Travelling for Business isn’t always easy. Dealing with various work related emergencies, learning about new cultures and compiling the expense reports once the trip is complete are all just a small part of it. Business travelers have often used agents or specific personnel in their companies to plan their travel for them and book tickets and arrange accommodation; however in the recent past more business travelers prefer to plan their own trips.
This is because they can choose a more preferred airline, avoid layovers they aren’t comfortable about, and book hotel rooms they know they will be more contented in all while making some frequent flier points and reward points they can use later.
Many companies have some specifications that can be easily followed by the staff when they book their own trip. Employees are now finding that booking their own travel and then claiming reimbursements is a better deal for them in many ways. It can actually help the company save money sometimes too.
Apart from frequent flier sky miles that travelers look forward to, the credit card reward points are also a major bonus. When frequent business travelers book long distance flights and hotel rooms they can rake up reward points worth thousands of points which can be used for personal travel, gifts or can even be cashed out sometimes. This is in addition to points from other business related expenses like taxis, dinners with clients and entertainment expenses. However all this is only possible if the traveler uses their own credit card to make the payments.
However employees who book their own plane tickets and hotels are not as high as one may think. Many companies use a corporate agent or a company booking tool to plan trips. Some companies don’t allow employees to plan their own travel but others are quickly learning to trust staff with booking their tickets since it does not make sense to limit their options when there are many choices available.
The trend of employees booking their own tickets and planning their own trip is called ‘rogue bookings’ and can also be attributed to the advancements in technology. It is a lot easier to find and book tickets and hotel rooms online now than it was it earlier. Many employees use mobile devices to plan their travel making it easier for them to make bookings even when they are not at their desk.
Companies too now understand the importance of letting their staff make their own bookings, but are monitoring their plans using software that can track all employees’ bookings and ensure they are in line with company policy. Employees are hesitant to go rogue when they know they are under scrutiny but are usually interested in the air miles and reward points that come with the trip.
