Frequently, people that work as travel agents encounter the question, “Do you get to travel all over the world for free?” Sometimes the people asking the question are interested in working as business travel consultants themselves, or they may just wonder how travel agencies make money. Here is what you need to know about travel agents and their perks:
Not Many Freebies In truth, most of the time, travel agents don’t get free travel although they sometimes get discounts or a chance to keep the commission they would get on their own travel plans. An agent might have the opportunity to travel at a discount if:
How Travel Agents Make Money In the past, most travel agents made the most money off of airline commissions, but changes in booking travel have reduced that stream of income. Now business travel consultants get revenue through service fees and commissions. Some of these fees are paid by businesses, and others are paid by the vendors themselves. How Travel Agents Really Travel the World Most of the time, when travel agents take trips, they pay the same way that you do for their personal travel, out of their own pockets, although they may be able to book their own travel and earn a commission. Occasionally, if they are lucky, they could get a trip as a door prize at a convention, just the same as you might at your business convention. Do Travel Agent Commissions Add to Business Travel Cost? Not in the long run. Often the service fees or commissions might be something rolled into the cost of the trip no matter who makes the arrangements. However, when you work with a travel agent, you have someone who knows your needs and is personally interested in making sure your business travelers are safe and have a well-planned trip. Are Corporate Travel Consultants Worth Paying For? While your business may pay for the travel planning, that service fee will more than be made up by:
Why Travel Agents Enjoy Their Job If there isn’t free travel, what makes people enjoy being a travel agent? Most travel consultants are people-oriented and love organizing trips and helping other people. They find their job fun and love it when a trip is more successful than the business traveler expected. So if your corporate travel agent planned a particularly successful trip, be sure to tell them! This blog was originally posted at https://www.gtitravel.com/do-travel-agents-get-free-trips/.
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While booking your own travel is possible, more and more companies are discovering that while “DIY” is great for home improvement projects, it can backfire big when you apply that to important aspects of your business like travel arrangement. Here are 6 ways travel agencies make your business travel easier:
1. Someone to Call With weather delays, lost luggage, changed meeting times and illnesses, the list of potential challenges that could interrupt your well-planned business trip are practically endless. In fact, when you are traveling for business and need to be on time, it seems that delays and problems are the norms, rather than the exception. When you use a GTI travel management consultant, you have someone to call 24/7 that can help you:
2. Peace of Mind Ever hear a report about terrorism in another country or political demonstrations and worry about your business travelers? With a travel agent in charge, you and your travelers have the peace of mind of knowing that no matter what they encounter, an expert is in charge of getting them to their destination and home safely. 3. Better Travel Arrangements Even though you can get all of those flights, hotels, and other arrangements on your own, you can’t do it as well as an experienced travel agent who has:
4. Save Money Not only can a corporate travel consultant save you time, they usually save you money both in planning the trip and in managing your business travel expenses for your company. Why? They can help:
5. Tips and Tricks A travel agent has heard your question a thousand times. That is good news. It means they are more than prepared with any possible answer that you need. They can give you good information about preparing to travel. Moreover, they can help you avoid many travel glitches with their tips and tricks on:
6. Local Information Whether you are traveling domestically or internationally, business travel agents can help you be prepared by providing:
Who wouldn’t want instant access to the best travel industry knowledge and information for their business travelers? You would not handicap sales people by not providing them everything they need to succeed. By using travel agent services you let your business travelers focus on what they do best: represent your business. This blog was originally posted at https://www.gtitravel.com/6-ways-travel-agencies-make-your-business-travel-easy/. The Secret Guide to Negotiating Rates and Fares With Travel Agents. Shhh… Don’t Tell Anyone!5/25/2017 Want to reduce spending on business travel? Who doesn’t want to get the most from their expense budgets? The money you don’t have to spend on travel can go into growing your company or providing incentives to your most productive employees. Here is the secret guide to negotiating rates and fares with travel agents:
Get Help From a Travel Management Company First tip? Don’t go it alone. No business can really compete in an online search with the volume and resources available to business travel agency management. A management agency can make sure you have access to discount rates only available to corporate travel agencies. In addition, they can further assist you in assessing your travel needs clearly and setting goals that help you:
Examine Travel Expenditures for Negotiating Leverage You can never negotiate effectively if you aren’t sure of your own position, so one of the first things you need to do is to make sure you understand your current travel expenditures. Corporate travel consultants can help you:
Review Your Travel Policy When was the last time you reviewed your travel policies? An excellent travel policy which reflects the needs of your particular company can help make sure your dedicated business travelers get everything they need to drive your business without adding unnecessary expenses. A travel agency consultant who knows the best practices for travel policies for your industry is able to:
Use Professional Corporate Travel Agent Help The best secret? Make sure you let a professional with extensive connections do the negotiations for you. What will really eat into your company budget is:
GTI travel agents know how to make sure that business travel is negotiated so that your travelers get where they need to go and back safely, efficiently and in the most cost-effective way. By providing 24/7 live help to any traveler, they make sure that no one needs to make last-minute negotiations on their own. Shh…Don’t tell anyone! You can skip all the negotiations and relax. Why? GTI travel take care of all the hassles of negotiating and get you the best deal every time! This blog was originally posted at https://www.gtitravel.com/guide-to-negotiating-rates-fares-travel-agents/. Staying healthy on the road takes planning, but it is worth it when you don’t feel guilty about indulging in the local cuisine. Here are some tips for staying fit while on the road:
Pack Workout Gear Simple shorts, T-shirt, sneakers and you are ready to go. Having them with you will be a good reminder to take the time to use them. If you forget your gear, give a call to your travel agent who can direct you to a place you can purchase replacements, or can let you know if your hotel has something you can borrow. Take Advantage of Natural Fitness Really pressed for time? Just make sure that when you are going somewhere, you make your body work as hard as it can. How?
