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[applehousetravel]

Booking business travel. It's definitely cheaper online, right?

Apparently some 94% of travellers/bookers now use the internet to book their travel. Yes it’s all there at your fingertips and you can definitely find some of the cheapest prices available.

So, are there really any advantages to considering using a business travel management company (TMC)?

• Saving yourself a lot of time
Arranging and procuring business travel can actually be an extremely time-consuming and complex task. Who flies where? Is it cheaper to travel indirect? Flying into one airport and out of another? How do you arrange a meet and greet? Is there a low cost airline that might operate a route? Is a visa necessary? Will your frequent flyer card accrue points with another airline? And where do even you start with complex multi-sector itineraries? Who knows? A TMC knows!

In just one enquiry a TMC can look at any of the following services - discounted air-fares, hotel reservations, car-hire, domestic and international rail services, ferry bookings, airport parking and lounges, passport and visas, chauffeur drives, currency exchange, sport/entertainment hospitality and more.

• Big money savings
Some TMCs have their own exclusively discounted air-fares with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, BMI and most long-haul carriers. These can represent savings of 30% when compared with the cheapest online ‘published’ fares. They also have negotiated corporate rates on hotel stays, car-hire, chauffeur-driven cars and much more. You won’t find these online.

• No cheeky additional extras
Proceed with caution. Major flight booking engines/operators including Expedia, Lastminute.com, Opodo, Thomson, FlyBe and Ryanair still add ‘optional extras’ like insurance and baggage to your check-out basket. You can trust a TMC to only quote what you have asked for.

• Can’t commit straight away?
No problem, hold flight seats without charge for up to 3 days, hotel reservations up until 4pm on day of arrival or rail tickets up to the end of the day.

• Making changes
Forget calling airlines, hotels and car-hire companies. Make one call to reservations consultants at anytime to make changes to your bookings.

• 24/7 Support
Adverse weather conditions? Strikes? Who do you talk to? And will they be there beyond 6pm? It can be challenging and when dealing direct with airlines, hotels or train operators in times of need. A TMC will have experienced and dedicated reservations agents who are just a call away throughout the night.

• Special Requests
Vegetarian meal? Aisle seat? Frequent flyer card? A TMC, like Applehouse Travel, set up client and traveller profiles - so you can forget about them.

• Budget Control
How do you keep track of my travel spend? A TMC will usually send monthly statements and can set up management information reports bespoke to your needs.

• Credit and payment
No company credit card? Subject to appropriate credit checks a TMC can arrange a monthly credit facility for travel bookings and hotel stays.

It won’t necessarily work for everyone, but for companies even with just one regular traveller, it’s definitely worth enquiring as to what a TMC can do for you.

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