The process of booking travel for business purposes can be arduous. When you are trying to keep track of everyone’s schedule, discover the most affordable flights, and locate motels that are within walking distance of the workplace, the situation may quickly become extremely stressful.
This article has all you need to know, whether you run a business in Alabama and are looking for choices for state-wide or even global corporate travel, or you want to find a travel firm that specializes in Alabama travel and want to narrow your focus to just that state.
The advantages of utilizing the services of a travel management firm
There is a good chance that you do not require much convincing to make an investment in a travel management company (TMC), but in the off chance that you do, let’s go over the benefits of employing the services of a TMC.
• Having everything in one place, including invoices, expenses, and online booking capabilities, makes things much simpler to administer when using a centralized platform.
• Efficient in terms of cost: you will recoup the investment you make in your TMC through the money you save on travel discounts, VAT recovery, time, and the optimization of your travel plan for reduced administrative costs.
• Around-the-clock support is really necessary for your personnel who are constantly on the move. Unexpected occurrences will occur, and you will have a responsive customer care team to deal with them.
• A hassle-free travel experience: thanks to an app that does it all, staff members are now getting the travel experience they should have had all along. Get rid of the unnecessary procedures and direct your staff members to where they need to be in a manner that is convenient for them.
When selecting a travel management business, it is important to look for the following features:
Flexible cancellation policies possibilities
When it comes to making travel reservations in the modern world, flexibility is more crucial than it has ever been. The experience of traveling is inherently unexpected, and one should be prepared for obstacles along the way. It is possible that this will need your travelers to make hasty adjustments to their plans, or perhaps it will require them to forego those plans entirely. Make sure that your TMC can accommodate both of them without causing a significant drain on your financial resources.
An extensive variety of travel options
In today’s world, a travel inventory is more than just a list of hotels and flights. It is now possible to travel in a great many more ways, and there are also a great many more places to stay.
Whether you are going to be traveling along the Gulf Coast or venturing further afield, you will need to select a travel management company (TMC) that can provide you with everything from train tickets to vehicle rentals, hotel suites to apartments with full services.
Outstanding service to one’s clients
When looking for your new TMC, be on the lookout for companies who offer customer care around the clock and create a shortlist of such companies; we’ve done the work for you here! Also, pay extra close attention to the reviews of their customer support team. You’ll need fast response rates and service with a smile to ensure that your employees are getting the travel experience they deserve, even in the midst of a crisis, so make sure to read reviews of their customer support team.
Integration of software from a third party
If a new technological solution cannot be integrated with what your company is already utilizing, it will be of no use to your company. Make sure that the solution provided by your TMC can easily interface with the software and tools that you are currently using to get through your day-to-day activities.
Easily understandable reporting
Look for a TMC that can segment your travel data in a variety of ways, including by person, mode of transportation, number of canceled trips, number of bookings, and value-added tax (VAT), to name a few. As time goes on, you’ll become more aware of the aspects of your trip that may use some work and the spots where your money would be best spent.
Alabama-based firms have access to four of the world’s leading corporate travel management organizations.
There are a few different TMCs that you should think about joining if Alabama is your home base. We are cognizant of the fact that your expectations are most likely sky high, which means that you have access to the cream of the crop. Let’s get underway.
1. TravelPerk
Any travel manager, no matter where they are located, has to have TravelPerk because it is one of the greatest solutions for travel management that are currently available on the market. It provides a comprehensive list of useful features that can help your work go more quickly and easily.
The following is a list of some of the features included in TravelPerk:
• Flexible bookings made possible with FlexiPerk: Do you need to make a change to your travel plans at the last minute? If you need to cancel your reservation at least two hours before your flight departs, you won’t have any problems, you won’t have to wait in any lines, and you will get 80% of your money back.
• Safety alerts with TravelCare: Keep your traveling personnel safe and informed with local safety notifications that are delivered directly to your phones. This feature is included with TravelCare.
• Carbon offsetting with GreenPerk: Offset the carbon emissions from your business travel through TravelPerk’s green program, which allows you to make a contribution to VERRA-certified projects that are working to keep our planet clean and green.
