When it comes to business travel, most SMEs are itching to get back on the road! But this uptick in demand combined with lingering airline capacity issues, not to mention increasing fuel costs, means higher prices – at a time when most business’ budgets are under pressure.
Lighten Your Business Travel Load: 7 Clever Ways to Save Time & Money
Ever felt your business trips pick up extra luggage—financial and time-wise? The secret? Swap unmanaged travel for managed travel, and watch those savings roll in like a complimentary beverage at the hotel lobby.
1. Embrace the “Managed Travel” Mindset
Think of it as hiring a personal travel stylist—one that ensures every flight, hotel, and car hire looks perfectly curated. No more hunting for the lowest fares on lonely corners of the web.
2. Prioritize Terms & Conditions, Not Just the Price
Yes, the cheapest ticket can suck the fun out of a trip. Opt for flexible plans that let you tweak or cancel without a headache (or a fortune).
3. Time is Money—Get Five Minutes Instead of Fifty
A streamlined booking system saves you 50 minutes that you can spend on a coffee, a quick scan of the local vibrancy, or simply breathing. Give your managerial life that extra breather!
4. Tap Into a Treasure Trove of Deals
Professional travel partners have access to high‑volume discounts and exclusive fares. Think of it as a secret club where your wallet gets a VIP pass.
5. Instant Support: Your Lifeline When Things Go Wrong
Flights cancel? Rebooking needed? A 24/7 helpline turns a potential travel nightmare into a solved puzzle, often within seconds.
6. Evaluate Costs from a Panorama View
Look beyond the initial booking—consider transportation, meals, and incidental needs. Harmonize each step to slash inefficiencies.
7. Plan Ahead, Think Long‑Term
It’s not just the trip day; it’s about savings a month—or even a year—down the line. Book in bulk, negotiate better rates, and get loyalty perks that add up.
So next time you’re gearing up for travel, remember: manage the journey, not just the destination. Your bank account—and sanity—will thank you.
Look into your data
See Your Travel Spend in Full Colour
Ever wanted to cut between the red, the black, and the blue to see exactly how much you’re dropping into flights and hotels? It’s like opening a portal to your pocket’s secret life.
Key Questions to Start With
- How often does your crew hit the road?
- Can those trips be booked a few months in advance?
- Where lies the juicy data hidden in plain sight?
Optimising Like a Pro
Every day, our team hunts for clever tweaks—big or small—to squeeze the most out of every dollar.
- Spotting price flares in the airline market.
- Choosing hotels that offer the best free Wi‑Fi, because a lack of signal is a silent cost.
- Mapping out routes that cut fuel costs and time.
Takeaway: Why it matters
When you understand your travel patterns, you can:
- Lock in lower rates by booking early.
- Increase team morale by reducing travel stress.
- Re‑allocate savings to other strategic initiatives.
Ready to turn those raw numbers into a clear, actionable plan? Let’s dive in together.
Set the rules
Keep Your Travel Spend on Target — Why a Travel Policy is a Money‑Saving Superhero
Ever notice how a group of people with free rein to book flights, hotels, and dinners can drive your budget down faster than a leaky faucet? That’s exactly why a travel policy is the number one trick to protect your expenses.
- Choose the airlines your crew should fly. Stick to a shortlist and watch those fares drop.
- Class rules: Keep economy for the everyday traveler, pretentiously upgrade to Premium for the occasional jet‑setter, and reserve Business for the big moves.
- Hotel caps: Set a nightly limit so you’re not paying a small fortune for a room that’s actually a luxury boutique.
- Approval hierarchy: Decide who signs off on bookings, so no one spends in the grey‑area.
Even the simplest guidelines, when put on paper, can bring a huge difference. No more “I just booked a last‑minute flight” surprises.
Take the pressure off your ‘go to’ person
When One Person Becomes the World’s Travel Manager
Picture this: a small inbox, a handful of flights, and one laser‑focused employee juggling all the travel for their whole team. It’s a quiet hero in the office, quietly handling itineraries while the office hums on. But when a company’s workforce explodes from 32 to 125 people, that one person’s juggle starts to feel like a circus act.
Holovis: From 32 to 125 Dreamers
Holovis is the magic behind mind‑blowing theme‑park rides and AR/VR spectacles worldwide. As it grew, so did the need to ship designers and engineers across continents—sometimes in large groups, often with “stop‑over” trips in between.
- Every day became a spreadsheet nightmare.
- Bookings weren’t just manual anymore—they felt like a “Where’s the flight?” game.
- When borders closed or engines sputtered, the instant chaos hit.
The In‑House Bookers: Your Silent Saviors
The lone booker was the backbone of Holovis’ travel: booking tickets, watching cash flows, and wrangling post‑trip receipts. When something went sideways, the whole team felt the ripple—misties of lost dashboards, empty conference rooms, and a very angry sea of e‑mails.
Some folks even say that in-house bookers were the unsung “office wizards” with eyes on the gold‑en route for saving mates.
Enter Corporate Traveller: The Ultimate Shortcut
Corporate Traveller swooped in and took the shackles off the in‑house booker’s belt. Tech savvy, instant approvals, and an on‑call team ready to handle everything from last‑minute changes to emergency returns.
Thanks to the partnership, Holovis gained:
- Reliable cost control—no more overbooked flights.
- Reduced admin fatigue—booker spent less time on paperwork.
