Article by Spencer Travel

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Experience Alaska with Lonely Planet author Greg Benchwick. You’ll see more than 80 straight days of 24 hours of sunlight giving you plenty of time to admire the icy white landscapes of the Arctic ocean that’s been home to the Inupiat people for thousands of years. Special note from Greg: Oops, I called the sealskin boat an ‘upiak’, but actually it’s an ‘umiak’, 24 hours of sunlight can really mess with your head! Produced by Lonely Planet TV
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Article by BCD Travel

Cutting travel program fat without compromising strategic objectives

The global economic downturn is hitting business travel where it hurts: According to a new survey by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), more than 70 percent of U.S. travel managers plan to spend less on corporate travel in 2009. The results represent a sharp shift from an earlier ACTE poll (Sept. 2008), which found that only 33 percent of U.S. travel managers were planning on cutting travel spend in the year to come.

While the ACTE survey may have focused on the U.S., the challenges faced by travel buyers and travel managers cut across all sectors of the globe. From reducing travel to tightening travel policy, and from renegotiating with suppliers to adjusting travel behavior, travel program stakeholders are intent on cutting trips and curbing expenses.

The silver lining to the financial storm clouds, says Kathy Jackson, executive vice president.

Story highlights:

* Travel buyers and managers now able to make changes that were impossible in the past

* New role for account managers in understanding and supporting client business drivers

* Changes to travel policy, approval process, traveler behavior are leading savings mechanisms for cost-conscious companies

* Demand management and online technologies are key supports

For Global Client Management at BCD Travel, is that the economy is enabling travel buyers and their respective teams to make changes that, quite frankly, have never been achievable in the past.

The challenge, adds Jackson, is to save on travel spend without compromising on business objectives: “As hard as it may be to foresee, the recession will not last forever. Companies will need to emerge from the downturn with plans for growth and solid business relationships in place- and travel is a crucial element in supporting growth and retention initiatives.”

Teri Miller, senior vice president for Global Client Management in the Americas for BCD Travel, sees a major opportunity for travel management company account managers in the current situation: “Account managers need a deep understanding of the customer’s business drivers to enable them to anticipate and add value, rather than react. As an example, if a client is closing manufacturing plants in three countries, our account manager will explain how travel patterns will shift as a result, illustrate what effect that may have on supplier contracts and provide a plan for optimizing potential impact.”

What steps are BCD Corporate Travel clients taking to combat the recession?

Companies need to look beyond the big-ticket items, says Jackson, and filter adjustments through every component of a trip. “It may be tempting to focus exclusively on air ticket costs, but for some programs, air may make up only as much as 20 percent of total T&E expenditure. Our account managers, often with the support of a consultative engagement from Advito [the independent consulting branch of BCD Travel], help clients focus on the total cost of trip, including hotel, ground transportation and even restaurant costs.”

A list of some of the decisions in which BCD Travel is supporting its clients’ recession-management travel strategies is below.

The choices and decisions being made represent a major opportunity for companies to make lasting beneficial changes to their travel programs, says Jackson: “As with any diet, success is incumbent on making change a way of life, not a 30-day wonder regime.”

Changes in travel policy

Growing corporate cost-consciousness is manifesting itself most prominently in the refinement and enactment of more stringent travel policies. Among the common cost-cutting elements BCD Travel is seeing: shifting from business class to coach class (variations include mandating coach class for all travelers regardless of hierarchical level and increasing the business-class flight-time threshold); down-tiering hotels (i.e., three-star instead of four-star); mandating the use of public transport rather than taxis; and retaining frequent flyer miles for business travel rather than personal travel.

BCD Travel is also seeing an increase in the use of rail and low-cost carriers within EMEA, says Felix Vezjak, senior vice president for Global Client Management in EMEA: “Companies are much more likely to accept what were formerly seen as inconveniences (i.e., secondary airports) in exchange for savings. However, particularly in the case of low-cost carriers, companies need to ensure that their travelers always use the preferred booking channels (online booking tool and agency) of choice to ensure adequate reporting and security tracking.”

