5 Top Tips for Booking Executive Travel

Are you in charge of your Managers travel arrangements? Maybe you are the person responsible for booking travel for the entire team. It could be booking a taxi or arranging flights and transfers. Whatever the extent of your responsibilities, arranging travel for someone else or indeed teams, can be a logistical nightmare. Here at Ridesmiths we aim to make your life easier and so we have pulled together these 5 top tips to make sure your executives are always at the right place at the right time.

Booking travel for an executive is about more than just hopping on the airline website and seeing what flights are available from Gatwick or Heathrow and grabbing a ticket. Everything needs to work seamlessly, so that your executive can concentrate on the meetings and work they are being paid for instead of worrying about transport and accommodation. Get the details wrong and the trip will be plagued with constant frustration, and many calls and messages asking you to sort things out, but if you get it right they will likely be forever grateful.

Here are our top tips for planning a successful trip.

1. ASK WHAT SUCCESS ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE

Ask your executive what a successful trip will look like, what is the most important thing to them? Perhaps they need an outstanding dinner reservation to woo a new client, or simply can’t be late no matter what. Perhaps they are struggling with a health issue and need to prioritise sleep. Whatever it is, if you know, then you can plan accordingly and have back up plans to make sure the top priorities are always taken care of.

2. KEEP A PROFILE OF EACH TRAVELLER

Create a file for each executive you work with and record all the important information. This starts with basic details of name and address, passport information and airline membership numbers. It also covers their preferred hotel choices and any perks or upgrades they especially enjoy. While one executive might value
flying the day before a meeting, to get in a good night’s sleep and then enjoy an early morning swim before a short walk to the office, another might prefer to stay at home as long as possible, sleep on the plane in a seat with extra legroom and grab breakfast in the car on the way to a meeting. Knowing each person’s preferences helps you to get it right every time, and having it written down means you won’t have to ask.

3. PREPARE YOUR TRAVELLING EXECUTIVE BEFORE THEY LEAVE

Take the time to research the destination, especially if it’s overseas. Will your executive need currency, an adapter for plug sockets or even immunisations? Are there local customs that they should know about? Will their mobile phone work? These things could be minor frustrations or could even spell disaster so be sure to get them all in place. While you’re preparing, make sure they have plenty of business cards and any other stationary or consumables they might need.

4. GET TO KNOW A TRAVEL AGENT

A travel agent does more than just book flights and hotels. Someone who is part of a big organisation will have a large network and long standing relationships with vendors, which means they are perfectly placed to find solutions if things go wrong. They also know all the tricks of the trade and can have access to deals, tickets and opportunities that are simply not available otherwise. If you organise a lot of executive travel then developing a relationship with an agent is a great investment in making everything run smoothly, even when it doesn’t.

5. THINK ABOUT THE TRAVEL DETAILS

Flights and hotels are the main concerns but a trip is so much more than that. Your executive will need to get from the airport to their accommodation and from there to the meetings and dinner reservations that you have so carefully booked. Of course it might be possible to use public transport or hail a cab but that can be stressful, unreliable and aggravating. A Ridesmiths car, on the other hand, gives a reliable and friendly driver who will give your traveller a VIP experience, delivering them to their meetings stress free, clear headed and ready to do their best work. The final touch to your perfectly crafted travel plans.

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