answers...

You will have a much better idea of what options are open to you and what items to include on a check list for the traveller to pack . We’ve included space for yo ur notes later in this guide.

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

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booking the trip 5

case study: don’t let your boss make his own arrangements!

I never, but never, allow my (academic) boss to book a plane, train, taxi or even a rickshaw himself. Not since the time he booked an internal flight in the USA and ended up at the University of Washington in Seattle, not, unfortunately, at Washington University in St Louis, where he was supposed to be! Talk about absent-minded professors...

PA Club member

arranging

transportation Which option is best for the traveller?

The following guide will help you decide.

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

car Great for...

Other things to consider...

1. If there is more than one person travelling within the UK

1. Is the traveller correctly insured on the vehicle? (Many personal insurance policies will not cover for business use.)

2. If they are picking up clients 3. If there are multiple stops required in one trip 4. If the traveller is away for a long time and will need transport on multiple occasions 5. If they are not based centrally 6. Keeping a low budget

2. Would it be cheaper to hire a car rather than pay mileage on their own car?

3. Do they have emergency breakdown cover?

4. Pre-programme a satellite navigation system with postcodes of all destinations or print out maps and directions for your traveller with journey times so they know to leave with plenty of time to spare.

5. Is there car parking available at the traveller’s destination or do you need to book a space?

inside tip

Just before the traveller sets off, check online for traffic warnings that may cause delays and if necessary plan an alternative route.

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fl

t

rail

Other things to consider...

1. Does your traveller have any personal railcards that you can use to keep costs down?

1. Being able to work on the move, especially for long journeys

2. Will they need transfers to and from the train station – local taxi numbers will always come in handy

2. Comfort (as long as you have pre-booked a seat)

3. Do check and plan for any delays, especially in bad weather

3. Time – train can often be a lot faster than driving

4. Depending on your traveller, make sure you book the right ‘class’ of travel

Great for...

4. Ease of use for the traveller once they are on the train they can sit back and relax

inside tip

If the traveller is likely to use an electronic device during the journey remember to request a seat near a plug socket.

flight inside tip

If air travel is frequently required then consider which airlines have loyalty schemes that your organisation and the traveller can benefit from.

Great for...

1. Long distance journeys 2. Cost in comparison to long train journeys 3. Ease of use for the traveller 4. Speed of journey

Other things to consider...

1. Is the traveller’s passport in date?

2. Do they need any extra baggage allowance?

3. Will they need transfers to and from the airport?

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top online flight booking site

We’ve reviewed the top 20 flight comparison sites using specific criteria and have chosen Skyscanner.net as the winner!

Below are the reasons why we put it on top...

• Provides • A broad range unbiased of leading options and travel agent directly links to fares are many airlines. offered.

• All airlines are offered, irrespective of whether they pay commission.

top flight booking tips • Choose “compare flight times” instead of “compare prices.”

When searching for a short flight for a business traveller, schedule is as important as price.

• Watch out for extra fees and credit card charges.

Make sure you look out for additional handling fees, transaction fees, compulsory airline protection, insurance and credit card charges before you book.

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One flight can look the cheapest but if these costs are not included it could work out to be the most expensive.

• Unless savings are substantial or you have a mandated travel policy through a Travel Management Company (TMC), book direct with the airline.

This applies particularly to low cost airlines and British Airways. Travel agents will add a markup to the fare which may not be apparent at the first comparison stage.

• Skyscanner provided the most accurate search results every time.

• Booking two or more passengers? Check availability for just one seat. Airlines allocate a certain number of seats to be sold at various prices.

They don’t want to fill an aircraft with passengers paying low fares.

Frequently, just one seat is left at a lower fare. If you request two seats, the reservation systems will not offer you that last seat price but will sell you two at the next highest price.

• Put a reminder in the diary, where relevant, for 24 hours before the flight to ensure online check-in happens and preferred seats can be selected.

top train and car booking tips • The best rates are available further in advance so look to book sooner rather than later, do be aware that advance tickets can be inflexible.

• If there are multiple travellers, ensure car rentals are shared where possible. Many car rental and online train booking systems offer free loyalty points schemes. Always check if they are offered and register before you book.

• Avoid peak times: Arrivals before 09301000hrs, returns 15001900hrs. Always check the earlier or later train.

This could save you hundreds of pounds.

• Consider using railcard options – check if the traveller has their own personal railcard that you can register to save money on their rail fare.

