How To Compare Business Travel Agents

By Author: Gareth Hoyle
Total Articles: 675
Comment this article

With many companies looking to reduce costs right across the board, business travel agents haven't gone unaffected.

Some companies may be short sighted and stop using business travel agents completely. However, the more savvy business owners are taking the opportunity to compare business travel agents to get a better overall service for their money.

This article looks at the main considerations for comparing business travel agents and why each of these is important.

" Service

While everyone is talking about cuts, what price can you put on really good customer service? One business travel agents may be far superior to all the others you've used in terms of service, but would you rather pay less and get unreliability?

On the face of it you may think all business travel agents and advisors are pretty much the same. You get to know just how good your chosen travel partner is when something goes wrong.

For example, if you were travelling abroad and your flight home was badly delayed, could you rely on your business travel agents to sort you out with accommodation quickly and easily or would ...
... you be left to your own devices?

" Knowledge

Travelling somewhere new on business can be exciting, but it can also be a headache in terms of logistics. A firm of experienced business travel agents should be able to sort out airport connections and suitable accommodation for you based on your needs.

Going the extra mile can make all the difference though; little things like getting advice on the best local restaurants, theatre shows and sporting events can be invaluable, especially if you're entertaining prospective clients in an unfamiliar city.

A little knowledge can go a long way when it comes to business travel and could save you a lot of money and inconvenience.

" Cost

Finally, we come to cost. If this is your sole criteria for rating business travel agents then you could be in for a bumpy ride. Cheapest certainly isn't always best and if you're looking to change business travel agents based purely on cost, it could prove to be a false economy for your organisation.

The cost of a business travel agent service should only ever be evaluated in conjunction with the other criteria mentioned above. Of course we all like to get the best service at the lowest price, but that's not always possible.

Trying to do corporate travel on the cheap has a nasty habit of backfiring, so make sure you choose your business travel agents wisely.