6 Mistakes That Every PA Makes when Organising Business Travel for the First Time
Simplexity’s Travel Managers are experts in organising business travel. We know that every PA has their own way of doing things, and their own list of what not to do.
We spoke to several PAs who have been planning itineraries, booking flights, arranging hire cars and tracking down hotels for many years. These are the most common mistakes that they said they have made – just once, they all invariably added!
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The overambitious itinerary
This, of course, is not necessarily your fault.
If your team have two meetings in cities A and B and a tempting slot of time in between them, surely you could squeeze in a trip to see the client in city C?
Well, maybe you can and maybe you can’t, but trying to cram too much in leaves you with no downtime and may leave you missing one of the original meetings.
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Making every hour a rush hour
If you are judging how long it takes to get to places using Google Maps, add at least 50% on.
For a start, the journey estimates may have been calculated at a quiet time on the road. More importantly, though, you want your team to arrive relaxed and refreshed, prepared to take on the world.
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Failing to get into the zone
Air travel and time zones are natural partners. They are easy enough to deal with when we arrive somewhere but they can make planning trips something of a mathematical conundrum.
Other tricky moments occur whenever flights depart or arrive at any time just after midnight.
Itineraries can become blown by failing to take that extra day that kicks in when the clock reads 00:00.
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The bank card blues
After a successful dinner with a client it looks like your team may be on the verge of closing a major deal. The bill arrives and they slip their bank card on the tray.
“I’m sorry madam, your bank is refusing this transaction.”
Unfortunately, you forgot to notify the bank that there will be transactions carried out in X, Y or Z countries.
The bank plug has been pulled and your team are left sitting high and dry.
And rather embarrassed.
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“Backup – I need backup”
Watching your team’s PowerPoint presentation go down with a whimper, and not the expected successful bang, is far from the only time you may wish to call for backup.
If there are no accessible copies of your team’s important travel documents they could find themselves stranded: make sure every document is copied and you have access to these.
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“You mean there are two airports in…”
It may be easy to laugh at the Chinese businessman in London Heathrow searching for the sign to London Stansted, but it’s an easy mistake to make (and a very long walk).
Assuming that flights all go from the main airport in a city is a classic planning fail.
So, whilst you are completing final preparation, make sure you are also clear about which terminal is needed. Things like this can be the difference between catching a flight and missing it.
At Simplexity Travel, we are experts in arranging travel plans for busy businesses. If you require additional support, contact us today, we can help you by:
- Providing a 24/7 emergency service 365 days a year
- Offering our unlimited travel knowledge to your team for premium experiences
- Unlocking great new experiences for your team through our Virtuoso Partner network of fantastic hotels, destinations, restaurants and much more.
Contact us today using our quick form here.