With the interstate and international borders currently opening and closing like revolving doors, it can be hard to know what to expect when you book a corporate trip. Although times have certainly changed with the occasional snap lockdown, businesses are slowly starting to

regain confidence in their ability to travel.

But is your business ready to travel again?

While you may be ready, before you start booking flights, transfers and accommodation, you need to make sure your business travel policy is up to date.

What is a travel policy?

A travel policy is a document which outlines a business’s rules regarding interstate and international travel.

It can include many things, such as:

• Which in-house processes that must be followed
• Which travel agency bookings to book with
• Various travel insurance policies
• What expenses your business will cover versus what the employee is expected to pay for.

It can also detail particulars such as preferred airlines and car rentals, deadlines for travel bookings, cancellation policies, whether employees are allowed to travel with partners,  and who gets the much-coveted airpoints—the company or the individual?

Who creates the travel policy document?

Typically, a travel policy is a collaboration between a reputable travel agency and a company director or financial office. At Pulse Travel, you’ll deal directly with one of our highly skilled corporate agents, who can help you create a comprehensive travel policy customised for your company.

What should I include in it?

As we navigate towards a new normal, it’s important to ensure that when your employees recommence travel, the travel policy highlights everything they need to know.  Pre-pandemic travel policies may have covered approved airlines, hotels and meals allowances but now, there’s a lot more to consider. Post-pandemic travel policies should also cover a range of extra’s, such as what happens when an employee gets stuck overseas or interstate or has to quarantine on return? By completing the necessary groundwork before travelling, you’ll save both time and money over debating reimbursements. Not to mention all of the sleep you won’t have to lose if one of those considerations does happen!

While 2021 has certainly provided travel challenges, it has also provided new opportunities.

 According to a study released by Forbes, 3 out of 4 people believe working remotely will become the new normal [1]. With more employees working from home—interstate and internationally—it’s becoming increasingly important to put rules in place for staff who are required to travel for in-office days or weeks. The combination of work-from-home and team meetings will redefine what constitutes a ‘business trip’. By engaging with a corporate travel agency such as Pulse Travel, your company can stay across the latest travel advice and changes as they occur.  They can also work with you to create a flexible travel policy that suits your individual business needs.

As we navigate these uncertain times in an effort to return to normal, flexibility is paramount. More and more businesses are favouring airfares and accommodation with flexible booking options to reduce fees from changes or cancellations. Having a designated corporate travel agent that you deal with on a regular basis can help you to navigate the ongoing changes to travel and save as much money as possible.

So what now?

If you haven’t updated your business travel policy for 2021, now is the time to touch base with Pulse Travel and make sure your employees are all on the same page. Updating your business policy is the next exciting step to getting your business off the ground and back to normal. Ensure you take the time to discuss what changes and additions may be required, as well as look at how you can protect your employees. We look forward to getting our clients back in the air and on the road, so contact one of our corporate travel agents to discuss your policy today.