What it really costs to book business travel online

Booking business travel online sounds like a cost-effective, convenient option – but for many companies, it could turn out to be exactly the opposite.

While it may be handy for staff to quickly make a travel booking or a booking change, the online process is not always adequately regulated and monitored. It could result in unexpected costs for your business.

Hidden fees – such as online booking fees, merchant fees and processing fees – can quickly add 20% or more to the cost of a simple business trip. Travellers will, for example, hastily book a cheap flight to secure a discounted price without considering the cost of the return flight, date or time changes, additional baggage costs, taxes and travel insurance.

Every time an employee books their own travel online,  they’re exposing your organisation to these unexpected costs.

To reduce the possibility of these financial risks, one solution is to partner with a professional travel specialist like Flight Centre Business Travel (FCBT), whose role will be to manage your business travel portfolio and mitigate the risk of overspending. Flight Centre Business Travel has global negotiating strength and long-standing relationships with the world’s top airlines, hotel chains, car rental companies and travel providers, giving them the power to offer you the best options at the best prices!

The advantages of partnering with a travel agency like FCBT include:

• Eliminating hidden booking fees
• Giving your in-house travel booker (or PA) a single point of contact to help with those last minute bookings and changes
• Putting an end to time-wasting research for the cheapest flights
• The option to make last-minute changes, even after-hours, with a dedicated account manager
• Getting the best rates and fares available
• The option to pay on account and consolidate all your travel spending
• The ability to see and track your spend on business trips
• Assistance and advice with visas, passports, travel insurance etc.

The most worthwhile reason to consider enlisting a travel specialist is they will have the right knowledge and experience to help you develop a solid company travel policy. Flight Centre Business Travel can set up your company travel policy to streamline staff travel and secure preferred suppliers. This ensures that all flights booked have been duly authorised and are within the allocated budget, reducing your financial risk significantly.

To partner with Flight Centre Business Travel and learn more about how we can make your travel simpler, easier and more cost effective, enquire here and we'll call you back or call 0877 40 51 61 to speak to a specialist today.