In the world of modern commerce, corporate travel plays a critical role in the growth and development of many organisations. From connecting with international partners to exploring new market opportunities, travel is a strategic tool. But to leverage it effectively, a straightforward and robust corporate travel policy is key. This guide explores the importance, components, and best practices for creating and maintaining effective corporate travel policies. The Indispensable Role of Corporate Travel Policies Think of corporate travel policies as the roadmap for your company's business-related travel. They offer a systematic approach, presenting employees with well-defined instructions for all aspects of their travel. There are several compelling reasons to have a comprehensive corporate travel policy: Cost Management: These policies provide a structured method for controlling and reducing travel-related expenditures. Employee Safety: Corporate travel policies safeguard employees during their travel, fulfilling your company's duty of care.  Increased Efficiency: By removing uncertainties, a clear policy can enhance productivity and employee satisfaction. The Anatomy of Corporate Travel Policies Creating an effective corporate travel policy involves several key considerations: Policy Creation and Approval: Develop procedures for drafting, approving, and revising the policy. Booking Guidelines: Create clear instructions for booking travel and accommodation. For example; preferred airlines and hotel chains. You may prefer your staff to fly Jetstar and stay at Accor properties only. Expense Reimbursement: Outline which expenses are covered and the process for reimbursement. For example; whether meals, mini bar, rideshare and public transport are personal expenses or charged to the business. Employee Safety and Well-being: Establish protocols for employee health, safety, and emergency support during travel. For example; travel insurance, emergency and safety protocols. These might include pre-travel check-ups, vaccinations required and whether or not the business or individual is to pay for travel insurance. Risk Management: Develop procedures for identifying and mitigating travel-related risks. For example; conduct travel risk assessments to destinations to identify potential hazards and security risks. This can also include providing employees with access to a dedicated emergency assistance hotline that operates 24/7. Additionally, organisations could provide education on the procedures to be followed in the event of a natural disaster, political unrest or other crisis situations. Customising Your Corporate Travel Policies A corporate travel policy should reflect the unique needs of your organisation. Consider factors like company size, industry, frequency of travel, and company culture. For instance, a remote start-up will have different requirements than a multinational corporation. By customising your corporate travel policy, you ensure it aligns with your organisation's objectives and caters to your employees' needs. Communicating and Implementing Corporate Travel Policies The success of your corporate travel policy depends on effective communication and enforcement: Communication: Use straightforward language and formats for easy understanding. Education: Regular training sessions can help familiarise employees with the policy and promote adherence. Enforcement: Establish mechanisms to monitor compliance and consequences for violations. Managing Corporate Travel Policies: Best Practices The effective management of corporate travel policies is an ongoing endeavour. Here are some best practices: Review and Update: Regularly review and update your policy to reflect changing business  needs and travel trends. Use Technology: Use travel management software to automate processes and track compliance. Your Pulse Travel corporate agent can help with this. Work with Experts: Collaborating with a travel management company can simplify policy implementation and management. The Power of Effective Corporate Travel Policies An effective corporate travel policy is not just a document—it's a strategic tool for growth. Striking a balance between comprehensiveness and flexibility is key. Successful communication and enforcement of these policies can enhance employee satisfaction and drive business success. With these insights, your corporate travel policy can become an integral part of your company's growth strategy and a cornerstone for employee well-being. For assistance in setting up an effective corporate travel policy, our Brisbane travel agents are on standby to help you now.

