Why Book Business Travel in Advance?

Whilst the pandemic may have caused your business to adopt a more pragmatic approach towards travel, business travel is slowly beginning to recover with domestic and international bookings on the rise. With the easing of restrictions around the world and internationally recognised processes in place for travel, now is the time for your business to get back into the habit of booking travel in advance.

Why Book Business Travel in Advance?

1) Save Money

Booking air travel in advance can help you save money due to supply and demand. In general, when a flight goes on sale, the seats initially sold are the cheapest. When a flight begins to fill up, the price increases. Whilst business travel fares are usually set relatively low, business travellers who purchase airline tickets last minute tend to pay the highest prices (Inc.).

It is therefore more beneficial to book your flights at the earliest opportunity, as last-minute booking means paying higher prices for the same seat. Booking more than 22 days in advance is the cheapest type of advanced purchase, especially for international travel. In contrast, travellers who purchase air tickets within a 3-day window pay an average of 61% more (Travel Agent Central).

Having an advance-purchase policy in place can help enforce booking restrictions and ultimately, drive down costs. In a survey of 160 Travel Managers by BTN, 61% had some form of advance-purchase policy for air travel. A policy that requires tickets to be purchased within at least 14 days of travel was the most common at 38% (BTN). A TMC like Selective Travel Management can help adapt your Corporate Travel Policy to include the number of advance days you require. We can also incorporate your Corporate Travel Policy into our tools and technology, so it is always adhered to at the time of booking.

2) More Options

Booking hotels and flights in advance means more options to suit your preferences. It also guarantees that you will be able to get to your destination and have somewhere to stay for that all-important business trip. By booking a flight in advance, you will be able to choose which type of seat you prefer, whether that is with extra legroom, priority boarding or business-class fares. Accommodation in popular destinations and small cities can fill up fast, so booking your hotel in advance means more location choices, room options and varied rates.

If you like to book in advance but want the option to cancel or change your booking, it is best to choose flexible fares and rates. Whilst these may cost more, they also offer more flexibility in case you need to change your booking at a later stage. Your Dedicated Team at Selective Travel Management can provide you with information on waiver and cancellation fees for your quotes or you can look at these yourself via our Online Booking Tool. Again, flexible rates and free cancellation requirements can be implemented into your Corporate Travel Policy with Selective Travel Management.

3) Preparation Time

Booking business travel in advance means more time to prepare for your business trip. Last minute bookings and ad-hoc trips became the norm during the pandemic with constantly changing travel restrictions and a paper-trail of required covid documentation. This type of travel can be stressful with little to no time to prepare as well as negatively impacting on mental health and wellbeing. Booking in advance will give you time to make a list of all the things you need to pack for your trip and will give you time to prepare for the purpose of your trip – whether that is a conference, meeting, or event. This in turn will increase levels of productivity and efficiency across your business as well as improving morale.

Booking in advance will give you time to gather the required documentation for your trip and make sure you are up to date on current travel restrictions. You will also have time to plan your itinerary including restaurant reservations, car parking requirements, rental bookings and more.

If you would like to have your Business Travel Simplified, then speak with a member of our team on (028) 9038 9007 or email hello@selective-travel.co.uk