Business travel management involves myriad tasks, including travel booking, policy compliance, expense management, and duty of care. The business traveler is at the center of all business travel processes, as they must meet business travel goals without encountering travel bottlenecks. It highlights the importance of the corporate travel booking process. Travel managers must ensure the convenience and safety of employees during business trips, enabling them to meet the goals of business trips.

Automation can help streamline travel booking while maintaining track of itineraries by monitoring the entire business travel process from a centralized dashboard. The innovative booking tools help organizations get rid of booking through consumer sites that restrict the choice of options, impacting cost savings.
Ways to improve the corporate travel booking process

Ways to improve the corporate travel booking process

The most practical way to address travel uncertainties and improve business travel procedures is to design a custom travel policy that serves as an easily accessible reference while booking business travel. Employees must ensure seamless compliance with the policy to avoid delays in expense reimbursement because of policy deviations. Leveraging a SaaS-based travel management platform can improve the corporate travel booking process by ensuring access to the vast travel inventory.

Key considerations while booking business travel

The following considerations are crucial while booking flights:

1. Prices and traveler experience

Balancing the airfare and the traveler’s experience is essential while booking flights. Using a travel management platform ensures access to regional LCCs and SOTO airlines to facilitate comparison and booking.

2. Traveler comfort

Business travelers must be fresh and active on arrival as they have a hectic meeting schedule ahead. Choosing direct flights eliminates long stopovers and the need for frequent security checks. Travel managers should consider the preference of employees when choosing airlines.

3. Reward and frequent flyer programs

Determine the returns on the miles as these can make you eligible for reward and loyalty programs. The returns will help calculate ROI for budgetary considerations. Exploring the availability of reward points is necessary while choosing airlines.

4. Comparison of benefits

Checking various travel booking sites to evaluate the most beneficial option offering deals, price discounts, and loyalty points are essential during the corporate travel booking process.

Best ways to manage the booking process

best-ways-to-manage-the-booking-process

1. Shortlist hotels offering the best deals

Create a list of preferred hotels by employees who travel frequently. You may check different sites for a better comparison of tariffs. Booking hotels in advance may enable you to get better discounts and assurance of room availability.

2. Negotiate for better amenities

Business travelers require access to Wi-Fi, meeting rooms, a gym, a swimming pool, airport transfers, concierge services, and other amenities. Negotiate for the amenities if these are not part of a standard room package.

3. Choose best hotel location

Compare hotels by location to facilitate the convenience of local transport during business trips. Proximity to the city center or workplace is crucial while booking accommodations for business travelers. Travel managers should also consider the distance between the hotel and other facilities like the airport, supermarket, and center for business amenities.

4. Design a standard travel booking reference chart

Travel managers can simplify and expedite business travel booking procedures by creating a ready reference of employee details in a travel booking format. The chart should provide employee names, phone numbers, addresses, emergency contact numbers, personal ID numbers, and passport numbers.

These details are crucial for completing business travel booking procedures. Booking sheets facilitate the handling of several travel requests besides tracking expenses and approvals. Leveraging Google Forms will help export the data to the sheet without hassles.

5. Automate corporate travel booking

Using established tools to automate the corporate travel booking process will reduce the stress of finding the right hotels, flights, and trains to cover the destination of the business trip. Some consumer sites provide corporate versions to book corporate business travels.

Employees can also book meeting rooms through these platforms. Linking the platform with the organization reduces the hassles of manually passing on the invoices as the booking platform shares invoice copies with finance teams after the business trip.

6. Allow self-booking

Providing a self-booking facility will eliminate several steps of the business travel booking procedures, reducing the stress on travel managers and finance teams. They should strictly follow travel policy guidelines while booking flights and hotels to ensure cost savings.

Establishing a user-friendly and transparent travel policy is essential to reduce the burden on resources. Autonomy of booking travel helps elevate employee experience without impacting the company’s travel budget.

Conclusion

Automation is the most beneficial approach to streamlining the corporate travel booking process and other aspects of business travel. SaaS-based business travel management platforms like Paxes allow a self-booing facility for employees. Employees and travel managers can access the vast inventory of travel suppliers to book their travel without concerns of travel policy deviations. Employees can access the platform through dedicated travel booking app as well.

Corporate Travel Booking Process FAQs

How can an organization benefit from a travel management platform?

A suitable travel management platform streamlines the corporate travel booking process through automation. Employees can book travel without policy deviations to save costs. It also automates approval workflows to speed up travel requests and expense management.

How does a corporate booking platform work?

The corporate booking tool allows the configuration of travel policies and the loading of preferred travel suppliers. Employees can choose the right option and book travel without policy deviation.

Can a corporate booking tool ensure the duty of care?

The corporate booking tool leverages an employee tracking facility to help travel managers ensure the employee is traveling in a safe environment. It also allows access to itineraries for effective tracking and duty of care.

How does a travel management platform boost travel policy compliance?

Employees can only access those travel options within the policy, as the tool integrates with the travel policy.

What are the three steps to improving the corporate travel booking process?

The three steps to improving business travel booking procedures are creating standard booking sheets, digitizing itineraries, and using corporate booking apps to automate booking.

How do I choose the right corporate travel agency for my company?

To choose the right corporate travel agency, consider factors such as their experience, services offered, cost-effectiveness, technology solutions, and references from other businesses.

What are the common challenges in corporate travel booking?

Common challenges include cost control, policy compliance, booking efficiency, data management, traveler safety, and managing unexpected disruptions.

What is a travel policy, and why is it crucial for corporate travel?

What is the role of data analytics in corporate travel management?

Data analytics helps in analyzing travel expenses, identifying savings opportunities, tracking policy compliance, and making data-driven decisions to optimize corporate travel.

What resources or tools are available to help companies optimize their corporate travel booking process?

Companies can use corporate travel management software, online booking tools, and the expertise of travel management companies to optimize their travel booking process.

How can companies ensure the safety and security of their employees during business trips?

To ensure safety, companies can implement duty of care programs, provide traveler tracking, offer emergency support, and educate employees about safe travel practices.

What should I consider when selecting accommodations and transportation options for corporate travelers?

Consider factors like cost, location, quality, safety, policy compliance, and the specific needs of your employees when selecting accommodations and transportation for corporate travelers.


Pratyush

Pratyush is a traveling enthusiast who always looks for innovations in business travel management. He has 5 years of experience writing content on corporate travel management and working closely with expert business travel facilitators.