  Corporate travel has long been viewed as a necessary but often tedious part of doing business. Recent trends suggest business travel management is evolving beyond its traditional role, with a growing emphasis on personalisation and individualisation. By leveraging the latest technologies and strategies, travel agencies can now provide personalised corporate travel experiences tailored to the needs and preferences of each traveller. Personalised corporate travel has the potential to transform the way companies approach business travel. Here are some of the exciting prospects of personalised corporate travel: Improved employee satisfaction and retention Personalised corporate travel helps companies improve employee satisfaction and retention by providing travel experiences that are tailored to each traveller's needs. Companies can build a stronger relationship with their staff by showing they care about their employees' well-being and comfort. Setting up a travel incentive program for your staff is a great way to incentivise employees to strive to meet their KPIs. As a reward, you can organise group travel or individual leisure holidays based on your team’s requirements. Increased productivity Personalised corporate travel can help employees be more productive by reducing travel-related stress and fatigue. Our corporate travel agents are experts in knowing how to get your staff members from A to B fast and efficiently. And knowing everything is taken care of from accommodation to car hire means they are more likely to feel comfortable and relaxed, which can help them perform better in meetings and other business activities. Enhanced cost savings Personalised corporate travel can help companies save money by allowing them to optimise their travel policies and processes. By tailoring travel experiences to each employee's needs, companies can reduce unnecessary expenses and avoid wasted resources. For example; in your company’s travel policy you can dictate what airlines and classes your employees are allowed to book, to avoid anyone talking it upon themselves to book first class or penthouse suites. Improved travel management Personalised corporate travel can help companies improve their travel management processes by providing better data and insights. By collecting and analysing data on each traveller's preferences and needs, companies can make more informed decisions about travel policies, supplier relationships, and other factors that impact travel management. If you're considering implementing personalised corporate travel for your company, here are some practical tips to keep in mind: Develop a clear travel policy Before implementing personalised corporate travel, it's important to develop a clear travel policy that outlines the goals and objectives of your travel program. This policy should include guidelines on budget, booking procedures, whether insurance is the responsibility of the individual, right down to meal allowances and if the mini bar is covered by the company. Invest in the right technology To effectively implement personalised corporate travel, you need to invest in the right technology. This may include tools for travel booking, expense tracking, and data analysis. Pulse Travel uses a user-friendly system that allows you to book online yourself if you wish, otherwise you can talk to one of our corporate travel agents.  Communicate with your employees Effective communication is key to the success of any personalised corporate travel program. Make sure to engage with your employees early and often, and provide them with clear information about the program's goals, policies, and procedures. Encourage employee feedback To ensure that your personalised corporate travel program is successful, it's important to encourage employee feedback. Solicit feedback from employees on their travel experiences, and use this feedback to improve your program over time. A Personalised Approach at Pulse Travel We implemented a personalised corporate travel program for PCYC Queensland back in 2017 and continue to enjoy a strong relationship with them. The key objectives PCYC Queensland were looking for included ways to reduce their air travel expenditure and implement a booking policy to streamline the process. We strongly recommended PCYC join Virgin Australia’s Accelerate Business Program which delivers rebates for their loyalty. In addition to this, we negotiated a Qantas Business Savings Account on their behalf which secured airfare discounts on domestic and international routes. At the time of this case study, PCYC received a $1.75k rebate from Virgin Australia and saved $17.8K through the use of Serko online. We made sure to communicate with our client throughout the implementation process, soliciting feedback and making adjustments based on their input. As a result, our personalised corporate travel program has been a resounding success, improving employee satisfaction, productivity, and cost savings. “The team at Pulse Travel have consistently provided outstanding customer service to our employees across Queensland. Nothing is too much trouble for them, love working together,” said Megan Bishop, a representative of PCYC Queensland. Personalised corporate travel is an exciting new trend that has the potential to transform the way companies approach business travel. At Pulse Travel, we are here to help you set up a travel plan or travel incentives for your company. 

