By Brent Blake, President, Acendas Travel
I’ll be the first to admit that managed travel is not for every business or company.
If your associates take relatively simple and infrequent trips, and if your annual air, hotel and rental car spend is less than $250,000, then perhaps it makes sense to handle travel internally. But if travel is a critical aspect of your operations and the corresponding investment is significant, then it likely makes sense to have it professionally managed.
Professional management of travel activities can deliver valuable benefits to both the company and traveler. These correspond to three basic buckets: cost savings, efficiencies and vital duty of care services. Let’s take a look at each of these elements:
Cost Savings
Acendas Travel delivers cost savings in several ways:
- As a subsidiary of BCD Travel, the third-largest purchaser of travel worldwide, Acendas Travel can deliver hotel and rental car savings through lower negotiated rates.
- Its proprietary Air Watch and Rate Watch technology monitors air and hotel fees and triggers rebooking at lower rates.
- Online processing reduces transaction costs and time that would otherwise be incurred.
Efficiencies
The implementation of processes and the development/utilization of technologies not only delivers costs savings, but creates efficiencies for companies and their travelers:
- Online Booking Technologies and travel apps allow for travelers to book with a few swipes on the smartphone with the ability to quickly access at the time of travel.
- Should travel disruptions occur due to weather, equipment or flight cancellation, Acendas Travel’s Mission Control center proactively communicates with travelers and addresses the disruption without the traveler waiting in line or remaining on hold to rebook.
- For travel managers, efficiency is enhanced by Acendas managing company portfolios by aggregating and analyzing data, with the ability to make immediate adjustments.
Duty of Care
Without a doubt, the most important aspect of managed travel is that of caring for the well-being of the traveler, from the moment they leave their homes to the time they get back to their doorstep.
- Again, utilizing technology and state of the art processes, managed travel means travelers are tracked and can be communicated with along their journey to address issues.
- As Covid-19 and other issues impact movement, Acendas Travel is an information resource for companies and their travelers regarding vaccination, testing and quarantine requirements at destinations.
Travel is an investment in a business’s success. Like any investment, professional management fosters higher returns. For many companies, travel is one of the largest administrative expenses. It only makes sense that those funds be spent and accounted for wisely. But not at the expense of the care and safety of the traveler.
Much has changed in travel with the onset of the pandemic. It truly is a brand new world in many regards. Having a trusted resource managing this aspect of your business can certainly bring a multitude of benefits, perhaps most importantly peace of mind.