Virtual-travel-agents!
 aircanada.ca
- book fares on line - vacation packages - traveller services
expedia.msn.ca - book hotels,
flights, cars and vacations - all in real time. Fares in Canadian
dollars.
travel.yahoo.com - information on travel destinations, bookings. Fares in US
dollars.
travelspots.com - specializing in travel packages, adventure trips, cruises,
hotels, resorts, country inns and bed and breakfasts.
frommers.com - publishes some
of the best travel guides, great deals and off-the-beaten track
destinations.
lonelyplant.com
- detailed destination guides, theme guides.
mapquest.com - before heading
out on your next driving vacation, use this site to create specific driving
instructions from one city to the next.
cnn.com/travel - a detailed
listing of the best restaurants, hotels, attractions and recreation sites for
major cities in North America and beyond. |
How to Stretch
your travel dollars |
| |
| Although telecommunications is cutting down the need to travel,
much business continues to be done face to face. |
| |
| Owner-managers still have to hit the road. Unfortunately, large
corporations have a big advantage over entrepreneurs in their ability to wring
value from their travel budgets. |
| |
| Airlines, hotels and car rental agencies have programs geared
toward corporate executives that generally offer lower prices based on volume
business. |
| |
| So what can a small-business owner do? Consider the following when
planning your travel budget. |
| |
| Travel style. How you travel reflects the image you want to
convey to prospective clients. For example, many companies require employees to
travel under the cheapest fares and to stay in low-cost hotels. This is
particularly true for non-profit and government agencies. |
| |
| The leading companies in an industry usually share the same travel
patterns. For example, many entertainment executives only travel business-class
or first-class and stay in high-end hotels. If you plan to meet someone in this
industry, you may want to follow the pattern. |
| |
| Don't forget the agent. Many business travellers are using
the Internet to search out the cheapest fares, lowest cost rentals or the least
expensive hotels. Certainly, this method may reap bargains. But some travellers
end up paying a lot more than if they had used an experienced travel
agent. |
| |
| A good agent should know the best hotel values for major cities. If
you're a client of an established agency that refers people to a specific
hotel, you should be treated well and possibly even upgrade when rooms are
available. |
| |
| Be creative. To reduce the price of your fare, think about
booking two airline tickets instead of one. This practice is often called
back-to-back ticketing and is frowned on by the airlines for obvious
reasons. |
| |
|
Here's how it works: Airline pricing requires that you book in
advance and stay over a Saturday for the best discount fares. But if you need
to fly to, say, Calgary from Toronto at mid-week for only a few days, the price
may be $2,480. |
|
|
|
But you may book a ticket to fly out on your targeted date with a
return of a few weeks later. This may be available under a low discount fare of
about $650, for example. The you book a separate flight with another agent on a
different airline starting from Calgary on the day you want to come back and a
return of a few weeks later. This flight may also cost about $650. |
|
|
|
In total you have spent about $1,300. For the same flights that an
airline may charge you $2,480, you can obtain a savings of about $1,180. |
|
|
|
Accumulate points. Decide with which airline you prefer to
fly, join its frequent flier program and try to use that carrier exclusively.
Most major credit cards have a program that allows you to accumulate points
that can be converted to airline tickets, car rentals and other services. |
|
|
|
Get the credit card that accumulates points for your choses
airline's frequent flier program. Put all business purchases on the card, and
you will quickly have enough points to redeem for a reward. |
|
|
|
One owner of a high-technology firm, for example, continually
acquires new computers for his growing business. He buys them using his credit
card and uses his points for most of his business travel. |
|
|
|
After attaining a certain level of points, you will get access to
the airline's private lounge, which may have amenities geared toward the
business traveller including phone jacks for laptop computers. |
|
|
|
Also, by purchasing all of your business items on a single credit
cars, you may bet a high credit limit that can prove useful in tight
times. |
|
|
|
Complain. When you are not satisfied with the service you
have received by an airline, hotel or car rental agency, write to the president
directly. You may receive a reimbursement for a portion of your fee or a
discount coupon for the next trip. |
|
|
|
Published July 12, 1999 |
