Last Updated on: March 7, 2023 at 9:25 am

Global business travel is up and booming now. A visible shift in the corporate travel market is seen this year. People and companies are willing to invest in proper corporate travel management systems for smooth running and tracking of business travels. According to the survey done by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), 46% of business travelers are moving to online booking tools (OBTs) more nowadays. Most businesses rely on OBTs, corporate travel agents and other travel agencies to do the travel managing for them. The question is, is this the best way? What OBTs, and corporate travel agents miss, are where business travel management companies (TMCs) conquer.

Managing travel goes beyond booking flights and accommodations, this is just the beginning. More often than not, the details that come after making the travel bookings are where a business travel management company steps in to make things convenient for companies and their finance team. They take care of things like last-minute delays, currency shortages, loss of any personal belongings, insurance, medical emergencies, etc.

When it comes to corporate travel, it is very important to keep things crisp and within a hand’s reach. Business traveler already has short timelines and busy schedules. This is where a corporate travel management company comes into the picture.

Key features a travel manager should look for in picking a corporate travel management company

The process of deciding and choosing a TMC can be overwhelming especially now that the travel industry is expanding with more and more corporate travel agents coming in, rest assured, it’ll help your travel manager and the finance team in the long run and save money regardless of your company size. So here are some key product features to look for:

1. Integrated destination health and safety information

TruTrip’s Fit to Fly feature allows you to see if an employee is fit to travel depending on the current travel industry and destination’s requirements

With travel information available at the click of a button, a system that enables a list of highlighted travel requirements and protocols could be a winner. This feature in place would help business travelers keep up with each central location’s changing travel restrictions and requirements.

This will help with your duty of care, a requirement for all companies’ travel programs. Not all TMCs will be able to provide this, so make sure that you’re looking for the TMC with the best rates, or the best price, that have the essentials to manage travel and allows you to reduce costs.

2. Real human support 

Trutrip offers round-the-clock real-person support

We live in a world of chatbots. But how about real-time help? Compare to corporate travel agencies, a TMC’s customer service is better. With not just real people, but travel experts to provide real time solutions from pre to post-travel-related issues could help with all the last-minute confusion and travel needs that people across the world are facing. A good TMC provides 24/7 travel support assistance in case something goes wrong at the destination.

3. Policy regulated bookings

TruTrip’s platform allows you to pre-set how your employees can book

Corporate travel managers can automate their company travel policy and only show pre-approved options to the booking and request. Setting a travel budget per request is also possible too. Here, managers can set different policies for different sets of employees. With a TMC like TruTrip, you can even customize your travel policies to the utmost detail and target accordingly. TMCs also offer flexibility with trip rescheduling and cancellations in case of emergencies. Managers have full control of the system and it helps manage and maintain travel spend in accordance with policy along with risks and productivity.

4. Travel data and insights on the environmental impact of the travel itinerary

With the global travel scenario slowly moving into the sustainability bubble, industries and governments making visible efforts to reduce carbon emotions and collaborate collectively towards greener travel methods, a good TMC provides complete transparency on the date and insights on the environmental impact of a respective travel itinerary. This comes to use especially for companies who want to tap their CO2 footprints and make conscious efforts and create positive awareness and motivation amongst their employees.

5. Looking after your post-trip essentials

When you finish with your travels, the last thing you want on your to-do list is to gather all checklists and receipts for you to claim at your workplace. A good TMC sorts that out for you, allowing you to save time and money. It helps you keep track of your travel spend and make the desired claims hassle-free. For travel managers and finance teams especially, the expense report section will help in reducing travel costs, and manual stress that will smoothen the booking business travel process.

TruTrip gives you post-travel reports with one click

A good business travel management partner can help you at every stage of your travel planning. In times of the pandemic, the whole travel scenario has shifted. From international borders being shut for the largest span in the history of travel, travel anxiety and health and precaution are everybody’s number one priority. A good TMC will offer you everything you need right from pre-planning to executing, to post-travel convenience.

Do you want your next business trip to be stress-free?

At TruTrip we provide you with a smart business travel tool of the best value that users love. Find the best corporate travel management solution for you and your company. Have a dedicated team to make your business travel programs better and easier for you. Book a demo or sign up for a free trial to see how TruTrip can take you places.