Saving time or money on business travel? Choose both!
Have you got the best price for your work trip? It’s hard to know. When you’re a small or medium company, you can’t be overpaying for corporate travel rates. You need to know exactly what you’re spending on business trips, where to get the best travel deals, and how to stay under budget.
In 2023, we saved our clients $18m+ million and 24,000 hours of work. We’ll make sure you’ll enjoy saving both time and money.
Stick to your travel budget
“Whether it’s flights, accommodations, or car rentals, the experts at Corporate Traveller offer convenient and timely support, as well as cost-effective solutions. Their team understands the unique needs of our business and has consistently demonstrated commitment to saving both time and money for our organization.”
James Clarke, CFO @ Seaspan Shipyards Marine
5 ways your business can reduce unnecessary costs on business travel
1. Monitor lowest price flexibility conditions and limitations
The cheapest fares almost always limit flexibility. Often unbudgeted service charges (seat selection, luggage fees, Wi-Fi, food purchases) make up 20-56% of airline revenue. Look for fares that include some of these extras to save $$$.
2. Consider direct & closest
A stopover adds a minimum 2+hours to any trip, which impacts a traveller’s billable time and productivity. Flying direct eliminates wasted time and saves those billable hours. Bonus: Direct flights have a lower carbon impact, too! Opt for a hotel closer to your meetings to reduce transportation costs. The average 1-2 mile taxi ride ranges US$8-15, which adds up on your daily expenses.
3. Days of the week
Now that corporate employees often work from home on Monday and Friday, the peak travel days are Tuesday and Wednesday, which leads to higher fares mid-week.
4. Planning and booking trips
A traveller can spend between 2-4 hours planning and booking their own business trip with different airlines and hotels. Based on a conservative hourly rate of $100, your employee's time can save your business $200+ per trip by passing it to someone else to manage. Gaining expert advice when booking complex trips, such as mixed airlines, connections, visas, and health checks, provides big benefits and reduces traveller stress. If left to the traveller alone, some trips may take up to 24 hours of planning and research.
5. Last-minute booking
Last-minute travel bookings made within 7 days of travel will result in paying a premium or missing availability entirely. In 2019, the global average advance purchase for domestic travel was 13 days, while international travel was 17 days. In 2022, in order to guarantee availability, the averages were 19 days for domestic travel and 28 days for international.
Case study: Better processes, bigger savings
Today, Beyond Energy’s travel program operates at peak performance. The great service they’ve received from our incredible team, and the tools they’ve adopted, like our travel platform Melon, which streamlines their booking, approvals, and reporting processes, all result in big savings and value across the board. In just 2022, we’ve reported nearly $18k in savings and value adds for Beyond Energy.
More resources to help you save more