For further suggestions on refining and enforcing travel policy, see our Feb. 2009 article “Reliance on compliance.”Changes to travel approval process

Whether it’s instituting an official approval process where one might not have existed or – as is more common – making existing processes more restrictive, this cost-cutting method is winning wide-spread support among BCD Corporate Travel clients as an easy “quick win.”

As part of a concerted travel-cost reduction effort, one of BCD Travel’s global clients, which has over US0 million in annual travel spend and more than 325,000 employees worldwide, changed its travel approval process radically to incorporate the following:

# No travel unless approved by a vice president on a single trip basis (<150 VPs in the company)

# No last-minute travel (under seven days’ advance purchase) unless approved by an executive vice president (<15 EVPs in the company)

Demand management (travel reduction or travel freeze)

More and more companies today view demand management as one of the biggest opportunities they have to control or reduce costs without compromising their overall business goals and requirements.

Among the possible steps companies can take to reduce travel demand:

# Eliminate all non-client-related travel

# Freeze attendance at industry conventions and conferences

One BCD Travel client refers to internal meetings as the “mother of all travel,” and has implemented the following methods to reduce the travel they generate:

# Prioritize video/web-conferencing for internal meetings

# Reduce number of meeting participants (all participants must be on agenda)

# Require meetings to be planned around travel, rather than vice versa

# Eliminate hotel nights before and after the meetings

# Choose meeting venues based on total cost, including travel and employee time spend

Travel management company as educational and staffing resource

BCD Travel has played an important role for several major clients in helping educate travelers and travel arrangers on a range of subjects in order to improve their ability to support the companies’ savings initiatives. For some clients, BCD Travel account management has provided workshop sessions for travel bookers; for others, the company has created “Tips and Tricks” documents for cost-savvy travel that clients have made available to all travelers.

Some clients have also had to face internal downsizing, resulting in the loss of key travel personnel. In one recent case, following the departure of the travel manager, BCD Travel has been able to dedicate a resource to that role. The account manager has also supported the client by conducting analyses to forecast further headcount reduction ahead of online adoption drive. This headcount reduction has been written into the budget for 2009.

Increased use of online booking tools

In order to save on transaction costs and streamline processes, companies are increasingly mandating that all domestic or point-to-point travel be booked online. Online tools can also play an important role in supporting changes to the travel policy and to traveler behavior, says Miller: “Companies can modify booking tools to ask travelers about the necessity of a trip or offer alternatives to the journey before proceeding to booking.”

Program consolidation

Finally, says Jackson, the economic downturn may present a significant “carrot” for companies that had been looking into consolidating their travel services regionally or globally: “Consolidation of multiple country services into a multinational service center, for example, can represent considerable savings in resource and process costs. However, companies must be sure that their organization is prepared to fully support consolidation in order to fully achieve the benefits. That means asking questions like, ‘Do we have a consistent travel policy in place that spans the markets involved? Are there language constraints that would be met by the service center?’”

About the Author

BCD Travel is your all inclusive corporate travel agency offering competitive ongoing corporate travel management solutions to companies across Australia. We do more than simply organise your corporate travel, we also coordinate conferences and incentives and assist staff with personal holiday planning to any destination worldwide.

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Business actually significantly increased in the last decade, as the companies sell more easily able to markets around the world, the Internet has ensured that even small companies with a global customer base that actually have! It is ideal for business travelers, the feelings of strain with increasing stress and fatigue levels. With that in mind, this business travel tips article highlights some useful information that your business travel more enjoyable.

Sometimes, for example, luggage is missing, this is an unfortunate fact of travel and although it is embarrassing for a family vacation, business can be fatal. An easy way to grab as much as possible do you really need to meet you, in your hand.

