Safety, comfort, convenience, and productivity are the most important factors when planning a business trip. However, with a lot of time required and things to consider when planning and executing for such a complicated job, many travel managers often make critical mistakes which not only lead to overspending, but also expose their employees to various risks.

Here are seven business travel mistakes you might be making and the best ways to avoid them.

1. Booking a Flight Last Minute

Last-minute booking is very common among business travellers these days. This is because there is a myth that airfares continue to rise every year, even if the price of oil is dropping, and that the cost of last minute travel follows suit.

However, however, the opposite is actually true – there is more to the cost of last minute travel than meets the eye. In fact, according to the Time.com, many airlines increase the price of their flights once the takeoff date gets closer. That is because the consumers most likely to book a flight at the last minute are business people whose travel expenses are covered by their company”.

Instead of booking a flight the day prior the trip, it’s better to book at least 2 weeks ahead of time. According to a study by Concur, booking 15 days in advance of flight is 22% cheaper than booking 8-14 days before the flight, and 48% cheaper than booking 0-3 days before the flight.

When the last-minute booking cannot be helped, then consider working with a Corporate Travel Management professional to ensure you access to the best possible deals on the right kind of flights.

2. Not Having a Travel Insurance and Protection

Circumstances such as employee illness, inclement weather, traffic accident prior to the trip can all lead to last-minute changes which might force you to cancel your pre-paid flight and hotel bookings. If you don’t have travel insurance with cancellation policy coverage, you will never get reimbursement for those travel expenses you’ve already made.

It is always best to invest in travel insurance and protection to ensure that your business is protected against unseen financial risks during business travel. When availing a travel insurance policy, be sure to consult a travel specialist to ensure that you neither pay for unnecessary overlapping coverage nor fall short on coverage that may lead to you major losses in the event of an emergency.

3. Not Having a Clear Travel Expense Policy

Business travellers often overspend on extravagant purchases on the corporate credit card due to their tendency to show off during meetings and negotiations. While those purchases are sometimes well within the budget allocated for impressing clients and potential partners, they are more often a violation of the business expense policy of the business.

The culprit for such behaviour is that most travellers never knew what their corporate travel policies say about expense accounts. By creating and disseminating a clear policy of when expense account spending is appropriate and when it isn’t, including price ranges for items that are expected, the entire company begins to rally around a culture of shared goals and understood limits.

4. Not Collecting Travel Reward Points

Business travel is a very time-consuming and often stressful endeavour, so it is only important that you maximize your every trip by collecting points and air miles for all your hotel stays and airline trips.

“Definitely get a credit card for business travel and don’t be afraid to use points for travel,” said Wendi Weiner, owner of The Writing Guru, a career, and personal branding business. “I just booked a first-class ticket on American Airlines with points.”

If you or your business travellers haven’t signed up for a travel reward program yet, consider the following steps to get and use one:

• Open up a loyalty program account with the airline you often fly and hotel chain you frequent.
• Use an online mileage manager to stay on top of all your account balances.
• Choose the right credit cards.
• Maximize your purchases but avoid using it for purchases with credit card fees.
• Sign up for dining programs to earn rewards both for paying with a credit card and via a points or miles bonus when you eat at a participating restaurant.
• Use your airline or hotel’s shopping portal.

5. Not Booking a Chauffeured Ground Transport

When it comes to business travel, don’t ever let your business travellers take a gamble with public transport or go through the hassle of car rental. Instead, book a reliable chauffeured service to take the stress out of your ground transportation needs. Whether you need an airport shuttle or a car to take you around the city to meet with clients as part of a packed schedule, our professional, reliable chauffeurs have got you covered.

By pre-booking a chauffeured service with Hyryde’s mobile app, you can efficiently provide your employees with a dedicated driver that will drive them from the airport to meetings, or out to dinner with the minimum hustle and bustle. Furthermore, the comfort and the professionalism that our fleet and chauffeurs provide will enable your employees to become more productive while on the road.

Whether you needed reassurance that hiring a premium chauffeured car is worth the money spent or simply learn new tips and trick that will lower your stress next time you hit the road for work, we hope you took some insights away from the mistakes other business travellers have made.

To learn more about our innovative and convenient ground transportation services, visit www.hyryde.com