Your luggage is missing, you forgot your laptop, and you’re pretty sure you overpaid for your airfare. Also, how are you supposed to get from the airport to the hotel, anyway?
This is what it looks like when you don’t properly prepare for your business trip. And, since we don’t want that to happen to you, we’re going to help you avoid this grim fate.
What follows is a complete list of essential business travel ideas you must obey. If you don’t want the company outing to be a disaster, be careful to follow these steps.
1. Join Travel Clubs
Frequent flyer miles, hotel rewards clubs, and other membership discount programs can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars per year on business trips. As long as you first discuss this with your boss, it’s a good idea to join several of these clubs. Research which of these can save you the most money according to the frequency/destinations of your business trips.
2. Price Out Non-Club Options, Too
Next, don’t assume that membership discount clubs will always give you the best deal. A flash sale at a certain hotel might be worth sacrificing your membership awards this time around.
Plus, many travel expenses are often discounted due to sudden cancellations. So, even though you have certain memberships, you should still research the best deal every trip.
3. Book as Early as Possible
As the early bird catches the worm, those who book early catch the cheaper airline ticket. Airline tickets always increase in price the closer you get to the departure date.
You see, the airlines know that passengers who make last-minute plans are desperate to leave as soon as possible. Since these passengers will pay through the nose to catch the flight, the airline marks up the price.
4. Business Travel Packing Checklist
What you pack mostly depends on two things. First, you need the basic travel essentials, like:
- Bathroom items and medicine/medication
- Passport/relevant travel documentation
- Payment methods
- Technology, chargers, charging cords, portable power banks
- Face mask
The rest depends on your particular business trip, according to the details provided by your company. This may include:
- Required reading material
- Files, reports, or other provisions needed for the relevant meeting/corporate event
- Company uniform/business attire/casual attire (for the relevant number of days/nights)
A lot of these details aren’t subject to change. Thus, you can keep a lot of them packed at all times so that they are ready for travel whenever a trip comes up. Just keep aware of the expiration dates of packed medicine and be sure to charge power banks before each trip.
5. Arrange For Transportation at Your Destination
Lastly, find out if there’s a free shuttle service from the airport to the hotel. If not, arrange to have transportation for you and those traveling with you.
You have a lot of options, including car rentals, cabs, limos, other driving services, chauffeurs, etc. Check out this site to learn more about drivers vs chauffeur services/which is best for your business travel needs.
Remember These Business Travel Ideas
To be honest, these tips are more than mere business travel ideas. They’re necessities for successful business travel.
Don’t get stuck somewhere in unfamiliar territory because you fail to heed this advice. Instead, print or bookmark this helpful guide to keep it handy when preparing for business travel.
Next, learn how to stay safe during a business relocation or how to watch out for the common dangers of driving a big rig. Get these and other awesome tips by checking out our Business Travel blog.
