Business without Borders | Secrets from the pros

Pssssst. Want some tips on how the pros travel? Just ask a corporate travel manager.

These are the people who spend billions on travel each year and help companies set policies that dictate how millions of people fly. At the annual Global Business Travel Association convention in Boston, I gathered the best tips and juiciest secrets of corporate travel managers. Here are 10 ways to improve your travel:

Photo: Brian Stablyk

1. Your company can earn frequent-flier points based on your travel.

Your company can get airline rewards for your frequent travel, based on the miles you fly or dollars spent. The program at United Airlines is called PerksPlus; American Airlines has Business ExtrAA, and Delta Air Lines has SkyBonus. Some companies use the points for free trips for employees. Some travel managers use the points for a stash of upgrades they can give to their colleagues. Others use them to defray the cost of the travel department.

Big companies negotiate discounts with airlines, hotel chains and car-rental companies, which are vying to be designated ?preferred providers? so they get the lion?s share of bookings. To earn this designation, the providers often offer up corporate perks. ?They get other benefits in addition to discounts,? said Bob Smyth, a vice president at Gant Travel Management.

2. The cheapest times to buy vacation tickets are?

?the end of August/beginning of September and the end of December/beginning of January. At these times consumers are worn out on travel and bookings simply come to a screeching halt, says Jolee Goularte, travel manager at Align Technology Inc. In addition, corporate travel buying goes on hiatus in those two periods, especially between Christmas and New Year?s. ?So everything goes on sale,? she said.

3. It?s worth joining every hotel loyalty program.

Just being a run-of-the-mill member can, occasionally, qualify you for room upgrades, late checkout times, access to lounges with snacks and drinks, free Wi-Fi, free breakfast and even complimentary laundry service?a shirt or two per day. Perks vary by hotel. Mary Motycka, travel manager at Alere Inc., in San Diego, went on vacation to Hawaii and signed up for the Hilton program a week before departure. She asked for an upgrade?and got it. (She never identified herself as a corporate travel manager.) ?I paid for the cheapest room and they upgraded me to a corner suite,? she said. ?All it takes is signing up online.?

4. Load up your smartphone with emergency numbers and travel apps.

Having numbers in your phone for your car service (in case they don?t show), for airport hotels near hubs (in case you miss a connection and get stranded) and for airlines can save time and save the day. Sometimes speed matters?you need to grab the last seat on a flight, or last room at a hotel. Anna Mason of Maquet Cardiovascular of Wayne, N.J., notes her company makes employees pay for no-show charges at hotels, so having the phone number to cancel is crucial. ?You should have it all in your phone, not on paper you?re carrying around and won?t find,? she said.

Having the latest apps on your phone from airlines or the travel agencies you book with can get you the latest information on delays, gate changes, upgrades or lost-luggage tracking, said Richard Gomez, associate director at Procter & Gamble Co. in Cincinnati.

5. Be nice to the gate agent.

?They are really in control,? said Judy Emma, corporate travel manager at Informatica in Redwood City, Calif.

Being nice to gate agents can be rewarded in improved seating or a boarding pass for an overbooked flight. As departure time nears for a flight, all control is turned over to gate agents. Calling your corporate travel manager or the airline reservation line can?t help.

6. Travel managers can get you elite status and free upgrades?even if you haven?t earned them.

Companies can negotiate for the ability to put a number of employees into the gold, silver or platinum ranks at an airline, giving them access to priority security, boarding, seating and upgrades. It works with hotels and car rental companies, too. One tactic being used now: A company negotiates to have checked-baggage fees waived, with an airline simply granting bottom-level elite status to all company travelers.

7. Book inside your company?s travel program.

A GBTA survey of travel managers indicated 22% of company travel, on average, gets booked outside the company program. That can mean travelers don?t get discounts companies have negotiated, and companies don?t get credit for trips with airlines, hotels and others. Also, if there is an emergency, your company may not know where to find you, and if there is a travel disruption, your corporate travel agent won?t be able to rebook or reroute you.

8. Do pre-trip prep.

Travel managers suggest walking fire escape routes in hotels so you?ll know which way to go in an emergency. They encourage travelers to research destinations so you?ll know how you?re going to get from the airport to hotels, safe ways to move around. ?People walk through new cities with blinders on,? said Pam McTeer, travel manager at First Data Corp. in Atlanta. She suggests making sure someone knows where you are at all times, even if it is just taking a cab to a meeting.

9. Use the airport lounge.

When stranded travelers call, Robert Wade, travel manager for Wireless Advocates LLC in Seattle, first reminds them to breathe, relax a bit. ?Then I ask, ?How bad is it?? ? His immediate advice for stranded travelers: Head to the lounge. You not only can avoid long lines at gates or ticket counters, but also find more help. The airline workers behind the desks at lounges are veterans who are geared to solving problems. ?Spend $40 for the day pass,? said Mr. Wade. ?You get folks with the most tenure and then you can go have a beer.?

10. Get into Global Entry and PreCheck.

Global Entry, which requires a $100 fee and a background check, lets you skip Customs and Border Protection lines when entering the country. Once certified as a ?trusted traveler,? U.S. citizens in Global Entry can register for PreCheck. When PreCheck is available and when you are permitted to use it, it is a dream. You can leave your liquids and computer in your bag, your jacket, shoes and belt on and walk through a metal detector. Travelers love it, though there are complaints from many that even though they are cleared into the program, they aren?t allowed to use it regularly. Indeed, TSA says it keeps screening unpredictable by sometimes sending PreCheck travelers through regular screening. TSA just hit the 2 million screenings mark for PreCheck, which is currently available at 19 airports. TSA expects to have it operating at 35 airports by the end of the year, and more next year.

Source: http://www.businesswithoutborders.com/industries/hospitality-tourism/secrets-from-the-pros/

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