Avoiding peak travel times will save you hassle and money!

• For ticket machine collection, your traveller will need the credit card that you booked with for identification, so use the traveller’s credit card or have tickets posted to them before their travel date.

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

deciding on

accomm

SACO Manchester Serviced Apartment

case study: etiquette is vital

For a senior boss like mine (CEO of a consultancy firm), a knowledge of etiquette when travelling is essential. Business is much harder to win, and relationships much harder to establish, if you offend your hosts, however unwittingly, when travelling around the world. That’s why I provide him with a little “good manners” summary wherever he goes, as an aide-memoire. In China, for example, there are lots of do’s and don’ts during a business dinner, so he can check his mini guide before the dinner starts.

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PA Club member

These days hotels aren’t the only choice for accommodation. To help you decide what type is best for your traveller, assess their requirements based on the checklist below and review the pros and cons of each option on the following pages.

modation

they be away?

How long will car parking?

Do they need ted – eed to be loca n y e th o d re e Wh t of town? centrally or ou r would urant on site o a st re a t n a w y nt?

Do the be self sufficie they prefer to re they they need – am ill w e c a or sp h c How mu and will fa ily ile h w a r fo y a w staying a isiting? friends be v ? adband access ro b d e e n y e th Do separate living t n a /w d e e n y Do the reas? and sleeping a laims on expenses c Is there a lim,itlunch and dinner? for breakfast This is not eir room to th ’ d e e ‘n y e th an exhaustive Do ily? be cleaned da list and can be tailored to any extra requirements your traveller may have.

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

hotels

Great for...

Short stays

On-site restaurant Extra on-site facilities e.g. gyms Daily cleaning Individual travellers Broadband access Not as good for...

Cost of eating out for every meal No extra living space to work/ relax in/entertain family and friends With space confined to one room, it can feel claustrophobic Special dietary requirements

serviced apartments Great for...

Low overall budgets (inc. expenses) Short and long stays Home from home feel with separate living and sleeping areas Space to work/relax in the apartment Saving money on expenses by cooking in the apartment Multiple bedroom apartments are great for more than one traveller, or for family visits, keeping costs lower than multiple hotel rooms Broadband access

SACO London Waterloo Serviced Apartment

bed & breakfast Great for...

Short stays Homely feel Personal service with only a small number of rooms Low accommodation budgets Breakfast is included in the cost Daily cleaning Individual travellers

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Not as good for...

Daily cleaning – normally done on a weekly basis On-site facilities, such as a gym and restaurant, are limited

Not as good for...

Level of quality/ luxury

Cost of eating out for lunch and dinner With space often confined to one room, it can feel claustrophobic and makes it difficult to entertain Broadband access – not all B&Bs will offer this as standard

who to book through? top online accommodation booking sites • From our research, Booking.com and HRS.com come out as the most flexible reservation sites. Instead of requiring prepayment, these companies will hold reservations, which can usually be cancelled up to 6pm on the day of arrival, without penalty, and without having to apply for a refund.

This makes them ideal for the business traveller.

• Unless there is a significant saving, it is always best to go direct to the accommodation provider.

They will then have direct access to your booking should you need to contact them and could offer discounted rates for frequent bookers.

• If you book a lot of business travel then it would be worthwhile checking out a GDS (Global Distribution System). This is a live booking system which has access to thousands of accommodation providers across the world.

top accommodation booking tips • Not all accommodation providers make all their rooms / apartments available to book online.

Always be sure to call if you can’t find a room online.

• For serviced apartment requirements, take a look at market leader SACO, the worldwide serviced apartment network, at www. sacoapartments.com • If you are going direct to an accommodation provider, call them to see if they offer

discounted corporate rates or discounts for multiple bookings rather than just going for their online rates.

• Booking multiple locations? Save time and choose a provider that covers all locations with one point of contact.

• Some companies offer better deals for loyal customers. Check to see if they have a loyalty scheme or if they will offer you better rates the more often you book with them.

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

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preparing for the trip The key to productive and cost-effective business travel is organisation.

Preparing business travel requires forethought and planning.

Plan ahead as far as possible what the traveller will require during their trip. This will save you considerable time and help avoid unforseen problems.

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case study: belt and braces

My boss loves high-tech gadgets, so it’s never a problem persuading her to adopt the latest one. We got unstuck on one occasion, however, when she went jetting off to an extremely important meeting at very short notice with the entire agenda (including place and time and bullet points for her part in the meeting) on her Blackberry and nowhere else.