• The largest and most comprehensive travel inventory on the market TravelPerk’s inventory of travel options includes flights, hotels, auto rentals, rail tickets, and serviced apartments. It is also the best inventory of its kind.
• Integrations with third-party software Allows you to integrate products that are already part of your technology stack without having to constantly bug your software engineers for their time. Integrate the technology that you enjoy using with just a few mouse clicks.
• 24/7 quick customer assistance: 7-star service, operating at a response time of just 15 seconds, and regarded as elevating the bar for customer care in the travel sector.
• A user interface that is worthy of praise: The user-friendliness of TravelPerk’s interface makes it a frequent favorite among customers. The user interface has been described as “very intuitive and user-friendly” by one of our clients.
These are only a few of the benefits that make TravelPerk the best choice for companies in the state of Alabama. However, you shouldn’t simply take our word for it. Popular software review websites such as G2 and Capterra have provided glowing evaluations of TravelPerk’s features.
Brownell Corporate Travel is the second item.
Brownell Corporate Travel is a traditional travel agency that serves the people of Alabama as well as customers from other parts of the world that need travel services.
The following are some of their most notable characteristics:
• A user-friendly mobile app that allows you to book and manage your travel arrangements while you are on the road with their partners at Trip Case.
• Get access to some of the best tools for purchasing plane tickets in the globe. Brownell’s connection with Sabre makes it simple to make reservations with a comprehensive list of airline companies.
• Get assistance with flights and travel arrangements by contacting Air Desk. This useful tool is made available by the company in order to assist with flight schedules and any issues that may arise during the operating hours of the airline.
Brownell University has a lot of talented people, but it’s not very technologically advanced. When it comes to providing its customers with technological solutions, Brownell relies on third-party service providers. It implies that in the event that you run into any technical issues when attempting to make a reservation or send a message, you will most likely be unable to reach out to anyone for assistance because there is no obvious path to follow.
You need to locate a solution that handles both the technical aspects of the business and the customer service aspects inside. This is exactly what TravelPerk does in order to offer a 360-degree service and give you a comprehensive picture of your account.
3. AdTrav
Corporate and government customers can take use of AdTrav’s cutting-edge travel management solution, which includes a convenient online booking tool. One of the advantages of AdTrav that the company is particularly proud of is its reporting capabilities, which make it simple for you to acquire the data you need to improve your travel program.
Let’s have a look at some of the features that are available:
• Travel Intelligence: View an aggregated summary of all of your air, car, and hotel reservations on a single dashboard.
• Data that can be acted upon: displays large amounts of data in manageable bits, allowing you to gain a better overall picture of reservations.
• Predictive analysis: develop “what if” scenarios to assist you in operating a more effective risk management system for travel.
AdTrav is missing a number of essential elements that TravelPerk’s clients adore. Offsetting your carbon emissions, having flexible cancellation options, and having an immediate platform setup are all things that assist TravelPerk defeat AdTrav and take the number one spot.
4. Sterling Travel
The final choice on this list, Sterling Travel, is one worth considering for Alabama-based businesses, and it comes highly recommended. Sterling Travel is a more conventional travel agency, and as such, it contributes to an improved traveling experience for the company’s personnel. Sterling Travel provides a comprehensive understanding of the travel needs of customers traveling within the United States and has travel specialists available to assist you in reaching your destination, whether they are travelling to Birmingham, Huntsville, New York, or elsewhere.
The following are some of its features:
• Reporting suite: their travel reporting studio is stated to be able to record, organize, and classify your trip purchases, giving you a clearer picture of the areas in which you may make significant cost reductions.
• International Papers: The staff at Sterling Travel is available to provide you with guidance regarding the passport and other pieces of necessary documentation that you will require when going outside of the United States of America.
• Web portal, which puts all of your vacation information at your fingertips and only requires a few clicks to access it all
The Sterling Travel website definitely has a vintage feel about it. Their technology is out of date, and the solutions they provide are in no way comparable to those provided by TravelPerk. Sterling Travel provides integration for travel expenses and support around the clock, but they do not provide integration with your company’s travel policy, travel alerts, a feature comparable to FlexiPerk, or a particularly large travel inventory that can bring you deals and dates that are suitable for your business’s specific travel requirements.