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| CRBJ Home > March 2007 | |||||
Small changes can mean big savingsBy Betty Stark
Well, yes. And no. If there is a given in business travel, it is this: there is no given. Rules and formulas that once seemed carved in stone are now scrawled in Jell-O. What worked just fine last month will probably be obsolete next week, disappearing like the contrail of a high-flying jet. That's why it's important to pay attention to this murky ebb and flow. With even a little knowledge, you can tinker with your longtime habits and save money, time, and possibly your sanity in the process. With that in mind, I offer the following suggestions: Consider buying refundable airline tickets, at least some of the time. Yes, I know. The prevailing wisdom is that nonrefundable airline tickets are less expensive - and they are, at least initially. But if you routinely make several changes to a booked reservation before you finally take to the sky, you could be adding airline fees as high as $100 each time you tweak the itinerary of a nonrefundable ticket. These fees were once a lot lower (as low as $5, eons ago), so if you're a veteran road warrior, you might not be fully aware just how expensive it is to make change after change. When there's a good chance that you'll be adjusting your air schedule multiple times before you finally travel, consider going the refundable route. And what about the airports you "always" fly in to? Maybe it's time to consider using an alternate airport, those facilities near major metropolitan areas built to relieve air traffic at congested, clogged and overcrowded mega-ports. Discount carriers such as AirTran, Southwest, JetBlue, TED, Frontier and others are making steady inroads at these second tier landing ports, bringing with them lower and more competitive fares. You'll find a long list of suggested alternative airports at this Web site: www.bestfares.com/travel/desks /story.asp?id=1808. American Express has already alerted us to the fact that the price of business travel will continue to rise in 2007. According to Mike Streit, vice president and global leader for American Express Advisory Services, the hotel environment in particular will be a challenge. "It continues to be a seller's market," observed Streit, adding that companies that monitor spending will mitigate these increases better than those that do not. What can you do to help reduce hotel spending? For starters, don't assume that you'll find the lowest rates on the Internet. Early after 9/11, many hotels dumped distressed inventory on various discount hotel Web sites. But now that business travel has bounced back and demand for rooms is outstripping supply, especially in Asia-Pacific countries and many major U.S. cities, hotel rates are escalating rapidly. This is the time when a skilled travel agent with reservation system access to multiple hotel consortiums can be a valuable asset. And you can help too: • Avoid staying in city centers where room rates and accompanying taxes and fees are in the stratosphere. If you're attending a meeting in New York City or San Francisco, for example, consider staying near the airport you flew in to and taking public transit to and from the city meeting. Check out HopStop (www.hopstop.com) for city transit guides. If you have the flexibility, avoid going to a major city when there's a national or international show or convention in full swing and hotel rooms are scarce and grossly overpriced. You can check out thousands of scheduled events at Events Eye (www.eventseye.com) and arrange your trip for either side of the major event. • Consider staying in a corporate apartment or suite hotel where the overhead is lower because they don't have restaurants, bellhops, parking valets and indoor pools. These facilities are homier, and because they have kitchen facilities you can avoid the drudge of eating out all the time. • Analyze your car rental habits too. Do you really need one, or is there a better way to get around? Depending on the city, a basic rental car rate can come layered with fees and taxes that more than double the daily cost. This Web site helps you compare the cost of a taxi versus a rental car at many major U.S. destinations: taxi.carrentalsupport.com. If you're in town to attend a meeting or convention, you probably don't even need a rental car. Most major hotels offer free airport shuttles. Check the hotel Web site for information on hours of operation or look into the ubiquitous Super Shuttle (www.supershuttle.com) to get you from the airport to the hotel. They also offer executive car services and group shuttle charters. • If you do have a rental car, you'll have to park it somewhere when you aren't using it. This too can be very costly, especially at city center hotels. Ask the hotel if there's an alternate parking garage near the hotel or scout the neighborhood yourself before you give in to hotel parking charges. • If you're Last Minute Larry/Linda when it comes to returning your rental car to the airport on departure day, beware the outrageous charges you'll incur if they fill the tank for you because you didn't have time to do it yourself. Be sure to allow enough time to find a gas station close to the airport. Check out Gas Buddy at www.gasbuddy.com and fill-er-up. Saving money on business travel is an ongoing challenge, especially because it's mostly about the small stuff. Airfares, hotel rates and rental car prices creep up a little bit at a time, fees are added a little bit at a time, and before you know it your business travel budget has launched into the stratosphere. That's why it's important to take stock occasionally, altering your habits if necessary. When it comes to business travel, DO sweat the small stuff. Betty Stark is a Madison travel industry consultant and business travel writer with 25 years' experience. travelingwriter1@aol.com madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved. |
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