Saving Money on Business Travel

It wasn’t long ago when many businesses could easily afford unlimited business meals, first class plane tickets, fine business hotel rooms, conferences in prime locations like New York City and San Francisco. Sadly, with the economic downturn those times have changed, and even after the economy recovers finance departments will be so scared that they’ll still be thinking tight budget. Of course business must still be conducted and sometimes an online meeting isn’t enough and a face to face meeting is the only option. It’s during these times that finding ways to pinch pennies is worth the effort. Here are a few ways to save money on business travel so that your company and employees can continue to thrive, even in down times.

Dropping first class is an easy solution to saving money on flights. Using services like Travelocity or Orbitz for Business will help employees find the cheapest rates to and from destinations. Don’t forget that flying round trip is often cheaper than buying separate direct flights from each point. When you use services like Orbitz for Business the service will offer hints to users how to save money and remind employees of the company’s flight and travel restrictions. The company may also get financial incentives at the end of the quarter and year for using these services. Earned miles from airlines are valuable. By using a company credit card or flight account to buy all tickets you can build up points for discounted and free travel.

Once you and or your employees arrive at your destination a limousine is often cheaper than renting cars or even taking a cab. The stress of driving and finding the meeting place is also less when someone else drives. If you want to get an idea of limo cost look at the LocalPrice guide to Atlanta limos. This guide compares prices of different types of limousines. Even if you are not in Atlanta the guide is useful because the prices and features should be similar in most major metropolitan cities. If you, or the employee, are traveling alone or in a very small group a rental car or cab is still the best option. Limousines are best for large groups of four or more. A shuttle bus is another way to save money on transportation, especially for very large groups of ten or more.

Saving money on hotels doesn’t mean your employees have to stay in flea bag highway motels, but it does mean looking for better deals. Staying at a four star hotel is a luxury but for business all that you often need is a clean and comfortable room in a safe location. Other things to look for are Internet features and a continental breakfast – something else that can save on travel expenses. Do a little bit of shopping around and use the travel sites mentioned before like Travelocity and Orbitz to find affordable hotel rooms near the meeting destination.

Food expense during travel can really add up. Getting together with clients or with the team for a nice meal really do help bond the relationships, but do you need to dine at the finest restaurants every night? If not, don’t! By cutting a couple of fine restaurant meals out of every trip the savings can add up into the thousands by years end. Set the breakfast and lunch budgets lower than they are now too for additional savings. Does anyone really need $20.00 for breakfast? Another way to save on meals is to order meals to the meeting room. There are plenty of tasty sandwich restaurants that can provide a boxed lunch for a very reasonable price. This cuts down on the money needed for tipping as well.

There are many ways to save money on business travel.Using resources that are online like Travelocity, Orbitz, and LocalPrice can go a long way toward saving money on travel. A little bit of leg work and some common sense can really add up after a few business trips. Read more on Atlanta limos.