Eight sure ways to mess up a business trip

THERE’S nothing better than travelling for work, right? What can be more fun than taking an all-expenses-paid trip across the world, living it up in luxury hotels with complimentary room service, only to head out for a night on the town exploring the best bars your temporary home has on offer?

Unfortunately, business travel is not always as glamorous as you might think. Corporate Traveller’s general manager, Oz Desai, reveals some epic business trip failures. He has listed eight sure ways to screw up a business trip, but also offers some solutions on how to plan for a trip.

1. Planning your business trip at the last minute.

We get it. Sometimes you find out about a fantastic opportunity late in the game. An overseas conference you’ve been invited to, a potential client you need to win over urgently, a partnership opportunity that’s better dealt with in person. But if you leave confirming meeting details too late, this can lead to a few issues. There’s nothing worse than realising your client has forgotten that meeting for which you just travelled 10 hours by plane. It sounds obvious, but re-confirming dates and times a few days prior can save you time and embarrassment.

Travel mix-ups happen to the best of us. One of the best ways you can avoid these headaches? Working with a dedicated travel manager who can organise every last detail for you.

2. Booking the cheapest flights.

Picture waking up at 3am, rushing to the airport for a conference in Joburg, only to see “cancelled” next to your flight code. We always recommend customers fly with trusted airlines with which they have corporate agreements in place.

3. Not having a clear packing list.

One of the best ways to ensure your luggage arrives with you is to fit everything in your carry-on bag. This might be a tad tricky, but it saves the frustration of watching bag after bag come out on the conveyor belt, only to realise yours didn’t arrive. Be smart about what you pack, don’t leave things to the last minute, and be prepared.

4. Booking the red-eye flight without accommodation.

Sometimes red-eye flights can be a great option; they’re usually cheaper and less crowded. But a common mistake for corporate travellers is not booking the previous nights’ accommodation when they get there.

If you land after midnight at your destination, your hotel booking needs to cover the night before you arrive, not the same day.

5. Not booking the right hotel.

When booking a hotel for business, some travellers argue that waiting until the last minute offers a cheaper rate. Although this is true, this strategy also comes with many risks.

For instance, there’s nothing worse than having to travel over an hour to get to a meeting, just because nearby accommodation was unavailable when you booked. Or worse, your only hotel option isn’t in a safe neighbourhood, making the suited-up businessperson a prime target.

6. Assuming you don’t need a business visa.

Although it’s usually a simple process, obtaining a business visa for your trip can involve a little more than your average holiday (for both you and your wallet). Some countries require a formal invitation from the business you’ll be dealing with in your target country.

7. Not checking your business phone plan before you leave.

Surviving on dodgy, infrequent Wi-Fi might be possible on a leisure holiday – the lack of screen time even becomes refreshing after a while – but this is not the case for business travellers.

8. Forgetting to leave leisure time until the end of your business trip.

Do you have a work trip to London? Why wouldn’t you take annual leave a week prior and enjoy the beaches of Portugal?

The answer is: because you’ll become a bit too relaxed.