With the increase in global business activities, corporate travel has also seen an increase. People are travelling within the country or overseas on a regular basis to attend seminars, events, exhibitions, business meetings, training and other business related programmes. Corporate holidays are also there to be spent with families. To ensure a pleasant trip and to make the job easy and hassle-free, people are opting for travel management companies. Such companies come with many advantages like hotel reservations, air ticket booking, price discounts, emergency, round-the-clock customer service and so on. While the internet may seem to be a cheaper option for booking airline tickets and hotel reservation, it has several limitations. On the other hand, a professional travel management company comes to handle the whole process in a professional manner to make it easy and seamless.
Delving into the Reality:
When it comes to air tickets, airlines look for every possible opportunity to make as much money as possible. And if you think that prices on the internet or newspapers are the best prices, then you are mistaken. The airline tickets vary depending on the time, during peak seasons like Christmas there is high demand for travel tickets and more number of people will buy tickets during that time. Since seats are limited, it is not possible to accommodate every person who is willing to travel during that period. Therefore, airlines make the prices higher. So, can you beat that? One solution can be getting the booking done at least 3 months prior. It is not possible to be sure of your schedule most of the time. Airlines charge higher prices by taking advantage of this. A corporate travel company purchase tickets far ahead of time and in bulk. For buying in bulk, they get business class air tickets at wholesale discount prices; you cannot find this on the internet or anywhere else.
Corporate travel companies also use the internet for booking the tickets in the same way you surf the internet for prices. However what these people have is some special software which makes it possible to view scores of websites simultaneously. And thus they end up winning the best deals and the best prices. Certain travel companies have special deals with specific airlines which makes them able to get access to the ticketing system. Therefore, when you want business class air ticket at discounts or special deals for a group package, it is a smart choice to opt for these companies. While there is no scope for you to negotiate as you reserve online, you can negotiate prices with a corporate travel management company.
Once you go for reserving online, it is hard to change plans once the booking is done. Whereas, the travel agents are given a tentative date and time to hold it on for you. If you have a good relationship with them, your credibility will fetch better benefits for you.
When it comes to cancelled flights, a corporate travel agency will act efficiently for you during such time and during the time of emergencies. They will take immediate action for you; either rebook you quickly in another airline or find an affordable hotel nearby for you.
The job of corporate travel company is not limited to booking air tickets only. There are lots of other jobs including reserving hotel rooms, management services, customer services and logistics. A corporate travel company handles each and every part proficiently and professionally.