If you have been asked to organize a business trip on behalf of a company executive, whether your direct superior or someone further up the company, you might not be sure where to start. Business trips represent a large investment, and often result in even larger benefits for the company as a whole – and as such, it is important to get the details right. Here are some important tips to ensure the travel planning process goes smoothly.
Research
Your research should be approached from two angles: the needs of the executive in question, and the destination to which they will be travelling. For the former, make sure you understand your boss’ requirements and preferences before you make any concrete decisions regarding accommodation, travel or food. These requirements can range in importance; for example, your boss might have a serious allergy, requiring the avoidance of certain venues or prior contact with an airline or destination to make specific arrangements on their behalf. With regard to the latter approach, understanding the geography of their destination can allow you to make more efficient travel decisions for them, and to find locations which will suit them.
Planning
In the planning phase, you can apply the results of your research practically. With the knowledge of your boss’ preferences, and a basic understanding of the area they will be travelling to, you can make executive decisions on transport solutions well in advance. This ensures that you get the ideal connections required for the trip – the sooner you purchase the tickets, the less likely you are to encounter issues such as sold-out journeys, and the more able you are to plan a trip with minimal downtime.
Speaking of downtime, your planning should also take into account time management. While the executive taking the trip might not be too keen on the idea of waiting around between potential connections, you ought to factor in additional time between each leg of a trip to account for potential delays, which could have a knock-on effect on future reservations.
Pricing
Pricing is an important part of the travel planning process to navigate; you will have a rough budget for the trip as a whole, to allocate as you see fit to travel and accommodation, while many other expenses will be covered by the executive’s personal expense account. Your boss might have certain expectations for their travel arrangements, which it is important to meet without straining the budget in other ways. For overseas travel, your boss might expect a level of privacy and comfort – check private jet prices which fit your business’ budget. For domestic travel, having them chauffeured across the country can not only be more comfortable, but more economical than certain train travel solutions.
Create an Itinerary
Lastly, you should make sure to present your boss with a comprehensive itinerary, detailing specific times and locations for each leg of their journey and each appointment on their trip. By cluing them in on their travel arrangements ahead of time, they can review your decisions and request changes, and also prepare for the trip in their own time.
