Tips To Save On Business Travel

Are your employees frequent business travelers? Companies find corporate travel is a key part of business success. Meeting clients and prospects in person can generate more opportunities and build lasting relationships. Business travel can be costly, and when not done correctly it can impact your bottom-line savings. However, there are some methods to save money on traveling while not affecting the traveler experience. The following are three tips that help business travelers keep costs low during their trip:

Book Beforehand

Last minute travel can be costly. Tickets booked closer to the departure date are more expensive than the ticket booked 15 days in advance. Although last minute travel is sometimes unavoidable, the numbers will get added up quickly after taking two or three tips.

Last-minute travel costs can be reduced in multiple ways. First, ensure booking guidelines are there in your travel policy. If last-minute travel is necessary, make sure there is an approval process set so you can see why it is required and who approved it. Secondly, give your employees travel booking tools such as SutiTravel, to find the lowest possible fare of a ticket based on the destination. Besides airfares, the solution also provides the best deals for accommodation.

Prefer Ridesharing Instead Renting a Car

Going with a rental car doesn’t always make sense, unless an employee is required to go on a long drive to visit a client. With ridesharing on the rise, there are many cost-effective modes of transportation available wherein employees can choose any one that is preferable and efficient. Again, ensure guidelines are outlined in travel and expense policies for using ride-sharing services. List out all preferred vendors and tell how an employee should document all the rides, many expense report solutions are likely to include ridesharing as an option.

Research Meals Ahead

Planning to dine with clients? Researching restaurants beforehand can help keep costs to a minimum. Pick a list of approved dining locations and have them ready. This not only makes meal selection easier, but also helps you comply with per diem rates. Leverage various tools such as Yelp to find eating options when traveling to a new location.

Be Proactive

Giving your business travelers the required tools and policies will not only save money, it makes the entire expense management process easy and hassle free. Getting ahead of travel trends is how you make those business trips that much more profitable. Save yourself some time, and save your business money.