Are you searching for options to switch over from your previous corporate travel agency or looking for a new one? Either way, there are bound to be a lot of questions on your mind or we have all the answers! So read on to find out all you need to know about Corporate Travel Agencies.
What exactly are Corporate Travel Agencies?
Corporate travel agencies or otherwise also known as corporate travel management companies have employees that specialize in arranging business trips and help plan events for other companies.
Corporate Travel management companies with help take care of the whole travel planning. This includes everything from the booking to employee accommodations, flights airport transits, transport and vehicle rentals and much more. Employing the services of Corporate Travel agencies helps large organizations and even SMEs to outsource their business travel management which consequently helps save time and resources as well as get the best possible deals on air tickets and hotel packages.
What are the benefits of a Corporate Travel Agency?
There are many reasons why your company should employee the services of a corporate travel agency, some of them are
- You don’t need to hire a full time travel manager, if your company is already swamped with work and low on resources that they can’t afford to hire additional staff then opting for a corporate travel agency is the best way to go.
- Corporate travel agencies will help you get the best group rates, hotel booking packages and corporate rates
- Offer travel supports, this takes the burden of the shoulders of your company’s managers. Often employees are faced with issues while travelling that managers can’t always help with. In these cases, corporate travel agencies come in handy.
- Enforce company guidelines, every company or business has their own set of travel guidelines, a corporate travel agency is sure to adhere to these guidelines while booking.
What to look for while hiring a Corporate Travel Agency?
While a Corporate Travel Agency can provide you with many benefits here are some of the top ones you need to look for
- Size of your company: Firstly the thing to consider is your company’s size. If your company happens to be a large one then you need to find a corporate travel agency that is able to secure large number of bookings and is easily adaptable to unexpected changes in the travel plans.
- Booking made easy: An easy booking experience is what company’s employees are looking for. With the help of a corporate travel agency booking should become less tedious and more enjoyable.
- Get the travel inventory you need: Your corporate travel agency should be able to provide you with the consumer grade travel inventory you need, such as right to use your preferred flight carriers, hotel brands of your choice etc.
- Look for hidden costs: Try to understand the complete fee structure before you sign up for a travel agency. Look for any hidden costs that might be disguised under other names such as support calls, routine bookings etc.
- Reliable trip support: One of the most important tasks of a travel agency is to provide trip support. And this is where the human element is most needed. Imagine, your flight was cancelled and you are in distress. In such cases talking to a real human instead of automated responses is what is going to comfort you. So when signing up with a corporate travel agency try to find one that provides round the clock trip support and that too in multiple languages.
- Real time reports: Since most travel booking has been done on a wide variety of platforms it is hard to find the data your company’s finance department needs. Visibility is a crucial thing so make sure the corporate travel agency you are signing up with will provide you with the necessary data and statistics
- Culturally fit: A key component to look for while selecting a corporate travel agency is to make sure that they are the right “Cultural Fit” with your company. As this company and its employees will be working closely with you employees and in constant interaction while on the road, you need to find a fit that is best for your company and can deliver services according to your company culture.
- Flexible agencies: Business travel is ever developing and you need a company that is willing to change and grow with the times as well as cater to your company’s changing travel needs. So it is prudent to do a background check before hand and see if your company of choice is innovative and flexible.
What are the drawbacks of a Corporate Travel Agency?
Along with the benefits, there are also some drawbacks that arise from utilizing the resources of a corporate travel agency like
- Lack of up to date communications: Most travel agencies depend upon phone calls and emails to interact with their clients, but nowadays the business traveler has no time for that. They rather book for themselves instead.
- High fees: Travel agencies tend to charge for each and every little service they offer, this can get expensive for the individual client and they can end up getting bad travelling rates.
Conclusion
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that the top management in your company needs to take the lead on the travel policies and lead by example!
Corporate travel agencies can help your company by making travel booking easy and convenient for employees. They can help ensure that the bookings are done in accordance to your company’s corporate travel policies. In addition to providing reliable booking fares, as well as accommodation packages for your employees they provide nonstop travel support and ensure the safety of your employees that are travelling. Even though corporate travel agencies can be expensive and have different fees but many corporate travel departments claim they are worth every penny!
