Search engines are often the go-to for the answers to more questions than we’d like to admit, whether it’s the answer to a pub quiz question or going down a rabbit hole of travel trivia (guilty!) - and it seems that business travel is no different. But that tickled our curiosity. What are business travellers asking Google?
Let's take a look at some of the top business travel searches, along with answers from the experts. Let’s get started...
1. How to find the best value business travel rates and fares.
Finding cost-effective flight options is paramount for any business traveller. To secure the best rates, consider this:
Book in advance: As soon as your travel plans are confirmed, book in advance to take advantage of early bird discounts.
Flexible dates and times: Be open to adjusting your travel dates and times for potential savings, as days of the week and differing times of the year can often have a big impact on the bottom line.
Reward programs: Join reward programs to accumulate points and miles, and receive benefits like upgrades and priority boarding.
Use your Agiito Connect online booking tool: Online travel technology also plays a huge part in providing a booking platform that collates all the travel data and information into one easy-to-use place. With Agiito Connect, a multiplex of content sources are drawn together to offer travel and venue find choice, value and service in one place.
2. What are the essential items on a business trip?
Packing efficiently for a business trip ensures you have everything you need without overburdening yourself.
Travel documents: Carry all necessary identification, visas, and business-related documents in a secure folder.
Chargers and adapters: Ensure you have chargers for all your devices and the appropriate adapters for international travel.
Business attire: Pack versatile, wrinkle-resistant clothing suitable for meetings, conferences, and networking events.
Toiletries and medication: Don't forget essential toiletries and carry any prescribed medications in their original packaging.
Portable Wi-Fi device: Consider carrying a portable Wi-Fi device to stay connected while you travel.
Bookmark webpages and save useful contacts: Our last one isn’t exactly an 'item' you can drop in the hand luggage, but resources like our pre-trip support page, resource centre or your dedicated Agiito support team contact details can be a vital lifeline if you need help when on the move.
3. How can I stay productive during business travel?
Maintaining productivity while on the go can be challenging. Here are some tips to stay focused during business trips:
Plan your time: Create a itinerary that allocates time for work, meetings, and downtime. Your travel management app should be able to help you with this.
Use travel time wisely: Use flights and other transit periods to catch up on emails, plan tasks, or prepare for meetings.
Utilise productivity apps: Leverage productivity apps that help with task management, note-taking, and time tracking.
Stay organised: Keep all your work-related materials in one place, such as a dedicated laptop bag or organiser.
Take breaks: Avoid burnout by taking short breaks to recharge and stay fresh for your business engagements.
4. What are the top business-friendly hotels?
We couldn’t answer this one with just a few paragraphs or bullet points. Finding the best hotel and venue is hugely individual and specific to what you want to get from your trip or meeting. Budget, location and what a hotel values (e.g. sustainability or wellbeing) can play a huge part in determining what a traveller flags as their favourite.
With a vast and varied database of hotels and venues, as well as decades of experience in our industry, we help travellers find the accommodation that's right for your and your trip. By using our booking tool or contacting our team, business travellers receive personalised recommendations based on your specific needs and preferences.
5. How to handle travel expenses for business trips.
Collating receipts can be tedious but managing travel expenses shouldn’t be the painful admin at the end of a journey. With it being so essential for reimbursement and accounting purposes, you’ll want to find the more efficient way of managing the process. Here’s a few tips:
Follow company policies: Before you set foot out the door, familiarise yourself with your company's travel expense policies to avoid any uncertainty and discrepancies.
Digitise receipts: Use smartphone apps or scanners to digitise receipts and store them securely. You could even take photos and store them in your phone for the end of your trip.
Categorise expenses: Keep a detailed record of expenses categorised by date and purpose.
Submit reports in good time: Try not to put it off. Submit your expense reports promptly to ensure timely reimbursement.