This means that even if your main luggage is lost your trip will not be wasted, your meeting can still take place despite the inconvenience. Frequent travelers know that the main business travel tip when packing to keep things simple with just exactly what you need for travel, and so do not be far wrong if luggage lost.

If you just enough business clothes for the trip and then all that’s left is a casual wear for the evening, but two pairs of shoes to a casual pair and a pair of good business travelers. the remaining items to pack will be toilet essentials and any other work associated with documents that are not important.

A smart tip business travel, the size of the bag you need to reduce it is to roll your clothes instead of, capitulate, except for taking up less space, they are not elevated when they are extracted. The last thing you want is on a business trip with washed clothes, because something has been spilled, this can easily be easily avoided by wearing dark clothes absorb the stains.

Of course if you are working on a tight schedule and the inevitable delay happens then you want to know, you notice a meeting at a time and join the path to recovery, by the hand and face wipes, which come in travel packs. Mobile phones and other related equipment usually have a good battery life, but do not forget to take a charger if you make more than a few days.

How is it possible to do work while going through an optimal use of this time you can spend some relaxing hours in the evening and fly is perhaps a little site seeing. These tips to ensure that no matter what if you are on a business trip, you can plan to use and requires no more left to do now what happens.

business need not be boring and tiring if you’re in the business travel tips in this article, because it allows you to manage your time more.

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(Photo) find those working in small businesses, they often need this trip, even the smallest businesses, customers can now anywhere in the world. Who but a large proportion of their time is spent traveling for her business to see to say how tiring it can be. Experienced travelers may already aware of the business travel tips below but if you’re a new member of the Executive Club you can find the information very useful.

lost baggage as it is annoying to say the least, but for anyone on business trips a lot more disastrous. An easy way to grab as much as possible do you really need to meet you, in your hand.

That makes perfect sense, because you with your luggage go missing then your main event will continue, and hopefully your main luggage will be handled in due course. The main business travel tip is to pack light and only the minimal you need in your main luggage.

To achieve this type, with a pair of sneakers and one pair of shoes from companies, just to make sure that enough work clothes to last you through the journey. the remaining items to pack will be toilet essentials and any other work associated with documents that are not important.

You need this too low a bag as you roll all your clothes in a cylinder shape and not this way they fold them take less space and the chance of scoring, the reduction is a business travel tip that flight attendants used the whole time. Dark clothes are very useful for businessmen as it hides stains and dirt very well, so if you sweaty or spill coffee on the run, it will not be too conspicuous.

The ideal situation is where you can quickly hop off the plane, combing their hair, and get sanitary wipes to renew (other travelers are popular trick) and then immediately a client. Mobile phones and other related equipment usually have a good battery life, but do not forget to take a charger if you make more than a few days.

If you make effective use of your time of day downtime while traveling, you can at night to spend in the area after you when you arrive at your business destination. regular business these preparations for the trip to the business side of it to work to ensure no problems.

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As with every other area of specialization, it is his business, which always seem to know what they do and they seem constantly in a state of crisis. The business traveler who is in for a while, numbers some insider information that does not know of many passengers. This little secrets to travel, the world of difference when traveling. And you can bet that they will not share this information with anyone, because this is the kind of information, the nature of your business forever.

your laptop is a crucial piece of equipment as you travel. In an airport emergency, then you can use your wireless laptop to modify reservations so you can avoid the long queues to get out on the next flight. You can rent a car or catch one of the few remaining rooms in the city right from the comfort of a seat at the airport. Then the savvy business traveler casually stroll its designation as others around her in a panic, because to them, such as technology and the internet managed to get bail from a crisis.