Any seasoned business traveller could tell you that a business trip's success depends on how you plan it. Whether you’re a first-time traveller or a seasoned businessperson, business trips can be a whirlwind. You have flights to catch, business functions to attend, relationships to build and plenty of work to do while on the road. They can be busy, to say the least. As domestic and international business trips start to pick up once more, it’s time to start reconsidering how you connect with the international business world. Business trips are essential for fostering new connections, closing business deals and helping you to understand the wider business world. The experienced team at Pulse Travel is ready and able to assist with all of your corporate travel needs when you’re ready to return to the air, but in the meantime, check out our five tips for how to plan your next business trip!   Prepare Your Business Trip In Advance In the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”. In the travel industry, he’s exactly right! Whether you’re heading for an overnight trip or a month-long corporate whirlwind, preparing in advance is vital. Depending on where you’re going, your destination country might have certain visa and vaccination requirements that you’ll need to meet, so it’s best to make those arrangements well in advance. A few things you will need to consider when planning your trip are: How long will you be away for? What documentation will you need for your meetings? Are there any specific vaccinations that you will require, and how long will it take to arrange the appointment? Does your destination country require a visa? If so, how long will it take to get one? Some visas can take over six weeks to arrive, so it’s important to get on top of the essential paperwork as soon as you find out that you’re travelling. The last thing you want to do is be stuck without a visa in the airport! The team at Pulse Travel is knowledgeable on the business travel requirements for each country, and can advise you on everything you’ll need for your next trip.   Create A Detailed Itinerary Now that you’ve arranged for a visa, it’s time to sit down and create a detailed itinerary. Your itinerary is essentially your business trip blueprint. It should cover where you need to go, what time you need to show up, which flights you need to catch and any other important events you’ll need to be aware of. You’ll want to keep it close! Once your itinerary is confirmed, the experienced team of Pulse Travel corporate travel agents will work with you to book flights, accommodation and car transfers that suit your schedule and leave you stress-free and reinvigorated after your trip.   Follow Your Corporate Travel Policy If your business has engaged in corporate travel before, chances are they have a corporate travel policy. Before booking and planning any business trip, it’s important to familiarise yourself with it. A corporate travel policy is essentially your corporate travel bible, including everything from your preferred suppliers, to what you can and can’t claim for reimbursements. If your company has never engaged in business travel before, it’s a good idea to get one written by our team to ensure consistency across the board. When booking your trip, make sure you follow the set guidelines. Pulse Travel will be able to find you good deals on flights, accommodation and car hire with your preferred suppliers, and advise you on the best accommodation with conference facilities, should you require them. Booking outside of your corporate travel policy and going against your suppliers may cause problems, so it’s best to stick to it when travelling.   Research Your Destination Travelling to a different country leaves you open to a wealth of new experiences. You may experience new languages, new cultures and different traditions, so it’s important to research your destination before you go so you don’t get caught out. Depending on your destination country, you may be faced with a range of different customs and traditions that you’ll need to be familiar with before you disembark. May different countries have different customs around greetings and mealtimes,  as well as rules and regulations around attire that you’ll want to follow while there. When travelling for business, it’s important to show respect for the customs and traditions of those you’re meeting, so ensure you do your research.   Avoid Packing At The Last Minute Your visa has arrived, your itinerary is full, your flights and accommodation have all been booked, and you’re up to speed with the important customs of your destination. Now it’s time to pack! Packing at the last minute is a trap that plenty of businesspeople (and holidaymakers) fall into, but it’s important to avoid it as much as possible. While you’ll always have some last-second packing to do, we recommend ensuring all of your important documents are packed a few days in advance. Create a list for yourself on your phone and tick things off as you add them in your bag, then add the essential clothing and toiletries at the last moment (and tick them off too). Many countries still use physical cash, so before you get to your destination, ensure you withdraw and exchange any cash you may need. If you’re travelling to America, the Middle East or some parts of Europe, tipping is expected and required, so ensure you have cash with you while you travel.   Whether you’re just getting into business trips or you’re a seasoned traveller, the corporate team at Pulse Travel would love to support you on your journey. Our team has over twenty years of experience in the corporate industry, and would love to speak to you about how they can assist with all of your travel needs.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""]Corporate Travel policies—they’re the bread and butter of the corporate travel world, and yet, so many businesses either don’t have one, or don’t know how to use their corporate travel policy effectively!   As corporate travel slowly resumes around Australia, it is becoming more important than ever to ensure your business travel policy is up to scratch. Your business travel policy can save you not only a tonne of time but also a tonne of money, so if yours isn’t up to scratch (or if you don’t even have one yet), keep reading our guide below!   