A successful travel management programme goes far beyond booking flights and accommodation – with traveller wellbeing being front and centre of that programme. Check our pre-trip checklist for stress-free travel.
Passports and visas
- Encourage travellers to check passports are valid for at least six months before travel and that it meets all the requirements of the countries they’re visiting. This also includes whether trip history will affect entry into a destination.
- If travellers have dual nationality, consider which passport they’ll be travelling on and if one is better than the other for the destinations they’re visiting.
- Find out if a visa is required at any stage of the journey and whether transit visas are needed.
- If UK passport holders are travelling to Europe, ensure they’re compliant with Brexit regulations and stay within the Schengen Area’s 90/180 day visa-free stay rule.
Airports and flights
- Are boarding cards all to hand? Encourage travellers to download them to smartphone wallets or, as a Reed & Mackay client, access everything at speed via our mobile, if you have opted for online check-in.
- Check whether travellers have fast track through certain airport security, speedy boarding and lounge access.
- Be clear on baggage requirements for each airline they’re travelling with. Are they taking hold luggage or cabin luggage only? If it’s the latter, determine whether they’re permitted an under-the-seat bag as well as one for the overhead locker.
- Pre-book meals on flights, particularly if there are any dietary requirements.
- Book ahead if any kind of assistance is required at destination airports.
- For extra peace of mind, reconfirm flights before making return journeys home.
Stay safe on the move
- Find out whether hotels provide free airport transfers or whether you need to book a transfer from an approved taxi service.
- Consider how travellers are getting to meetings, or to your company’s office, from their hotel. Determine whether it’s safe to walk between appointments.
- When booking a hotel room, check its location and, for extra security, research the hotel’s safety measures and request rooms away from the ground floor.
- If your business travellers are likely to host any external meetings or dinners, ask for a list of company-approved venues and restaurants. Work out how they can reach the location safely. And book ahead if they feel safer sitting in a particular part of a restaurant, whether that’s away from windows or at the back.
- If hiring a car, check the traveller understands the fuel consumption the car uses and safe places to stop to refuel.
- When using public transport, can you pre-book tickets or do they need to be purchased locally? Find out how the local trains, underground, ferries etc operate and work out a safe route to reach them.
- Be aware of the number for the emergency services at destinations and note any emergency numbers travellers might need while in that country.
- Do travellers have any allergies? Remind them to carry a card or bracelet identifying allergies and that they have the right medication to treat them.
- If they take medication, remind them to have enough for their trip and find out how to replenish it at their destination. Plus check whether they can take that particular medication into the country they’re travelling to.
- Ensure the correct travel insurance policy is in place for their destinations. Pinpoint where the nearest hospitals are to where they’ll be staying and visiting and understand what the process is if they’re taken ill.
Cultural knowledge
- Highlight what clothes are culturally acceptable in the country to which they’re travelling. Ask them to consider the climate of the destination when packing and whether they’re adding a leisure stay at the end of the business trip.
- Remind travellers to have the right currency payment solutions for their destinations.
Security measures
- It’s advisable to only take costume jewellery when travelling and leave expensive items at home. Check what travellers are allowed to bring into the destination in terms of money and valuables. And remind travellers to ask the hotel where they can secure laptops and other important items during their stay.
- Can your company provide any in-country training prior to departures? Highlight to your business travellers what the protocols are should there be mass disruption (social or environmental) at their destination and what to do if the airport closes.
- If combining leisure travel with a business trip, plan ahead for approved trips and excursions. What is your company’s duty of care policy for spare time and/or extended stay? And also factor in if they’ll be travelling with family and what that means on your company’s travel policy.
Plan B – thinking ahead
- What’s the back-up plan if luggage doesn’t arrive? Find out where travellers can easily source clothes for meetings.
- Highlight where the traveller’s embassy is, in case of lost or stolen passport.
- Remind travellers to keep abreast of the news of where they are and keep in touch with back home and the office.
- Pre-book an additional night at their hotel. If their flight is cancelled and hotels are busy, it may make things simpler.
Read our Traveller Wellbeing Whitepaper for more information.
Did you know…?
A travel management company can support with all of the above to deliver stress-free travel. Reed & Mackay clients have access to our 24/7 global Incident Management Unit, which monitors incidents across numerous sources. In addition, clients can find all the latest travel and health restrictions from around the world. Plus access to our unique travel risk platform providing traveller tracking.
