Business Travel Mistakes: Common blunders that can bust your budget

Underpacking – that’s one of the top mistakes business travellers make, according to research by passport app Photoaid. While it might lead to awkward moments like wearing your Hawaiian shirt to a formal dinner or attempting to pass off your gym clothes as appropriate attire during a client presentation, it won't hurt your business.

The real danger, the one that could significantly impact both your business and budget, lies in errors during your trip's booking process. Even a seemingly insignificant error like a typo can turn out to be a costly blunder.

Here's food for thought: an astonishing 55 percent of businesses are bypassing potential savings by managing their travel plans internally. Furthermore, due to last-minute arrangements, 22% end up splurging unnecessarily on bookings.

These findings result from a survey conducted by Corporate Traveller involving 255 SME owners and decision-makers from diverse industries. The survey set out to identify common mistakes when arranging business trips.

So, what are the most common pitfalls of poor business travel planning, and how can you sidestep the drama?

Bonnie Smith, GM Corporate Traveller, takes us through the common pain points, and how a travel management company (TMC) like Corporate Traveller can prevent them, and help you save money on travel expenses:

Last-Minute Mayhem: Missing out on sweet deals

Ah, the thrill of booking travel at the eleventh hour! We all have co-workers who like living on the edge, right? Booking last-minute flights and hotels is a convenient option when faced with urgent business needs or unforeseen trips. However, this common business travel mistake (we know that two out of 10 business travellers are repeat offenders) can have significant financial repercussions.

The consequences: Booking too close to the travel date could lead to wasted business opportunities by eating into the company travel budget and leaving team members unable to travel when needed.

The solution? Employ the services of a TMC, like Corporate Traveller to book and manage your business travel. Our advanced booking technologies and industry knowledge help businesses land the best deals while providing high-quality travel services.

Bungled Bookings: Spelling goofs and birthdate blunders

Your name is spelt wrong on your boarding pass. Or worse – the wrong name entirely! It's the stuff of sitcoms, but it happens more often than you'd think. Fourteen percent of business travellers confessed they had suffered this fate.

The consequences: Fixing these errors after booking requires a lot of time and resources. It can lead to confusion during check-ins, delays in boarding, or even being denied boarding.

The solution? TMCs maintain accurate traveller profiles for each employee, minimising manual booking errors. This ensures a seamless booking process and personalised travel experiences.

Destination Dramas: Wrong place, wrong time

Arriving at a hotel when it's too late for check-in or missing connecting flights because the schedules don't match up. The Corporate Traveller survey revealed 11% of business travellers fell victim to this mistake.

The consequences: This can lead to stress and safety worries and cause unexpected expenses, like having to book hotels at the last minute or change flight plans.

The solution? TMCs can carefully organise and improve travel plans for upcoming business trips. They ensure flights are scheduled suitably, layovers are well-arranged, and other details are taken care of, offering a smooth booking process and travel experience.

Rogue Bookings: Sneaky overspending creeps in

So you found a swanky hotel or a fancy flight deal, but is it within your budget? When employees book their travel, they're more likely to exceed approved budgets or book services without proper authorisation – and 14% of business travellers confessed to this travel crime.

The consequences: Panic in the finance teams and ballooning business expenses.

The solution? TMCs help businesses create clear travel and travel spending limit rules – cornerstones of expense management. A transparent travel policy ensures employees stay within budget and get approval for expenditures.

Inconvenient Adventures: When travel plans don't match your needs

You arrive at your destination, only to find your hotel is miles from your meeting location. Or your flight time clashes with your morning coffee routine. Day ruined just like that.

Consequences: When employees have to deal with issues like jetlag, lack of rest, or not having access to essential facilities, it can harm their well-being and productivity. Imagine how this set back the 13% of business travellers who complained about this issue.

The solution? TMCs gather detailed information about traveller preferences and needs. By adjusting travel plans, they ensure employees have a better, more enjoyable, and productive time on their business trips.

Service Scaries: Travelling on the wild side

Thirteen percent of business travellers shared that bookings they had made fell short of acceptable standards. Picture this. The hotel's "state-of-the-art" conference room turns out to be an old basement with flickering lights and a temperamental projector, and the "high-speed" internet has some ups and downs – mostly downs. When you're travelling for work, you don't want any curveballs.

Consequences: Happiness and productivity levels = 0/10.

The solution? TMCs use their expertise to find travel providers that match the company's unique travel requirements and expectations, ensuring high-quality service.

The "Where Am I?" Wobble: Wrong destinations and dates

Milan, Italy; Mulan, China – an easy mistake to make? However, when it sinks in that your ticket is as rigid as a rock – non-refundable and non-changeable – well, let's say you’ll have a sense of humour failure.

Consequences: If a business chooses the least expensive airline tickets that cannot be changed or refunded, they might face significant losses if they change their travel plans. In this case, 11% of business travellers have found themselves in this conundrum.

The solution? TMCs use advanced booking systems to double check all details and travel schedules thoroughly before confirming reservations, avoiding costly mistakes.

Group Booking Gaffes: Too many or too few

Booking travel for large groups is like herding cats. Your colleagues won't be amused when they discover the incentive trip has transformed into a "sofa bed sleepover" because their names slipped off the reservation list – as has occurred to 8% of respondents in the Corporate Traveller survey.

Consequences: Mistakes in the number of travellers or incorrect names can lead to complications with availability - and refunds.

The solution? TMCs use advanced booking systems to review all travel details thoroughly before confirming reservations, avoiding costly mistakes.

It's not just about fixing the financial mess caused by these slip-ups; a company's reputation is at stake when a simple business travel booking mistake makes a traveller late for a crucial meeting. Business travellers are increasingly turning to TMCs as experts who can give them back their precious time and take away the stress of dealing with the never-ending hassles,” says Smith.

Don’t let these business travel mistakes hold back your business for another minute. Get in touch with Corporate Traveller and we’ll help you get your travel management on track.

About Flight Centre Travel Group
The Flight Centre Travel Group is one of the world’s largest travel retailers and corporate travel managers. The company, which is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, has company-owned leisure and corporate travel business in dozens of countries, spanning Australia, New Zealand, the Americas, Europe, the United Kingdom, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia. ASX listed Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) also operates the global FCM corporate travel management network, which extends to more than 100 countries through company-owned businesses and independent licensees, along with Corporate Traveller, the flagship business specific to the small-to-medium-sized enterprise sector. For more information, visit fctgl.com.