Travel & Accommodation Arrangements

Transcription

1 Travel Arrangements

2 Travel & Accommodation Arrangements Who is responsible for organising travel arrangements? The TRAVEL ADMINISTRATOR (sometimes known as a Travel Co-ordinator). Many businesses also use the services of Travel Agents. To attend meetings To attend conferences To attend training courses Why do business people need to travel? To visit customers To visit other branches

3 To make sure that the most appropriate travel and accommodation arrangements are made, it is important that the Travel Administrator obtains the correct details. What kind of information will the Travel Administrator require? the name and department of the employee(s) going on the trip the purpose of the trip the destination the date(s) of the trip the preferred method of travel - the traveller may suffer from sea sickness Is accommodation required? If so, what type - hotel?, 3-star? The budget for the trip Any special requirements - smoker/non-smoker, vegetarian, disabled access etc

4 Methods of Transport

5 There are 4 main methods of transport which employees can use to get to their destination: ROAD ~ private car, company car, hire car, taxi, coach TRAIN ~ local & national trains, Eurostar SEA ~ Ferry, Hovercraft, Seacat AIR ~ Domestic Flights, International Flights The method of transport chosen will depend upon the following: the reason for the trip who is going on the trip (their level of responsibility and any preferred methods of travel) the distance involved the amount of time available the budget available company policy

6 The advantages & disadvantages of travelling by road METHOD Private Car/ Hire Car ADVANTAGES Can choose own departure time Door-to-door Can stop for a break whenever you want DISADVANTAGES tiring if long journey delays possible if road works, accidents, or if you get lost parking may be difficult to find in city centres Taxi No parking problems Don t have to worry about getting lost More expensive than private motoring traffic delays increase the cost may be difficult getting a taxi during peak times

7 The advantages & disadvantages of travelling by train ADVANTAGES Usually quite fast Reliable in most weathers Useful if travelling from one city to another Frequent service can pre-book your seat space to work, move and/or relax Can purchase food and refreshments May be able to Travel overnight, eg London - Glasgow DISADVANTAGES Expensive to travel during peak times Train can be crowded at peak times with no guarantee of a seat if not pre-booked May have to change trains on some routes There may be delays difficult to store much luggage

8 The advantages & disadvantages of travelling by Air ADVANTAGES Fastest type of travel good facilities at most airports refreshments/meals en route guaranteed you have seat most popular method of transport if going abroad DISADVANTAGES Expensive airports can often be several miles from city centre so may need to use another form of transport also Must check-in before your flight bad weather can mean delays, rerouting or cancellations need to pay extra if your luggage is above the weight limit Airport parking can be expensive if leaving car for more than one day

9 The advantages & disadvantages of travelling by Sea ADVANTAGES Reasonably priced useful method of transport between British mainland and surrounding destinations Modern ferries have reduced sailing times hovercrafts are even faster Can take your own car when travelling by ferry Regular sailing times on popular routes Sleeping accommodation and other facilities on board eg, restaurants etc DISADVANTAGES Slower than air travel Boarding/disembarking can take time Delays or cancellations in bad weather Rough seas can make the journey unpleasant Ferry ports not usually near city centres Limited number of seats and car spaces make advanced booking necessary, especially in summer months

10 Evaluating Travel Arrangements When an employee returns from a business trip it is important that the Travel Administrator receives FEED BACK on the travel arrangements that were used. How could this be carried out? The Travel Administrator may have an informal chat with the employee They may set up a short meeting The employee may be asked to complete a comments sheet outlining the suitability of the arrangements What might the employee be asked? Did the car/train journey take as long as expected? Did you find your destination easily? Were your accommodation arrangements satisfactory? Do you have any comments about the hotel? Do you have any other comments/questions? Once this information is gathered, the Travel Administrator is able to: Estimate the cost of future business trips Make future bookings (based on comments about a particular hotel/airline/hirecar company)

11 Where can you find Travel information? INTERNET Up-to-date information on a range of travel issues, eg bookings, reservations, online timetables, and hotel information. MAPS Maps of major cities and towns in the UK and abroad HOTEL DIRECTORIES Provides information on hotels, eg star rating, facilities, costs TRAVEL GUIDES TRAVEL AGENTS For additional help and advice, may be able to offer discounted fares for repeated bookings TIMETABLES For trains/flights eg Scotrail Timetable, Easyjet/British Midland etc Information on geographical areas especially for international travel eg, Currency and time zones HOTEL GUIDES Information on chains of hotels (Travel Inn, Hilton etc) facilities and locations etc

12 How do you book the travel & accommodation arrangements? Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 The person travelling fills out a Travel Request Form and passes the form on to the Travel Administrator A Travel Booking Form will be completed when the administrator is contacting the companies providing the travel, eg British Rail, EasyJet etc. The Administrator will issue a Reference Number which should be displayed on the invoice and any other correspondence If accommodation is required then the travel Administrator will also complete an Accommodation Booking Form. When booking accommodation it is important to remember the following points: LOCATION of the hotel ~ ask for directions to the hotel or a map to be sent to the business COST ~ not all hotels charge in the same way. Is it per person or per room per night? SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS ~ will the employee need a desk, telephone, fax machine, etc in their room? Are they vegetarian or disabled? Meals ~ Does the cost of the room include breakfast? Dinner?

