Business travel is a vital link to connecting with colleagues and customers, promoting business and demonstrating products at trade shows and training clients. That having been said, it can also be considered a necessary evil. With the increase in fares, restrictions on carry-on luggage, TSA rules and searches and less than convenient schedules, travel has lost some of its charm and booking travel for others can be “interesting”.
Sometimes compounding the issues of travel is the complexity of setting up offsite visits with customers (to be compliant with their schedules) and travel to other offices (whether a project has progressed to the point where a visit is warranted or if there are delays/problems to be addressed prior to a visit). As many engineers work multiple projects, travel plans connected with one project may be interrupted by issues on another project.
Booking travel for our employees requires flexibility, tenacity, Zen-like calm, and, occasionally, a very good sense of humor.
8:30AM (Thursday): An employee approaches me with the request for travel arrangements from Cleveland, OH to Carlsbad, CA, departing next Wednesday morning and returning the following Friday evening.
8:45AM: I email to the employee a list of possible flights and their pricing, requesting his choice.
4:57PM: The employee replies that while flying into Los Angeles, he wishes to stay overnight at a hotel airport and will pick up/drive a rental car the next morning to Carlsbad.
5:08PM: I email to the employee a list of possible hotels close to the airport and rental car options.
11:15AM (Friday): The employee emails that the plan has changed, he wishes to pick up a connection in Los Angeles to Carlsbad and will pick up a rental car near the airport.
11:37AM: I email to the employee a new list of possible flights and their pricing, requesting his choice.
3:42PM: The employee replies to my email, asking not to be routed through Chicago but rather through Houston and requesting a Friday morning return rather than a Friday evening return.
4:11PM: I email to the employee another new list of possible flights and their pricing, requesting his choice.
9:01AM (Monday): The employee replies to my email with his flight and hotel selections. I proceed to book the itinerary, only to discover the flight is now sold out. I email to the employee another new list of possible flights and their pricing, requesting his choice.
5:23PM: The employee replies to my email, stating he wishes to fly from Cleveland to San Diego and drive to Carlsbad.
5:24PM: I say very bad words inside my head.
5:33PM: I email to the employee another new list of possible flights and their pricing, requesting his choice.
9:36AM (Tuesday): The employee replies to my email with his new flight and hotel choices (at last!).
9:48AM: I book the flight, hotel and rental car for the employee.
4:17PM: The employee emails me that the trip has been cancelled.
4:18PM: I am now considering new flight options – for myself. To a spa. Alone.
A travel arranger also assists with the details and questions employees may have regarding travel and will be there to provide support in the event an emergency may arise.
Case in point:
An employee was booked for travel and off to the airport he went. I was feeling secure that another engineer was safely on his trip when I received the call from the airport:
“I think my wallet and my driver’s license is sitting on my desk back at the office and my flight leaves in an hour!”
Locating and snatching up the wallet, I hop into my car and drive about 85MPH on the freeway to the airport where the engineer was waiting with a very concerned expression. Practically throwing the wallet to the relieved employee through my car window, I jump back onto the freeway and head for the office, happy that I was of service for the company.
Happy until I found my tire was completely flat the next morning from my race to the airport.
Ah, the joys and excitment of travel! Plan a trip today! Go someplace far, far away! Please!
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