Save money on your next business trip with these simple tips.
Contrary to what some people believe, business trips don’t need to
be expensive. Even with the expected increase in travel costs, there are a lot
of things that you can do to make your business travel more affordable ?
without sacrificing your comfort. How can you do it? Here are some tips that
you may want to consider.
How
to Save Money on Business Trips
Be
loyal. Business travelers should avail of their
favorite airline’s frequent flier program to be eligible for more perks and
rewards. However, if you don’t travel enough to reach the elite status,
consider an airline branded credit card to save
on baggage fees instead. Considering the exorbitant baggage
fees some airlines charge their customers, this can easily save you a lot
of money. In addition, some cards give you bonus miles on purchases, priority
boarding, free companion tickets and other nice extras.? ?????
Book
a flight with Y or B booking code. By booking an
economy ticket with these codes, you will pay for the full fare but you will instantly
receive a complimentary upgrade if there are spots available in the next class
of service.??
Use
credit cards. Instead of exchanging money at the
hotel front desk or at airport exchange counters which give terrible rates, or
withdrawing from ATMs which may charge exorbitant transaction fees, you should consider
using your credit cards whenever you make a purchase overseas. This will give
you a competitive wholesale rate on the
exchange and give you a certain degree of protection on your purchases. However, you need to inform your
credit card company that you are travelling abroad to make sure it doesn’t cut
you off just when you needed it most. You also need to make sure that your card
does not charge a steep fee for transactions made abroad.
Don’t
hesitate to ask for upgrades. The best time to ask
for room upgrades is when business is slow and the front desk is not busy. You
can also ask for an upgrade if your room is not ready on time or when the hotel
staff committed any mistake regarding your reservation. Remember, if a better
room is available, the hotel will not lose anything by giving it to you. It
will even be good for business since extending such courtesy can help build
customer loyalty.
Book
the cheapest rental car. Don’t be afraid to book
the cheapest car you can live with since there is a great chance that you would
automatically be upgraded for free.