Plan Short Workouts The worst workout is no workout, so don’t worry about whether you keep to the same schedule as you do at home, just make sure you get some exercise in every day, even if it is just a short run or yoga in your room. In fact, it is a good idea to plan ahead to have some short workout routines you like. You might even want to make sure your travel management company includes fitness rooms in the list of things you want when booking a hotel. Try the Park Or take the suggestion of traveler Nomadic Matt, who suggests that travelers find a park to do his quick exercise program of 3 sets each of:
Explore the City Feel short on time? Combine a chance to explore the city or countryside while also getting a workout. Don’t underestimate the power walk. Explore the area around your hotel on a lunch break. Power down the street to bump up your heart level. Drink Right When you are on an airplane, skip the coffee, colas and fruit juices that won’t hydrate you and add on empty calories. Instead, drink:
Make Time Keeping employees fit is good for their personal health, but also for the health of your business. Let GTI Travel management solutions http://www.gtitravel.com/corporate-travel-management-solutions/ help you make travel arrangements that give business travelers time to take care of their health so that they are ready and fit to take care of business. This blog was originally posted at https://www.gtitravel.com/how-to-stay-fit-while-traveling/. With the availability of online booking, you may wonder if your business should use a travel agent. Perhaps you are unsure whether that will save your company money. Here are 7 reasons using a corporate travel agent is still the best idea for your next business trip:
Better Travel Deals One thing that most people don’t know is that the very best deals on travel are only offered to travel agents with specialized connections to services. Moreover, as we all know, getting the cheapest deal on travel may not always be the best choice if the layovers lose the traveler time or hotel accommodations are not clean, safe or centrally located. Saves Time Looking for travel reservations online takes time, especially when business travelers are looking for a particular itinerary or are trying to save money. Expert travel agents often can make better travel arrangements and often can make a better itinerary because they know the layout of a city without having to read various reviews and look at maps. Letting an expert take care of the travel arrangements saves the business travel time that they can better spend getting ready for meetings. Personalized Attention When you use GTI Travel, you will have 24/7 access to a live person in the case of any need to:
Expert Advice Global travel agents have personal experience and access to information that can make your business travel safer, easier and much more pleasant. Even if you’ve been to a city many times before or spend hours researching, you probably still won’t have the up-to-date information they have about:
Higher Quality at Cheaper Prices Want to save money? A travel management company has the clout to leverage their client’s upgrades or special services at bargain prices. Moreover, they buy in volume and so can often get deals that you couldn’t get online. Help When You Need It Unfortunately, lots of things can go wrong on a business trip. You can have a layover, a health emergency, a change in meeting plans or baggage that doesn’t show up. If you buy your tickets online, you are on your own, but with a travel agent at your side, you have someone that you can go to for help. GTI international global consultants have offices worldwide with specialists who can take care of any emergency, to make sure that a business traveler makes it to and from their destination safely and on time. Help With Travel Policies Have a small business? Wondering what is the best way to save the most money on business travel? GTI’s Small Business Travel Management services provide not only travel agent services for booking business travel but also:
This blog was originally posted at https://www.gtitravel.com/7-reasons-use-travel-agent-next-business-trip/. Do you feel that your small business can’t afford business travel management consulting? In reality, small businesses really can’t afford to not have help from professionals to arrange and manage business travel. Here’s why your small or medium sized business will save money by using business travel management: Professionally Designed Travel Policies Lower Costs You might think that making your own travel arrangements is the cheapest. Perhaps your travelers search the Internet for their own deals. However, employees spend a lot of time making travel arrangements and they often are making choices blindly, not knowing if they really got the best possible itinerary or the best possible hotel location. In fact, studies show that small businesses spend more on travel than larger ones. Here is how GTI business travel management can lower your business travel costs::
Another cost savings of using management travel assistance is that you can track business travel costs better. With professional consulting about your travel, you will be able to:
Save Money By Keeping Travelers Safe Nothing can cost more money and anguish to your company than a business traveler who encounters theft, a medical emergency, or an unsafe situation. When your business arranges all of the travel, you also take on all the responsibility for arranging for help in any emergency and covering the costs of any change of plans. Hiring business travel planners can save you not only money but also time and anxiety because:
