5 Winning steps to make business travel arrangements

When it comes to planning business trips, a well-organized trip can make the difference between success and failure. Whether you are planning for yourself or as an assistant organizing the trip for your boss, knowing the right steps is crucial. In this post, we will guide you through five simple steps to plan business trips efficiently and stress-free. This way, you save not only time but also money and nerves.

Step 1: Define trip parameters

The first step in any business trip planning is to clearly define the travel parameters. These include the purpose of the business trip, the travel dates, the destinations, as well as any special preferences or requirements of the travelers. This clarity helps streamline the booking process and ensures that everyone involved is on the same page. For instance, if you are organizing a trip for your superior, it is important to know their preferences and needs precisely. Is a particular hotel preferred? Is there a preferred airline? Do they want to travel in business class?

A well-defined travel profile makes the subsequent booking easier and ensures no details are overlooked. This preliminary work can save you a lot of time and stress later and makes booking flights and other important segments of business trips much simpler.

Making travel arrangements for your boss requires special care and attention. It’s important to understand the needs and preferences of your superior. Talk to them to find out their preferences regarding flights, hotels, and other aspects of the trip. Then use a comprehensive platform like GetGoing to manage all bookings centrally and receive real-time updates. Create a detailed travel overview that clearly and comprehensively summarizes all relevant information, and share this overview with your superior.

Step 2: Choose a travel management platform that works for your whole team 

Another important aspect of business trip planning is choosing the right travel management platform. A good platform should allow you to book and manage flights, hotels, and rental cars centrally. GetGoing offers the perfect solution here, as it can handle all aspects of business trip planning in real time.

The advantages of such a platform are obvious: you can manage all bookings in one place and ensure that all travel data is accessible to the entire team. This is especially important when multiple employees are involved in the same business trip or when changes in the travel plan are required. The platform also offers features for automating travel bookings, which saves you a lot of time and reduces errors.

Step 3: Set up your travel policy

Introducing a clear travel policy is crucial for efficient business travel management. Your travel policy should cover all aspects of the trip, from booking flights and hotels to policies for travel expenses and expense management. A well-defined travel policy not only helps keep the travel budget under control but also ensures that all business travelers know what is expected of them.

Another advantage of a clear travel policy is the company’s duty of care towards its employees. This means that the company must ensure that all travelers can travel safely and comfortably. With a clear travel policy, potential risks can be minimized, and the safety of travelers ensured.

Step 4: Automate the travel booking process

Automating the travel booking process can save you a lot of time and effort. To find the best deals on flights, rental cars, and accommodations when organizing a business trip, thorough research is essential. It is worthwhile to compare various options for flight tickets, hotel reservations, and ground transportation. 

Many airlines offer the option to reserve rental cars directly when booking the flight, which makes planning easier and often leads to better deals. Additionally, you should check if you can save money through frequent flyer miles or other bonus programs. Once a rough cost overview has been created, you can develop a detailed plan for booking the trip.

Special attention should be paid to flight times to ensure they meet business requirements. Early morning flights are often less prone to delays, while afternoon flights, though more expensive, can sometimes be more convenient. It is important to allow enough buffer times for transfers and meetings to avoid stress.

When booking through a travel agency or booking platform, you can often find affordable package deals that combine flight, accommodation, and rental car. If a rental car needs to be booked separately, it is worth looking for the best prices early on and considering alternative transport options like bus or train to save the travel budget. Finally, all bookings should be made early, especially during peak travel times, to secure the best prices and availability.

With a tool like GetGoing, you can automate the booking process and manage all travel information in one central place. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors and ensures that all involved parties always have access to the most up-to-date information. Automation also allows you to receive real-time updates and make adjustments quickly and efficiently when changes occur.

Step 5: Create a travel itinerary and manage expenses

The final step in making business travel arrangements is creating a detailed travel overview and managing travel expenses. A well-organized travel overview contains all important information about the trip, such as flight times, hotel bookings, rental car reservations, and meeting schedules. With GetGoing, you have the option to share this travel overview with your team or superiors, making communication and coordination easier.

Managing travel expenses is also a crucial point. With a good expense management tool, you can keep track of all expenses and ensure that the travel budget is adhered to. This not only helps save money but also ensures transparency and control over travel costs.