09/ 21/ 2005
by Jeffrey Moses
The last decade, the cost of business travel has skyrocketed. Hotel costs, airfare, gasoline and dining expenses have all risen steadily. This trend will accelerate due to the dramatic increase in gas prices currently being experienced across the United States and in other countries.
But there are proven ways to reduce costs while traveling. As long as a road warrior doesn’t demand to stay in posh, expensive hotels and eat at five-star restaurants, travel expenses can be contained.
- Search online for airline tickets and hotel stays. Popular sites such as Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire, Smarterliving and Travelzoo can help a business traveler cut costs significantly. These sites allow reduced-fare bookings for air travel, hotels and rental cars. Each site has a different approach. Priceline and Hotwire, for instance, usually require you to book without knowing the exact time of a flight (or the airline), and without knowing the car rental company you’ll be using. If you need to know exactly your arrival or departure––or if you can’t stand the thought of boarding an airplane at 6 a.m.––you’ll pay a little more through online services.
- The major airlines all have an online presence that can offer savings on bookings. Lately, however, the cost difference has diminished between online bookings and booking through a travel agent or directly with an airline representative. In fact, working with a travel agent or airline rep can help structure a more cost-effective, timely trip because they may not have flight information available online.
- Search online for e-mail travel newsletters that offer highly discounted fares to locations you frequently visit. Many of these newsletters exist, but with some searching and patience, you’ll find a few that address your specific travel needs.
- Use one hotel chain for all your travel stays. They can offer reduced costs or free nights based on frequent stays. These can save you a bundle if you travel often. It goes without saying, of course, that you should take advantage of airline frequent flyer miles.
- If you have time, don’t turn down free airline tickets if your flight is overbooked, and the airline offers free tickets for those who will wait for the next flight. In fact, some experienced travelers seek out flights that are heavily booked, knowing that the odds are high they will have the chance for free tickets good for any flight within the airline’s system for up to a year.
- Book as far in advance as possible. Try as you might, it’s nearly impossible to secure rates as low as when booking 14 days or 21 days in advance, even through the online travel sites.
Tips for saving money on the road
- Never make calls from the phone in your hotel room. Use your cell phone (especially when evening or weekend free time applies) or your calling card.
- Arrange to stay with friends or relatives when traveling. This can save you the costs of a hotel and restaurants and give you the chance to catch up with old acquaintances.
- Have your car tuned up before leaving for a trip and make sure your ties are at optimal pressure. This can cut down gas and oil costs.
- Using air conditioning eats up additional gas while driving, but did you know that at more than 45 miles per hour it’s cheaper to roll up the windows and use air conditioning than to drive with windows down? This is because at higher speeds open windows produce a wind drag on the car, using more gas.
Eliminate business travel costs altogether
The best way to reduce expenses is to eliminate them. With the increasing costs and inconveniences associated with travel, many businesses are taking every chance they find to stay at home. Customers and clients understand this these days and are usually eager to work with you to stay in touch and even have major presentations via phone, e-mail, teleconferencing and online software that allows multi-location presentations.
Many customers appreciate a company that tries to contain expensive travel costs. They understand that a company that looks for ways to save money is likely to pass savings on to them. Mention this when suggesting a teleconference call. If your customers don’t have teleconferencing software/hardware, it may be cost effective to buy it for them so you can use it together.