What is A Corporate Travel Policy? A corporate travel policy is, essentially, a set of guidelines for business travel. A bit like a business travel bible! Created to ensure that all business travel undertaken by members of the company follows a strict set of instructions, your travel policy is likely to be the new vital tool in your business toolbelt once corporate travel is underway again. Corporate travel policies are as unique as snowflakes. While there’s no end to the number of things a strong travel policy can include, your policy may include which airline to use, what hotels to book and who you prefer to use for car hire. This allows you to not only ensure the safety of your employees, but also to save money and obtain exclusive travel discounts with various suppliers. Who doesn’t love a good discount!   Who Needs A Corporate Travel Policy? If you’re travelling for business purposes, you need a travel policy. Regardless of whether you have a large number of employees travelling regularly or you book just a few essential flights, you should have a travel policy in place if you’re booking business travel of any kind. Not only will your travel policy ensure that all of your employees are on the same page when it comes to booking travel, but it may also save you money and protect your business in the long run.   How To Write A Corporate Travel Policy: Now that you’ve decided a travel policy is essential for your business (don’t we love the word essential?), it’s time to get one written. While you can write a travel policy yourself, it’s much less painful to employ Pulse Corporate Travel to do it for you. Creating a corporate travel policy is part of the Corporate Travel Services on offer at Pulse Travel, and not only will they ensure that your wishes are written down clearly and concisely, but they will be able to provide you with advice on other considerations and ensure your policy is watertight. If you’re ready to write your policy with Pulse Travel but not sure where to start, here are a few things to think about before you get going! Create a word doc and make a note of your ideas as you go, so you don’t miss anything.   What Should Be Included? If you have never written a travel policy before, or even if you need to refresh your policy for 2022, there are a range of things you’ll need to think about. While a travel policy will vary from business to business, there are a few essential things that you must include:   1. Your Preferred Travel Agency Working with one corporate travel agency when booking business travel is important to ensure consistency. When writing a travel policy for the first time, a corporate travel agency such as Pulse Travel will be able to walk you through the process, providing you with a template and suggestions for what to include. Once the policy is written, the team at Pulse Travel will be able to implement it and help you to make further adjustments in the future as needed.   2. Any Preferred Suppliers If your business has any agreements with airlines, hotels or car hire companies, this is where you include it! Including your preferred suppliers may not only impact your itinerary, but it can also save you money. Establishing agreements with suppliers can help you to secure certain discounts for your travel, but keep in mind that once you establish those relationships, you need to stick with them. Like the song ‘Stand By Me’ by Ben E. King, you need to stand by them!   3. Travel Insurance Details Travel insurance is absolutely essential for both leisure and corporate travel. As such, it’s important to ensure all of the specifications of your travel insurance are included in the policy. While your regular health insurance may cover you in certain instances on domestic trips, it’s vital that you ensure effective travel insurance before heading overseas, as not all countries will afford the same level of healthcare. If you find you or your employees will be travelling internationally frequently, ensure that your corporate travel policy takes this into consideration before you jet off overseas.   4. Which Expenses Are Reimbursable Let’s be real, everyone wants free stuff. Unless you want your staff attempting to claim every purchase they make, when you’re planning or updating your travel policy for 2021 and 2022, you’ll want to consider which expenses will be reimbursed! Considering which expenses are and aren’t reimbursable is important for two reasons. Firstly, it ensures that your travellers know they won’t be left out-of-pocket for certain expenses, and secondly it prevents your employees from over-claiming expenses which may not have been necessary during the trip. Unfortunately, this may mean you can’t write that fancy 5-course meal off as a business expense! Things such as certain meals, transportation and laundry may need to be included, but the team at Pulse Travel are able to assist you in customising your accepted expenses to suit your needs.   5. Which Airfare and Hotel Room Type to Book As much as we would all love to fly first class and stay in a penthouse when travelling, it’s generally not realistic. To ensure that you don’t accidentally book the most expensive room in the house, or the most expensive airfare on the market, it’s important to include this information in your travel policy!   As travel will be different for every business, it’s good to keep in mind the comfort of your employees as well as your back pocket. While it’s perfectly acceptable to enforce the cheapest flight and cheapest hotel room for shorter stays, you may wish to consider better options when undergoing long-haul flights or staying in one place for a longer period of time. Depending on your individual circumstances, the team at Pulse Travel will be able to advise the best course of action.   Where To From Here? Once you have considered all of the above, and decided on the most appropriate responses for your business, it’s time to consult with the experts at Pulse Travel! Their team of experienced corporate travel agents will sit down and discuss your travel needs with you, fill out a template and then keep it on file for when you’re ready to start traveling again! With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, the agents at Pulse Travel will be able to customise any business travel to suit your needs, so if you’re wanting advice on how to perfect your travel policy, get in contact today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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? [nd_options_spacer nd_options_height="20"] 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. [nd_options_spacer nd_options_height="20"] 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. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]