I always give her paper versions of everything but she hadn’t time (so she said) to wait as the car was at the door. What she didn’t know was that her battery was nearly out and she’d left the charger, complete with spare, on her desk! Everything got sorted in the end but now I insist she always takes paper versions of everything important.

PA Club member

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

Research Familiarise yourself with the agenda for the business trip in question. This will help the traveller get the most out of the visit and will avoid frustrating situations.

Luggage For trips that are up to four days long, a small wheeled luggage case is ideal for a business traveller.

INSIDE TIP The Department of Transport no longer sets a maximum size for hand luggage. By carrying your case onto the plane, you’ll save time not having to check bags into the hold.

Always check with the airline’s own regulations as rules regarding hand luggage change between providers.

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Dress code Make sure you’re aware of the dress codes required for events the business traveller will attend during their trip. Suits may be required for business meetings and there may be a dress code for conferences and exhibitions.

Anticipate a few social events and/or evening functions that may have dress code requirements.

Save on space by suggesting the traveller packs outfits which can be worn for different occasions.

INSIDE TIP Suggest to the traveller that they travel in business attire; then if they lose their bag they won’t be underdressed.

Mobile phones Ensure the traveller never leaves home without a charger and, if travelling abroad, enable voice roaming as they can’t do it retrospectively once they are there.

For travel abroad, often you can call the mobile provider to pre-pay for a voice package at specific destinations. Ensure the traveller knows how to ‘disable data roaming’ on their smartphone if they want to avoid excessive roaming costs when away and are able to use wi-fi to retrieve email at their destination.

Laptop Consider all the roles the laptop will be used for and make sure the necessary accessories are packed: the charger, the correct plug adaptor if travelling abroad, connection cables for projectors and a portable USB storage device for data sharing and backups.

Find out details of the internet connections in hotels and venues beforehand and include a contact number for your technical or IT support team should the traveller encounter any problems.

INSIDE TIP Remember that on budget airlines a laptop bag is considered hand luggage and only one item is allowed.

Business cards

preparing Business documents for the trip

A sufficient stash of business cards is imperative.

Consider what documents need to be printed in advance to prepare for the trip such as meeting agendas, presentations or previous meeting minutes for reference.

INSIDE TIP A business card holder is always a handy addition to a trip to ensure that business cards look clean and professional when handed over.

If the traveller is meeting new associates, gather relevant names, contact details and full addresses so they are easily accessible throughout the trip.

Paperwork Effective business travel is well planned business travel. Compile all the information the traveller needs to ensure they have a smooth trip.

This should include your contact details as the travel planner, accommodation details, venue names, addresses and contact numbers along with location and local area maps.

Don’t forget to include booking confirmations, tickets and of course the passport (if required).

It can be a great help to the traveller if you update their calendar/ diary directly with all travel details/ times/ reminders for their trip.

INSIDE TIP eTickets are always advisable as it means carrying less paperwork but make sure that online “check-in� is done in sufficient time.

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

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while they are there case study: every second counts

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If your boss has a habit of calling you from abroad without thinking what time it might be, try putting UK time in brackets by the side of the local time on his itinerary.

With luck, he’ll realise that it’s 3 o’clock in the morning in UK - despite the bright sunshine outside his Sydney hotel – and he’ll wait until a more civilised time to call you!

PA Club member

Transportation As well as getting to and from their destination it’s important to consider how the business traveller will get around during the trip so make sure you include contact details for taxi firms, chauffeurs, train timetables, station locations and car hire centres.

If the traveller has decided to make their own way by car which has a sat-nav, remember to programme all the postcodes and addresses of places the traveller is likely to visit.

Recreation Where possible, business trips should include some leisure time so speak to the local tourist board for things to see and do and local places of interest.

Itinerary To ensure a trip is as productive as possible, devise an itinerary in advance.

INSIDE TIP Contact the reception staff at your booked accommodation and use them as a resource.

