Thread: Business travel costs

Has anyone been cutting business hotel costs recently?

I've been using Premier Inn, and they're really not that bad.

I'm on a budget, but if you're self-employed too I imagine it's a good way to cut costs. Anyone else sacrificing the spa treatment on the road?

The best way to become the bog daddy of business
is to sacrifice owns luxury and work hard.
Its good to cut business travel cost although not spending much will not save us a big sum but this will give us a food habit not to spend extra vacantly.

I am not 100% agreed with this suggestion..!!

Originally Posted by POS

I am not 100% agreed with this suggestion..!!

Why???
You think spending much at business will help you!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Hello friends

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) released its 2009 Business Travel Overview & Cost Forecast, which predicts increases in costs and slower than usual travel industry growth. The study states that travel managers forecast an increase of 5 to 8 percent for business travel costs in 2009, and that the number of business trips will continue to expand but at a slower pace than the annual growth from 2004 through 2007.
“The expansion of the trend is the result of measures travel managers are implementing to contain travel costs during an economic downturn," said NBTA President and CEO Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP. "The measures vary widely from company to company. In some companies, we are already seeing major cutbacks in travel, while other companies have higher travel budgets in place for 2009. Across the board, we can expect to see some changes in the way travel is managed to further maximize value.”
NBTA’s research also predicts that travel managers will amplify their cost-containment strategies in 2009 by implementing or expanding a number of measures, including: reducing non-essential travel; enforcing new travel policy mandates; and implementing tools like eFolio hotel data, which enables automated reporting of hotel spending information in order to streamline expense reporting and flag out-of-policy spending.




Thanks for sharing us .....

Hello
Business travel is often a casualty in an economic downturn, as corporations tighten spending. This makes it all the more important to stretch your travel dollars as much as possible. Fortunately, many travel suppliers are offering incentives to entice consumers and compete for a larger slice of the shrinking business travel pie. In this buyer's market, it's a great time to renegotiate corporate travel contracts and search for deals. Here are my top ten suggestions to business travelers for weathering the recession.

1. Waiting may pay. In normal times, purchasing travel as early as possible is the best way to lock in the lowest rates. Travel suppliers generally raise prices as unsold inventory depletes. But in an economic crisis, suppliers are more likely to be forced to eat unsold inventory and may offer the best bargains at the last minute as they desperately try to fill unoccupied rooms, seats or vehicles. Hotels and rental cars are most vulnerable, as they cannot easily eliminate capacity to match demand as airlines can by simply grounding flights.

2. Consider booking directly with the supplier. If you aren't locked into a corporate travel program with a specific travel agency, booking directly on supplier websites can often be a cost saver. Many discount airlines like Southwest in the USA, WestJet in Canada, or Ryanair or easyJet in Europe don't sell their seats through all travel agencies or third party websites. You may have to book with these airlines directly. In addition, many hoteliers offer their best rates on their own websites.

3. Re-check prices after purchase. Prices can often drop after you've purchased or locked in a rate. These days it pays to re-check prices numerous times after booking and before your trip. Many suppliers will allow you to rebook at the lower rate if the price drops after booking. Most corporate travel agencies monitor price fluctuations constantly to determine if their clients are eligible for a credit.

I really don't understand the motive behind this thread. How much a business travel cost. That is necessary. But that's just my view.

1)Essential business travel trips:Companies who have a regional or global footprint tend to rely quite extensively on business travel, however if business travel costs need to be reduced, then such companies should try to limit their business travel to essential trips that only involve face-to-face client meetings and to those trips which are exclusively sales related or meant solely for incentive purposes.
2)Partnering with a travel agency:If you are looking to reduce business travel costs for your company and do not have a partnership with a business travel agency now is the time to get one. A professional travel agency like the New York City based travel agency, Fare Buzz can help you outline your travel goals and build and enforce a business travel policy that fits your budget and business goals.
3)Negotiating with suppliers:After you have outlined your goals and set down the rules for employee travel, you can then attempt to renegotiate rates with your regular suppliers like airlines or hotels or even shop around for new lower cost suppliers. However if you attempt to do this on your own you might not be as successful as you would be if you allowed your partner agency, Fare Buzz to negotiate on your behalf. Fare Buzz has exclusive contracts with more than sixty domestic and international airlines and can thus effectively negotiate to acquire cheap business class air fares.

Have a nice day

Hello friends



Costs of business travel may rise by the end of 2010, according to the American Express global business travel forecast. Most likely to impact costs next year are business class airfares, due to reduced airline capacity and ongoing business demand for international travel.
"Considering airfare, hotel, and ground transportation, we expect the average domestic business trip to increase 1.2%, or $13, to a total of approximately $1,080," says Herve Sedky, vice president and general manager, American Express Business Travel in New York.
"An increase of 2.4%, or approximately $67, is expected for international business trips to bring the average cost to $2,818," says Sedky. "However, as unbundled and ancillary fees continue to add to the cost of trips, businesses should expect to add up to an estimated 15% to the total trip cost for air, hotel and ground transport elements alone."
Weak demand for travel helped keep prices low in 2009, most notably for hotel rooms. As an industry, hotels cannot reduce capacity as well as airlines and car rental companies. Following this weakened demand in 2009, American Express Business Travel expects a pent up need for travel and meetings to be unleashed in 2010. Fuel prices, along with sustained signs of a restarting economy, could also generate slight up-ticks in travel category prices worldwide, particularly in Asia Pacific.


Thanks for reading

Ideal for the times, that is. Throughout history notions of the ideal presidential candidate have varied wildly, from the populist frontiersman (Andrew Jackson) to the youthful fighter for justice (Bobby Kennedy, pictured campaigning above), and from the imperialist swashbuckler (Teddy Roosevelt) to the Yankee curmudgeon (Calvin Coolidge) to the favourite uncle (Ronald Reagan). None of these men, and it is never a woman, would look ideal for the mid-1990s, when America appears to be demanding an impossible (but Powell-like?) blend of toughness and compassion, budget-slashing radicalism and comforting tradition. But each seemed to offer what many voters wanted, epitomising a mood that was afoot in the country, yet only glancingly reflected by the main political parties. Each looked like somebody who would be able to transform mere politics-as-usual

In a global business environment, travel is necessary and expensive. More companies are seeking ways to reduce necessary travel costs in a tight, unpredictable economy. Shrewd companies are discovering that to control costs, they must adopt a travel management policy incorporating an automated solution. The SAP Travel Management application, part of the SAP ERP application, provides software that ensures substantial, immediate, and ongoing savings.
With SAP Travel Management, you can:

• Examine travel planning processes, analyze and redefine your company's travel policy, and increase compliance with that policy. The higher the compliance level, the greater the savings.
• Control spiralling costs before they get out of hand. SAP Travel Management can help expedite the change process and optimize results. It covers your entire travel management process chain and ensures the compliance needed to cut costs.

somebody is always using the company's money unnecessarily.. as long as its not you, then you can feel good about yourself. definitely cut costs where you can, a hotel is a hotel. they all have a clean bed and a shower. just different prices..

I have not done.

There's usually only one reason to stay at an airport hotel -- convenience. Neighborhoods surrounding hotels are never top notch, unless you happen to be a fan of noise, pollution and traffic. Staying at the airport is all about a promise to get to and from your plane quickly and without undue stress.