Finally, corporate travel consultants provide a better overall experience for your business travelers. With GTI, your travelers won’t have to worry about anything but what to pack in their suitcase, and how to prepare for their meeting or presentation. By keeping your business travelers safe and secure, they can do their work of growing your business effectively and productively. Now, that is a cost saving you can’t ignore! This blog was originally posted at https://www.gtitravel.com/how-can-travel-consultants-help-small-businesses-save-money/. Are you in charge of planning a conference? You are probably excited to be involved in organizing the event but you may very well also feel overwhelmed by the responsibility. Perhaps you are wondering how you can make sure that conference attendees have a great travel experience. Here is how GTI Travel corporate event travel services can help:
Creating Extraordinary Experiences Making an event go smoothly for everyone in your corporation requires expertise in many areas of planning as well as wide experience in handling any difficulties that can occur along the way. For over 25 years, GTI’s Corporate Global Travel Consultants have arranged a wide variety of exciting and innovative corporate travel experiences, such as:
Sports Travel Planning Do you need a special type of sports travel management event? We have extensive experience in creating unique events. We have handled conferences for Major League Basketball, college teams and also scouts. Let us know what you want and we can design an event for you. Transportation and Lodging As business travel managers, we specialize in being able to create a seamless travel experience by:
Our business travel consultants in Philadelphia can arrange for groups to register online easily through our proprietary web registration system. Our system allows you to track the number of attendees as well as helping individuals and groups to complete the registration process simply and easily by phone, tablet or computer. Cost-Savings Reporting and Analysis Keeping track of all of the details of a conference can be a headache, especially if there are cancellations or a last-minute rush of registrations. With GTI travel management assistance, you will have the help of:
No matter how carefully you plan, emergencies happen. Sometimes the weather causes delays, baggage is lost or there is a medical emergency. When you choose GTI Travel, you have a partner to help you no matter where your corporate travel conference takes you. We have a live person on call 24/7 to handle your emergency and get you the help you need when you need it. GTI Travel Offers Conference Attendees a Great Travel Experience Ready to let the experts at GTI Travel take care of planning your conference event? When you let us take care of all the headaches of planning, you will be sure to have plenty of accolades when everyone has a wonderful time. This blog was originally posted at https://www.gtitravel.com/planning-conference-travel/. Getting ready to plan a conference for your corporation? Corporate travel managers can help you manage your event. Here are the top ten conference destinations in the USA to consider:
1. San Antonio, Texas San Antonio is fast becoming a favorite new recommendation of business events planners because of luxury hotels located on a beautiful Riverwalk where attendees can eat excellent food and easily walk to the convention center. 2. San Diego, California With beautiful beaches, a lovely old downtown, and nearby attractions like Sea World and world-class zoos, San Diego is a prime choice for conferences, especially if spouses and families travel too. 3. New York, New York Nothing compares to New York’s size and availability of transport. With 594 hotels and three airports along with plenty of rail transit, New York can be a good choice for a big conference. Although it is expensive, the availability of space is high. 4. Orlando, Florida A favorite destination for many because of the proximity of Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World and Gulf Coast beaches. Orlando has good temperatures year round but can be crowded with tourists. Before you choose a date, be sure to consult with an experienced corporate travel consultant. 5. Portland, Oregon For a quieter, less expensive West Coast location, consider Portland which has an interesting culture and is surrounded by natural beauty. Adding flavor to the many interesting places to shop, fantastic restaurants, and the country’s largest used bookstore, is the fact that all purchases are sales-tax free. 6. Tucson, Arizona Offering a desert setting with a scenic backdrop of mountains, Tucson is an affordable conference location. Ranking among the least expensive cities for hotels and meals, Tucson does have some resorts, hiking, and historic sites, but also offers a place where conference attendees can stick to business. 7. Los Angeles, California With the highest concentration of dining and entertainment establishments in the U.S., Los Angeles offers glamor and attractions that are hard to beat. Since the city center is 20 miles from the airport, you will want to make sure that you consult your travel agency for efficient transportation services. 8. Las Vegas, Nevada With three of the largest convention centers in the U.S., this city offers plenty of trade show, meeting and event space. Imagine how you can dazzle your attendees with an evening event or show. Pick this city if fun is your main objective. 9. Columbus, Ohio This middle of the country city is a good choice for conferences that have attendees from both coasts. Although not as well-known of a conference site, the Ohio State football games draw over 100,000 fans and so hotel facilities are well-developed and plentiful outside of football season. 