They can provide

By outlining the schedule of meetings, conferences and exhibitions you can ensure meeting times do not conflict and travel time has been considered.

you with all sorts of Tell the traveller about Where possible it may useful information car parking details and be useful to group about the local charges so they have area. meetings together in one enough change to pay. location so that travel In the UK, NCP.co.uk does not have to be will help you find car parking considered. details for local areas and If the company is exhibiting at a kabbee.com is great for helping conference or trade show, make to find and compare taxi firms in sure you include information on London. set-up and preparation times as Local area well as a delegate timetable for the When travelling to a new event. destination it’s useful to Once you’ve outlined the know a little about the events, you’ll be able to INSIDE TIP local area in order to Search to see if see gaps in the schedule make the most of the there’s an app and consider how the trip. for the local area traveller can make the which could help Supply the traveller most of their free time. provide up to date with maps and contact information on the For example, there may move. details for local business be useful networking centres and hotels events they could attend that offer meeting or they could meet facilities and suitable clients, associates and restaurants for corporate potential customers entertainment. based in the local area.

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travelling abroad: checklist

case study: the basics count

As travelling abroad on business gives you a whole list of other things to remember, we thought it would be useful to break it down into a quick and easy checklist to make sure the traveller is well prepared before they set off.

I always give my boss a complete itinerary including journey times from one meeting to the other. I also enclose a map with the hotel highlighted on it, the venues for her meetings, plus the British Embassy or consulate – just in case. I also enclose a list of the best restaurants and some good shops in case she has time for present-buying for her children. I get great tips from other PA Club members – and it makes me look good in my boss’s eyes!

PA Club member

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The basics

✓ Flight booked ✓Accommodation booked or car ✓ Transfers hire arranged

Travel essentials International ✓power converters Sun tan lotion,

✓ sunglasses (if hot country) ✓ Ear plugs

Before they go

✓

Purchase travel insurance to cover trip

✓

Check the passport is valid for the duration of the trip. Some countries require it to be within six months of the expiry date.

✓

Research call charges – it may be worth purchasing an overseas SIM card - and make sure data roaming is switched off to avoid unexpected charges Are any

✓ vaccinations required? ✓Purchase currency

✓

First aid kit with malaria or indigenous disease tablets if required

✓ Phone charger Travel documents Copy of the ✓ travel insurance ✓Passport (in date) Check-in documents or boarding passes if checked-in online in advance

✓

✓ Details of flights ✓

Details and address of accommodation and booking confirmation

Details and contact number for the transfer or car hire company

✓

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really useful

best accommodation websites

{

guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

SACO Serviced Apartments Offering access to over 12,000 serviced apartments across the UK and worldwide. www.sacoapartments.com

Booking.com and HRS.com Both of these offer a range of hotels, serviced apartments and B&Bs in all sorts of locations. www.booking.com www.hrs.com

Tripadvisor Great for getting those insider tips on accommodation before you book.

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www.tripadvisor.co.uk

Skyscanner Provides unbiased options, directly links up with many airlines and offers a broad range of leading travel agent fares. www.skyscanner.net

All your train

travel needs wrapped up in one

The Train Line and Red Spotted Hanky Both of these give you access to huge savings on rail travel with accurate timetable updates.

Red Spotted Hanky also awards loyalty points on bookings made through their site. www.thetrainline.com www.redspottedhanky.com

Car rentals This is a useful site for comparing lots of different car hire companies. Once you have found the cheapest, it is then worth going direct as lots of car hire companies offer loyalty points. www.carrentals.co.uk

best travel mobile apps

{

{

best travel websites

National Rail Generally provides platform information before it is announced at the station, giving you time to find a seat before the stampede!

XE Currency Very useful tool for converting money from all over the world. oMaps Though most phones have a built-in maps application, it often requires 3G connections to function properly.

So, if you happen to be out of the country and roaming can be very expensive, oMaps allows owners to download maps of destinations ahead of time, then browse through them on the phone without the use of 3G or a connection to the internet.

Google Translate Google Translate allows you to translate text between 57 languages.

TripIt This clever service does a lot of the hard work for you; just by forwarding booking confirmations it will turn all your flight, hotel and rental bookings into simple mobile travel itineraries.

Tube map Being able to navigate your way around the capital is crucial for anyone visiting London.

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guide The Essential Booker’s Guide to Business Travel.

my notes

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my tips

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SACO Bristol Broad Quay

get more 10% off As a reader of this guide, SACO would like to offer you 10% off your first booking in any SACO managed location. To qualify for this discount please mention code: GUIDE1A.

Reader offer

To take advantage of this reader offer please call us on 0845 122 0405 or e-mail www.sacoapartments.com reservations@sacoapartments.com

This guide is brought to you

by SACO Serviced This guide is brought to you

by SACO Serviced Apartments Apartments with thanks to the PA Club for their with thanks to the PA Club for their contribution.

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