13 Example of a Travel Booking Form TRAVEL BOOKING FORM To: British Airways Tel: Reference No: BA/123L Please book the arrangements detailed below for: Jack Smith Date Time From To Details Cost 10/08/ hours Edinburgh London Return Ticket /08/ hours London Edinburgh Authorised by: Claire Stevenson Position: Travel Administrator Date: 12/06/04

14 Example of an Accommodation Booking Form ACCOMMODATION BOOKING FORM To: Capital Hotel, Mayfair Lane London Please book the arrangements detailed below for: Jack Smith Reference No: BA/123L Date of Arrival No of Nights Room Requirements Cost 10/08/04 2 Single Room, Smoker, Vegetarian meals, telephone point & fax machine 65 per night ( 130) Authorised by: Claire Stevenson Position: Travel Administrator Date: 12/06/04

15 Advantages of using Travel/Accommodation booking forms Once the travel/accommodation arrangements have been booked, a copy of the booking forms will be passed on to the Finance department for payment. When an invoice is received, the reference number from the booking forms will be shown. This allows the Finance department to deal with invoices more efficiently as details are provided of relevant travel and accommodation. Written records can confirm details of arrangements in event of a dispute or problem. Booking forms can easily be set up on a computer as a template. This will reduce the amount of time taken to complete the form by hand.

16 ITINERARIES An itinerary is a summary of the intended travel arrangements and provided details of the activities that an employee will undertake during their time away from the office

17 Name of person travelling Example of an Itinerary Itinerary of Jack Smith Visit to London on 10 August 2004 Tuesday 10 August 2004 Where & When they are going 0651 hours Check in at Edinburgh Airport for flight BA 123/L 0821 hours Flight BA 123/L departs 0935 hours Arrive London Stanstead. Collect Hire car from SIXT CAR HIRE (Ref MGS/Smith) Make way to London Arena for Sales Exhibition Time of appointments, meetings, etc 24 HOUR CLOCK 1100 hours Exhibition starts 1600 hours Exhibition finishes Make way to Capital Hotel, Mayfair Lane, Tel hours Dinner in Capital Hotel with London Office Managers Details of appointments, meetings, travel arrangements, hotel addresses etc

18 Travel Documentation VACCINATION FORMS Contact Details names, addresses, telephone numbers DRIVING LICENCE PASSPORT What items do you need? E111 FORM (free medical treatment) VISA needed for entry into certain countries CREDIT CARD safer alternative to cash MAPS for planning journey INSURANCE for unforeseen circumstances

19 Paying for Travel

20 Paying for Accommodation and Travel Paying for expenses incurred during the trip When bookings are made for flights, hotels and car hire, payment may be needed before the departure date. Payment might be made by Credit or Debit Card, Cheque, and if the business has an account with a Travel Agent or Airline, they may receive an invoice stating the costs. The business will then be allowed 30 days to pay the bill. What expenses may have to be paid during the trip? Taxi fares, Restaurant bills, Refreshments and car parking. The business traveller can pay for such items using: CASH CHEQUES CREDIT CARDS (Visa/MasterCard) DEBIT CARDS (Switch) TRAVELLERS CHEQUES

21 What are the advantages/disadvantages of each method of payment? Advantages useful for small purchases more convenient than cash safer than carrying coins safer than carrying cash purchases are covered by insurance in case of emergency you can withdraw cash from ATMs safer than carrying cash automatically deducted form bank account safer than carrying cash Lost/stolen cheques will be replaced Unused cheques can be exchanged for Sterling CASH CHEQUE CREDIT CARD DEBIT CARDS TRAVELLER CHEQUES Disadvantages no protection/insurance against loss/theft Not accepted by all businesses Interest is charged on balance owed each month unless paid in full Not accepted by all business (although this is becoming a much more popular way of making payments) Not accepted by all business (although this is becoming a much more popular way of making payments)

22 How do organisations check and verify expenditure? Some organisations provide their staff with the following to use whilst away on a business trip: Credit/Debit Card Travellers Cheques Foreign Currency Phone Chargecard However, a lot of the time staff will be required to pay expenses themselves and then claim the money back on their return. In this case the member of staff will be required to complete and Expenses Claim Form. They will attach their receipts to the form and it will be checked by the organisation to make sure it is all correct before they reimburse the employee.

23 Whenever the business traveller pays for goods and services during the trip, it is important that he/she keeps an accurate record of what has been purchased and the cost of the items. Method of Purchase Cash Credit Card Travellers Cheques Record of Purchase Receipts Copy of Sales Voucher/Credit Card Statement Record of cheque numbers On returning from a business trip the traveller will wish to claim back any money they have spent on business expenses. In order to do so the traveller will have to complete an Expenses Claim Form. The Administrator will check that all receipts/sales vouchers have been attached, as well as checking the description of the goods bought and that the amounts on the receipt match the amount being claimed for. The Administrator will also double check the addition. Once the Expenses Claim Form has been checked and verified the employee may receive either a cheque for the expenses or find that it has been paid directly into their bank account.

24 EXPENSES CLAIM FORM Employee details and details of the trip EMPLOYEE DETAILS Name Jack Smith Job Title Sales Manager Department Sales & Marketing DETAILS OF TRIP Attending an Exhibition and meetings with other Sales Managers in London. (10 August 12 August) Please ensure that all receipts are attached to this form. Failure to do so may result in late or non-payment of expenses. Travel by Air/Sea/Rail Rtn flight to London Stanstead Travel by Private Car Details: N/A Amount Claimed Receipts Checked Details of expenses incurred per mile Accommodation Details: Capital Hotel No of nights 65 per night Meals Details: Dinner in Hotel Other Expenses Details: Petrol for Hire Car Signed Jack Smith TOTAL Date 13/08/04 Authorised by Claire Stevenson