But one aspect of your laptop for themselves, when the airport shut down in life is the limited power of the laptop. If your battery goes dead when it is needed most is to see if your ship is sinking, as the sharks circle the lifeboat. What many people do not know is that open outlets in airports, for the cleaning crew, if you know where they are. Typically, these stores are just below the windows that overlooked the runway so you can seat in the vicinity of the safe modes, you can recharge your laptop and keep your lifeline in the world lives.

business travelers know how to account for fully benefit from the resources made available exclusively business people. Find a hotel to meet the traveling businessman. These hotels are no facilities for families, but they are trying to bring young coaches on the road to the camp. How can you make a hotel with a young and much less noise when you try to find ways to concentrate on business.

more authentic information about business travel tips that you know, people are more likely to consider you for a business travel tips from experts. Read more Business Travel Tips facts, you can share it.

In addition the use of companies and business travelers, frequent flyer clubs and priority of many airlines and hotels offer used. If you travel a lot, you some credits to rack clubs in the first class upgrade, better accommodations or free services where you can do to make your stay in your hotel. They win because they travel to capture your dollars. You win if you’re spoiled for a while.

You can gain comfort and reduce your hassle with a less popular airport in the city. rent through the use of an airport in a small town in the vicinity and a car, you will receive from the congestion of traffic and can be your destination to reach without the exposure to the mass’s all push-drive and pushed by the grote hubs get.

Additional copies of the travel documents, a lot of things, particularly if you have the speed to leave the country. Often when you go through customs, you must show your passport, so that customs agents can make a copy. For a copy before it and give it to them. With a quick scan, they can confirm that there is a genuine copy and you on your way much faster.

Not overlooked, such as public transportation, you can in dealing with heavy traffic in urban situations. In Washington or New York, The Subways works very well. If you can get from the airport on public transport, you can find a rental location in the city and running your business with less patience and no congestion at the airport you would face. Plus the airport car rental sites are higher than those in the city.

these little tips can make your travel a long way towards a lower cost, cheaper and more successful to make. With the knowledge of how the large crowds and the use of funds made available to business people, travel becomes more efficient, more relaxed and more successful.

You can not predict when something special is about business travel tips useful. If you learned something new in this article, you must read the file where you can find them again.

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Even though people have this wrong assumption that traveling is one of the costliest things ever, you can avoid accepting this statement as there are enough reasons for you to do so. You will just need to be a little more cautious and plan your travel efficiently that can make the whole process even more enjoyable and comfortable. There are various ways through which you can lower your travel costs which are as follows.

At first you need to you prepare a proper budget for yourself where the maximum amount you can spend will be mentioned and also the minimum amount you want to consume.

Choose the seasons while making your traveling plans as traveling during off seasons can really decrease your costs. The crowd is less and therefore the hotels charge lower prices. Look for offers than provide you discounts on both airfares and hotel accommodation. You have the option of traveling during the rainy seasons and winter which are considered to be the off seasons.

In the case of domestic travel, you can get yourself lodged into hostels and can even set up your own tent. These are specifically recommended for students who will not have a large amount of cash with them. These tents can be set up on recreational grounds that are welcomed and thus save you a lot of bucks also by not staying in hotel rooms.

Look out for off season discounts even if you are traveling domestically. These publications are offered only to lure customers like you that you can find through travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, journals, magazines, newspapers, etc.

If the place is not so far and can be commuted by using your own car then do so as it saves a lot on travel fare. Renting a car would be a bit more expensive but you can save by renting the ones that do not have an air conditioner and excess speed facilities, etc. If you travel in your own car, use the gasoline effectively and turn them off at traffic signals. But the best way to save more is by simply traveling in buses or trains.

You can use the internet to obtain valuable information on cheap travel, especially on travel fares, hotel accommodation and eating joints. Also try and gain more information about the place and the lifestyle that can help you to be aware of the places where residents go to eat at a cheap rate.

Travel insurance is a very important factor that makes up for your cancelled flights, medical expenses, lost luggage, etc. These travel insurance companies offer your concessions when you travel internationally. At any point of time, these travel insurances make your travel safer and more enjoyable.

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