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Decalogue of savings in business travel

There is a current tending to demonize corporate travel, cataloging of waste, in a time when cost reduction is especially important. They occupy the front pages of newspapers cases like Detroit executives flew to Washington on private jets to apply for government aid.

The truth is that companies need to travel from day to day commercial activity, and although some technologies such as videoconferencing can help out without some movement, they are still of vital importance for most companies.

Now more than ever it comes to maintaining maximum productivity and achieve maximum return trip. The hotel companies seek to increase profitability by offering products such as wi-fi, check-in Express, etc.. as increase the productivity of the same. Travel agents have a very wide field of action to help increase the profitability of travel: getting to our customers the best price.

There is much discussion on travel policies, fees to use and how to engage executives in the generation of savings. The reality is that when these executives travel to particular level, go online and hire much cheaper flights than they do for the company, then save, a lot is possible. You just need to be motivated and adopt certain habits, as far as possible.

Our experience, as well as own comments and suggestions from our customers has helped us to develop this decalogue: 10 rules that can generate substantial savings and maintain business with 30 or 40% savings on expenditure:

1) Use the cheapest Internet rates. The same seat on a flight to London can cost between 50 and 1,000 euros. Can complement a cheap rate with a cancellation insurance all-risk "for a minimum amount, if not travel for any reason. Instead, book tickets "just in case" without clear dates, will have to look very flexible tickets that are closer to the 1,000 euros the previous example. Use the lowest fares profitable, even when they have to waste a ticket.

2) Book in advance. This point is closely related to the preceding paragraph, because if you wait to the last day is very possible that no longer exist and fares have to pay 100% more than it would have been able to pay 10 days before booking. Although in many cases this is not possible, yes that many companies try to educate travelers about the importance of this planning in their travels, and in fact introduce these parameters in its travel policy so that employees are measured at compliance function. A good measure is to obtain lists of average advance purchase and distribute to employees, so that each traveler is seen as contributing or how much you need to approach the average of the company.

3) Take advantage of "visual guilt" or "guilt factor" that the Internet offers. In an online agency sees all the passenger fares of all carriers on a single screen. An employee generates choose a certain rejection rate go up for a particular airline if on the same screen is shown an alternative to 80% cheaper.

4) Adapt the extent possible their meeting at the best prices. If you spot a rate to be very economical on arrival at 10 am, making a commitment to be at 9 am you can make having to pay double for their ticket. If you find a good rate, book your ticket, close the meeting and later buy the ticket. Even several features on the websites that offer information on cheapest day to travel within a week or a month. If the dealer can visit Malaga on Thursday instead of Friday and save 30% of the ticket, why not? Many SMEs have already taken into account these considerations.

5) Do not stick to one airline. The best sites on the Internet offer objectively combinations of all airlines that the final price is as low as possible. Go with it and come back another can give very good savings, that exploit the best deals from all companies. We hear a lot of low cost airlines, but we are constantly seeing regular airline deals that beat the prices of any company "low cost", so use it too!

6) Define clearly the objectives of the meetings. This is not to fewer meetings, but people need to attend to meet the objectives. Incentive travel, the U.S. Travel Association recommends no more than 10% of executives from the sponsoring firm.

7) Find the best hotel deals online. Although negotiated rates available, sometimes it may be desirable to take advantage of the hotel chain promotions published on the Internet, both in their own webs like those of the agencies on-line. Another good option is to reap the benefits in price by booking flight + hotel.

8) To distribute among employees reporting average costs on major routes. All those above them consistently try to lower them to suit those who have their business.

9) To reward and encourage saving among employees. A financial incentive in terms of the savings generated can reduce travel costs significantly and educate the traveler on the adoption of necessary measures discussed above (book in advance, among all airlines seek to adapt the meetings, etc.).. It is also very effective "sample" that can give a traveler CFO in a "low cost" to London

10) Trying to benefit from special prices that airlines put on the market on weekends. The airlines own websites and online agencies are best usually show these options. Many SMEs already know and connect to the Internet on Sunday to book flights a week.

Today everyone recognizes that the Internet will generate the best savings, because the solution is mainly used for seeking travel and private flights. It is business, not just small firms, still prey to a lesser extent of these benefits.

Certainly there are two issues closely related to all travel management within enterprises and to value the potential savings in conjunction with the Internet: a) the administrative tasks and b) control of expenditure.

You can evaluate the first point with the following example: Suppose a company to spend € 200,000 annually on travel. The option to use Internet for their travel along some of the standards outlined above can provide additional savings of € 50,000, and only should be responsible for managing 50 individual invoices per month (slightly less than one working day per month).

Regarding control spending on travel, there are many alternatives that are already implementing many companies. It may be one person per department in charge of booking the same. Another possibility is that it is each individual traveler booking the Internet and to be an officer of the company have a copy of the purchases made to control spending when that occurs (50 mails per month in the previous example).

At the time of the current economic slowdown, there are solutions to keep getting substantial savings activity

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