- Fast response to boundary hiccups—engineers avoided forced extratime stops.
- Peace of mind—if an itinerary glitch popped up, the traveler was hand‑carried back home.
Why It Matters
Smaller companies can keep travel tidy with a single “office traveler.” For companies rocket‑jumping, a dedicated travel support team isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. It keeps teams moving, costs within budget, and headaches at bay.
Holovis’ story shows that when the crew grows, so should the travel infrastructure. And with the right partner, you can focus on designing incredible experiences rather than chasing flight confirmations.
Keep your team focused on the day job
Travel Planning: The Time Sink
Even when flights are on-point, chasing a booking online can feel like a marathon for your team. Counting the minutes you spend scrolling, comparing fares, and double‑checking availability, you might barely reach the 49‑minute mark—before you even hit Book.
Why It’s a Drag
- Endless searches across multiple websites
- Price comparisons that need constant refreshing
- Stiff competition for seat inventory at the last minute
- A final click that may trip over a new policy or a payment glitch
Enter the Travel Management Company (TMC)
With a TMC in play, the whole process collapses into just five minutes. Not only does it shave hours off your calendar, but you also secure the best rates available that very day.
Mary in Sales: A Case Study
Picture Mary, queen of closing deals, spending arbitrary hours on AirlineX.com—where she should be drafting proposals and running training sessions. Clear question: is this a productivity menace or a mere inconvenience? The answer lies in swapping pages for TMCs and letting Mary focus on what truly matters.
Trade SOS calls for 24-hour support
Why Do the Worst Things Always Happen After Hours?
Picture this: you’re on a weekend and suddenly a travelling boss or a travel planner receives an SOS call from an upset traveller on the late side of a Saturday evening. It’s exactly the kind of scene nobody wants to live through – “please hold, you’re on a call centre with endless wait times!”
Reasons It Feels Like a Week‑End Nightmare
- The clock often ticks 8‑10 pm, which means staff are already clocked‑out.
- Common solutions, like calling a “24/7 office,” are inisōmorphic & expensive.
- Most travel teams normally wrap up with their last shift at 5:30 pm.
- So when you call at 11:30 pm, the only available options are either a phone menu or a live agent who has already left.
How a Dedicated After‑Hours Support Team Changes the Game
Picking the right travel partner means you’re covered outside regular working hours. The post‑hours team knows the common bumps: flight cancelations, passport issues, lost luggage. They get the right to act fast, which keeps the Traveller’s day from spiralling into a full‑blown disaster.
When an after‑hours support squad is in place:
- You can call directly and get a human agent ready to help, no waiting.
- Travel planners feel confident that if something goes wrong, travelers won’t feel stranded.
- The employee morale improves because the system is smooth.
- Simply put: the weekend crisis disappears.
Enough with the Weekend Snafu
Got an reliable partner with after‑hours coverage? Then the frantic Saturday‑night calls are a thing of the past. That’s a win for the boss, the planner, and, most importantly, the traveler. Stay calm, you’ve got a backup on standby.
Make any crisis that bit more manageable
Got a Travel Turbulence? Let the Pros Keep Your Team Calm
Ever wonder how to gauge the mental burden your staff picks up when trips go off-script—especially after juggling COVID‑era chaos? That’s a bit of an invisible juggernaut, but it’s a piece of the puzzle you shouldn’t leave to chance.
The Managing‑Travel Magic
And here’s the twist‑in‑the‑road: if you’ve nailed a managed travel program, the weight of this stress takes a deal of a load off your shoulders. Think of the program as an internal concierge that swoops in to handle the details so you can focus on the big picture.
When the Unexpected Happens
In a crisis—whether it’s a sudden flight cancellation or a last‑minute venue change—the trained experts at a Travel Management Company (TMC) step in. Their job? Rapidly iron out the admin and logistics so the team’s day doesn’t spiral into chaos.
- Swift booking replacements
- Real‑time itinerary updates
- Cost controls that keep you from blowing the budget
All the while, they’ll keep the expenses from soaring out of control—no unexpected “over the top” surprises. That means your forecast stays tight and your spend stays predictable.
Why That Matters
When the plans get muddled, you’d normally feel the pressure. But with a travel expert on the helm, your team gets a calm ride through the storm—stress levels stay low, budget stays on track, and everyone can keep doing their best work. That’s the kind of peace-of-mind you want in a hectic world.
Knowledge is power
Travel Expertise That Makes Entrepreneurial Success Even More Fun
Why 2022’s Travel Scene Is a Whole New Ball Game
Even if you’re a startup superstar launching ventures or steering your business through high‑stakes decisions, the travel landscape is flipping on its head.
We’ve Got All the Right Connections
Our squad brings tons of experience and deep industry know‑how—plus the travel links you can’t get elsewhere. And if plans go sideways, we’ll push the cancellation fees back into the void.
The Power‑Packed SME Corporate Travel Toolkit
Knowledge is your secret weapon. That’s why we’ve assembled a toolkit that’s all about:
- Crafting the perfect travel policy that keeps the team moving smoothly
- Spotting savings without compromising traveller safety (you can’t put a price on a good vacation, but you can put a price on your team’s well‑being!)
- Steering clear of the pitfalls of unmanaged travel, so you never get stuck in a bind
- And a ton more handy tips that make sure every trip counts.
Take the leap—your next journey is closer than you think.
