There are many ways to be flexible and save money: Consider alternate airports/cities… utilize penalty fares… extend your trip to include a Saturday night stay… utilize time-restricted fares available on specific flights… plan ahead for better availability and advance purchase fares… utilize charter or consolidator packages… use low-cost carriers… purchase fly/drive combinations, etc.

 

When choosing hotels, seek hotels that offer complimentary services and amenities such as: airport and/or local shuttle service, breakfast, newspapers, regular or valet parking, etc. In addition to cost savings, it offers convenience and a safety comfort.

 

1.  What is a trip model?
2.  How can my company benefit from trip models?

A trip model is a door-to-door itinerary to help guide your travelers through their trip. It establishes guidelines for airlines, airports, parking, hotels, transportation, meals, etc. Trip models can reduce the average trip cost.

Trip models should be established when your company travels to a particular city repeatedly. Once established and published, the trip model will give your company a basis for budgeting and negotiating. The travelers will have less confusion, known expectations and appreciate the guidelines.

Contact your NTM Corporate Account Manager for a sample of a budget and conventional trip model for the same city pair.

 

1.  Prepay for gas?
2.  What's the best option?

Prepay at a fixed rate and return vehicle with a nearly-empty tank when:

• you are driving the distance that requires at least one tank of gas. You are prepaying for a full tank of gas (at the rate of the average airport gas stations) so if the distance you are driving requires less than ¾ tank of gas, you are paying for gas you are not using.
• time won't allow you to stop and add gas prior to rental return.

Don't prepay and return vehicle with a full tank of gas when:

• you are driving a short distance and will not be using more than ½ - ¾ tank of gas. There is no fee for this option but if the vehicle is not full upon return, you will get charged $3-$7 per gallon to fill the tank, depending on rental location.

 

Just think if you had an airline ticket for $1,245 to attend a meeting out of state and your meeting was cancelled. Forgetting to report the cancellation could cost you $1,245!

90% of Northwestern Travel Management travelers use electronic tickets. While e-tickets are very convenient, there is a financial risk if wholly or partially unused tickets are not reported to your NTM travel consultant. A simple phone call will begin the process of refunding your unused ticket/portion of ticket -or- documenting your profile with a credit for future use.

When a nonrefundable ticket is not used, it does not mean the ticket carries no dollar value. In most cases, a wholly unused nonrefundable ticket can be applied as a credit towards a future nonrefundable ticket on the same carrier for the same traveler. A partially unused nonrefundable ticket has more restrictions but your travel consultant will help determine its applicability.

Report all unused tickets to your travel consultant!

 

Are your travelers/traveler arrangers aware that every time they make a change and another ticket must be issued, your company pays an additional transaction fee?

Furthermore, if they are making changes to nonrefundable fares, they are also incurring an airline administrative fee of $75 or more.

Changes can't always be avoided, but educating your travelers on the involved fees (both agency and airline) may help them better plan and reduce unnecessary fees.

If you receive the Segment Analysis travel management report, this report will indicate the number of "reissue" transactions so you can compare this to the total number of tickets issued.

 

Airfare savings can begin with a car. Would you be willing to fly into an alternate surrounding airport and drive to save money?

At some destinations, the savings gained on the airfare could easily surpass the added costs of rental car, fuel and time.

Example: A person is traveling from St. Louis to Boston for a Tuesday-Thursday business trip. Without a weekend stay, the round trip fare is $1,238. Providence, Rhode Island is only 52 miles from Boston, and the round trip fare is only $218!

For a list of alternate airports including directions, distance, highway type, speed limits and whether or not the alternate is served by a low fare airline, can be found at http://www.onetravel.com/airfarereport/drive_a_little.cfm.

 

Don't miss out on savings opportunities with your meeting/group travel. Check out the possibilities listed below.

Up-Front Contract discounts are usually 5%-15% off the published, qualifying fare. Qualifications are 10 or more travelers on the same airline to a common destination within a given time frame.

Zone Fare Contract discounts are predetermined fares based on the origination and destination. Qualifications are 20 or more travelers on the same airline to the same destination. If the origination city is one of the airline hub cities, the minimum is 50 travelers. The minimum stay requirement is two days with the maximum of 14 days. A Saturday night stay is not required.

Corporate Project Contract discounts are for corporations making a minimum of 50 roundtrips to the same destination within 120 days per project. Discounts range from 3%-17%, depending on the market.

Recruitment and Interview Contract discounts are for corporations who have 50 roundtrips or more per month to the same destination for a contracted period of time. Discounts range from 5%-17%, depending on the market.

Added bonus! Most airline contracts award one free ticket for every 40 roundtrips.

Contract your agent, supervisor or corporate account manager for more details!

 

1.  Are your traveler's aware of what a "Window of Convenience" is?
2.  Are they aware of your companies' "Window of Convenience?"

Upon start up of your account, it is determined by your company what the "window of convenience" is to look for lower fares and offer them. If the traveler/travel arranger is not aware of the "window of convenience," it may be perceived that NTM is not searching for the lowest possible fare, when in fact the agents are following the guidelines established.

If the traveler/travel arranger can indicate they are more flexible and will accept flights outside the "window of convenience," this will reduce the misperception that NTM is not offering the lowest fare, but more importantlythe door to additional cost savings.