A well-planned itinerary enables a traveler to make the best possible use of time abroad. Although travel time is expensive, care must be taken not to overload the schedule. Two or three definite appointments, confirmed well in advance and spaced comfortably throughout one day, are more productive and enjoyable than a crowded agenda that forces the business person to rush from one meeting to the next before business is really concluded.
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The itinerary always goes on top with the information listed below, followed by the accompanying documents.
So what’s the secret to creating a great business trip itinerary?
Meet with your boss and establish the exact requirements for the trip. Clarify the budget for the trip. You will need to know your boss’s preferred modes of travel. Find out when and where he needs to travel, if there are any overnight stays, with whom he will be meeting and what those meetings are scheduled for. Then, either by hand or through a travel department, book the appropriate flights and the hotels the boss prefers. A note of the arrangements and confirmation numbers.
Prepare the documents two or three months before the departure. Especially if visas and updated passports are needed. Some countries may not require visas for tourists but may require them for business travelers.
Begin with transportation. Research price comparison websites and the airlines’ own sites to get the best deals on flights and hotels. Book a flexible-fare flight, in the event something unplanned arises; it makes it easier to rearrange bookings. Allow for delays at airports even to the extent of booking a flight the day prior, so your boss arrives at their destination with plenty of time to make their meeting. Be sure to include the name of the airport since many larger cities have more than one. You don’t want your boss showing up at the wrong airport because you forgot to tell her that this one time she’s flying out of the other one.
Itinerary The Itinerary should contain details of the transportation, flight information, hotels, business meetings, addresses and contact numbers for each reservation and appointment. Many executive assistants develop their own version of an executive business travel itinerary. There are apps that assist with developing an itinerary such as TripIt. All email confirmations can be sent to an email address at Tripit which creates a framework of an itinerary to which you can finish by adding business meetings, dinners etc.
How Should Business Itinerary Template Look Like?
Actually it can look anyway you like but it should include at least the following information:
Flights
- Date of travel.
- Check-in times.
- Flight dates & times.
- Flight numbers.
- Frequent flier program number.
- The name and location of departing airport.
- Airport terminal number.
- Transportation to his departing airport information.
- How to travel, how long it will take, etc.
- The name and location of your arriving airport.
- Amount you paid for tickets ahead of time and any receipts or confirmations you received.
- Name of travel agent/ booking agent / website source of booking.
Hotel
- The name, address and telephone number for your hotel.
- Your hotel reservation number.
Transportation
- Transportation from the airport to your hotel.
- How to travel, how long it will take, how much it will cost, etc.
- Names and contact numbers for his overseas contacts.
- Names and contact numbers for all travel partners.
- His business agenda during his business trip.
- Time and location for all meetings, whom he is meeting with and the meeting agenda.
- Time and location for all events and whom he is entertaining or being entertained by.
- Suggested daily budget and local currency exchange rate.
- All other relevant information for his trip, as applicable.
Train
- Passenger full names as they are listed on the passports.
- Train dates & times.
- Station.
- Platform, etc.
- Frequent traveler program number.
- Amount you paid for tickets ahead of time and any receipts or confirmations you received.
- Name of travel agent / booking agent / website source of booking.
Taxi
- Taxi pickup times, account details or how much if you have to pay cash.
Hire Car
- Hire car information, pickup and drop off times, location, reservation number, etc.
- Important local information, like weather, local etiquette, dress code, tipping advice, etc.
Read: Common Business Travel Problems and Solutions
Note any scheduled appointments along the trip Such as dinner with a business associate or a guided tour. List the meeting location and contact information for the location, such as a telephone number, in case he need to alert someone that is running behind schedule or need to call for directions.
Weather While this may seem too obvious, weather in other parts of the world can be quite different than the climate in which you may be accustomed. Providing weather conditions for each of the locations on the executive business trip will ensure your boss packs correctly and carries an umbrella and jacket if necessary.
Offer maps of hard to reach places Some experienced planners recommend putting maps of each event location into the itinerary. This can end up saving everyone time in case the traveling executive or other party gets lost between itinerary trip points.
Details mean a lot
- Remember that there is a difference in time zones. Be sure that everyone concerned with the trip is talking about the same time.
- Include in your list (if you know it) the amount of time that the traveller will need to get from the airport or railway station to his appointment. It is disconcerting for a traveller to reach his city of destination at 09:50 when he has an appointment on the other side of town for 10:00 o’clock.
- Find out if he can have lunch or dinner en route. If not, allow time for him to eat before his appointment.
Handy Tip: Provide a Plan B for the “just in case” scenarios and make sure your boss’s itinerary has all the important details in an easy-to-read format.
Handy tip for your boss – Personal Safety When he/she go to dinner or a meeting is advisable to take the passport and should carry contact information of the embassy of origin at all times. Is important to keep a fully charged mobile phone always.
Health information If your boss is traveling with someone who has recently been sick, is prone to ill health, or has a severe allergy, it’s always a good idea to have the names, addresses and number of local hospitals Travel itinerary should include:
- Names, addresses and phone # of local hospital in each area he or she will be traveling.
- A brief medical history of his traveling companion written down in that country’s language.
Stay Organised There are some great business travel apps out there. TripIt and WorldMate (www.worldmate.com) are great for keeping track of itineraries and bookings, while Cashbook Expense Tracker and Expense Manager are good tools for recording all financial transactions so you can concentrate on setting up productive meetings.
Business Itinerary Templates & Services
- Microsoft Office offers a number of business itinerary templates you can use to plan your trip on paper.
- Consider hiring a small business or corporate itinerary planning service to manage your trip. For example, American Express offers these services to corporate customers who need travel arrangements on a regular basis.
Place the itinerary–as well as any agendas, receipts for reservations, e-ticket information and directions–into a folder.
What’s your best itinerary planning Advice? Please share your comments below.
Bon Voyage!