10. Chicago, Illinois If art and architecture are important to your convention goers than Chicago is a good choice. Lots of outdoor venues, interesting culture, and many transportation options are highlights of this city. Taking care of all the details of arrangements is a difficult undertaking. GTI’s Corporate event travel experts can help you make all of the conference arrangements no matter what size of a meeting you are planning. This blog was originally posted at https://www.gtitravel.com/the-top-ten-conference-destinations-in-the-usa/. #Business Travel, #Travel Issues & Tips While not everyone fits into a stereotype, and no one practice is better than another, it is important for travel managers to know that female business travelers do things somewhat differently than their male counterparts. Here are some of the differences in travel habits that tour operators and researchers have uncovered:
Women Pack Sooner and Bring More Stuff Typically, a female business traveler will care a lot more about what they bring on their trips than men in the same office. Statistics from hotel research show women:
Female Business Travelers Care More About Safety When traveling alone on a business trip, women are much more concerned about the hotel that they are staying at and other travel arrangements. Since a business is responsible for the safety of their business travelers, using a travel management company to arrange travel can be an additional level of security for female travelers because:
A survey by International Currency Exchange (ICE) found that women tend to spend more money while traveling. While some of this spending may be personal money used for shopping, a company might want to make sure that business travel expense policies are clear so that all travelers know what is expected of them. Travel management by GTI can help a company manage business expenses and track ways to make more effective use of business expense money. Female Business Travelers Feel Under-Prepared According to the Women in Business Travel Report, one third of women encounter sexual harassment while traveling and over two-thirds of women feel unprepared to deal with what they encounter. Corporate travel management can help address these needs by:
Assisting Female Business Travelers is Important Business travel by women is increasing. According to a survey by Maiden-Voyage, 47% of female travelers are traveling on business and 80% of travel is managed by women. In a risk-filled world, corporations need to be mindful of caring for the needs of all their employees. Choosing GTI Corporate Travel agency to manage your corporate travel is a wise choice to make sure that female business travelers get safely to their destinations and safely home. This post originally appeared at https://www.gtitravel.com/what-do-female-business-travelers-do-differently-from-their-male-counterparts/ #BizTravel, #Business Travel, #Business Traveller Business travelers may enjoy being on the road, seeing new places and meeting new people, but business travel is work, not pleasure. Here are 7 challenges business travelers face every day: Travel Planning What is the best way to get from point A to point B? What are the options for getting home? Business travelers who are asked to create their own itineraries often spend hours trying to figure out the best route. Without access to global travel networks via corporate travel agencies, business travelers waste time that could be spent getting ready for meetings with clients. Transportation Delays or Missed Connections A Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) survey found business travelers were often challenged getting to or from their destination in a timely manner. In fact:
Airport Security Going through security is annoying for anyone but it can be especially time-consuming for frequent travelers. GTI travel can help by getting up-to-date information about airports and assisting travelers in completing requirements for TSA Precheck. Currency Conversion While credit cards can often be used while traveling, in some locations businesses are not set up for taking anything but cash. Getting currency exchanged before a trip, or finding places to exchange currency while traveling is where GTI Travel can help. Safety While Traveling Keeping a business traveler safe is another challenge. The GBTA study said that business travelers reported:
Lost Luggage Whether it is leaving a suitcase in the cab or having it sent to another airport, business travelers can be severely challenged when their luggage is misplaced. Luckily, GTI Travel can help find luggage and also get daily necessities delivered so that the business traveler can continue the trip. Problems with Expense Reporting Many companies don't have a finely-tuned and easily-understood system for deciding and monitoring business spending. This can create stress for the employees in charge of tracking budgeting as well as for the travelers. A professional corporate travel company like GTI Travel can help a business develop business travel policies as well as a management system to help with tracking and accountability. Whatever challenges your business travelers face, GTI Travel can help. Our dedicated travel consultants will work to design a program which works with your corporate culture and meets the individual needs of your business travelers. With business travel services worldwide in 4000 locations in 140 countries, you can find us wherever business travel takes you! |
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