6. What are the best travel apps for business travel?
There are hundreds of travel apps designed to enhance the business travel experience. This one probably deserves a blog of it's own some day but for now, here's our pick of the bunch:
Google Maps: There was some controversy as to whether we should be throwing Waze into here but we had to go with Google. This seasoned and reliable route finder offers navigation and is a great help if searching for local places to eat and drink when away for business.
CityMapper: It’s the perfect app for accurate routes across most major cities in Europe, Asia and North America.
GateGuru: Provides airport information, such as terminal maps and security wait times.
Tube Map: If the London tube map makes your break our in a cold sweat, this app is for you. Plot where you’re coming from and where you’re going, and find various routes, durations and costs.
Station Master: We don't want to be too London centric here but this is a must-have if you're aiming to weave and flow through the busy London Underground. Stand-out features include: identify the best carriage for a swift exit from the station, 3D maps of stations and a complete list of nearby station facilities.
Agiito Connect: We've obviously got to throw in a shameless plug of our fantastic app. Not just because it's ours, but because it deserves to be in here. Plan, book and review your travel insights all from one app. We've even included new features like a virtual payment card so you can breeze through reception.
Apple wallet: As well as storing all of your payment and loyalty cards, you can add your travel tickets straight from your Agiito Connect app.
Duolingo: Helps you learn basic phrases in foreign languages for smoother international travel.
7. Tips for managing jet lag during business travel.
Jet lag can significantly affect productivity during business trips. There's no magic wand but here are a few tips to help you minimise its impact:
Adjust sleep schedule: Gradually adjust your sleep schedule before departure to match your destination's time zone.
Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water and avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol during your journey.
Get sunlight exposure: Spend time outdoors in natural light to help regulate your body's internal clock.
Power naps: Take short power naps (20-30 minutes) to combat fatigue and boost alertness.
8. How to earn travel rewards for business trips.
You can often maximise travel rewards for business trips by making the most of loyalty programmes.
Hotel and airline reward programmes: It's important not to let your reward cards stand in the way of making the best choices when booking, but by signing up, you can benefit from the choices that align best to your company policy. By choosing hotels in policy, you can also benefit from consortia programme benefits like our Traveller First programme.
Travel credit cards: If you need to pay from your own account while travelling, opt for travel credit cards that offer no (or low) fees, generous rewards, and flexible redemption options.
9. What is sustainable business travel?
Sustainable business travel is all about reducing your carbon footprint and promoting eco-friendly practices during your journeys. It's about choosing greener transportation, supporting eco-conscious accommodations, and making environmentally conscious choices at every turn. Here are some tips on more sustainable travel.
Transport
Compare flight emissions while you book: When booking with Agiito, you’ll be able to compare CO2 emissions for flights. Non-stop flights can often be more fuel-efficient than multiple connections.
Travel by train: Where feasible, consider trains as a green alternative to flying and car hire. They often have lower emissions and can often be a better working environment if you need to catch up on emails while you’re on the move.
While travelling
Bring your own bottle: Carry a reusable water bottle to avoid single-use plastic and stay hydrated in a planet-friendly way.
Say no to single-use plastics: Wave goodbye to plastic straws, cutlery, and other disposables by bringing your eco-friendly alternatives.
Choose green transportation: If the weather permits, consider walking or using public transport. This one often has a place after your longer initial train or car journey.
10. How to prepare for international business travel and cultural differences.
International business travel can often require a level of cultural sensitivity and awareness, so you should prepare for a trip with some destination research in advance.
Researching the culture: Familiarise yourself with the destination's customs, traditions, and business etiquette.
Language basics: Learn a few basic phrases in the local language to show respect and facilitate communication.
Check travel advisories: Stay updated on travel advisories and safety concerns for your destination.
Adapting to time zones: This one crosses over a little with the jet lag tips above but why not kill two birds with one stone? If you’re travelling over multiple time zones, start adjusting your sleep and mealtimes before departure to acclimatise quicker.
So, there you have it, the answers to the burning business travel questions out there. If you’ve got any questions of your own that you’d like answering, get in touch with our team of experts to optimise your corporate travel.