2.2.2: Factors That Influence Business Travel Arrangements

• When making travel arrangements, businesses should consider:

  • Dates and times
  • Destination
  • Costs
  • Personnel
  • Mode of transport
  • Personal requirements
• The destination has a large impact on the other factors, such as costs and mode of transport. The destination will either be:

  • Local: relatively short journeys completed by foot, car or public transport.
  • National: Longer journeys that involve driving or trains.
  • International: Plane journeys.
• The date and time of a meeting can affect the travel arrangements. For example, public transport runs at set times and is typically unreliable. This means that additional arrangements need to be made, such as driving instead of using public transport and booking a hotel to stay overnight.
• Some personnel travelling may have special requirements, such as:

  • Visa and vaccine for international travel
  • Specific seats for travel sickness and accessibility
  • A manual hire car
  • Hotel rooms on ground floor for those with restricted mobility
  • Specific dietary requirements
• Mode of transport depends upon the destination, availability and timetables/schedules of chosen transport.
• There are various modes of transport which are used in travel arrangements:

  • Car
  • Plane
  • Train
  • Bus
• When using a car as mode of transport, businesses need to consider the availability, insurance and whether they can hire a car.
• When using a train as a mode of transport, businesses need to consider the availability and convenience of times.
• When using a plane as a mode of transport, businesses need to consider the availability of the flight, transport to airport and whether accommodation is necessary.
• When using bus as a mode of transport, businesses need to consider the availability, regularity and convenience of stops.
• Personnel influences travel arrangements in two aspects, the number of people travelling and seniority of people travelling. The number of people travelling influences travel arrangements as if there is a large group, it makes sense to organise travel together. Seniority of personnel travelling affects the class of travel, for example a CEO will likely travel in first class.
• The cost of travel has a large impact on travel arrangements. Businesses should consider:

  • Booking fees
  • Parking charges
  • Taxi fares
  • Refreshment costs

  Businesses should also consider the travel time, even if one mode of transport is cheaper it make take longer which makes it not very cost-effective.