Describe The Features of Different Types of Business Travel and Accommodation

When planning a business trip all aspects and decisions rely heavily on the budget set by the company for the trip. Once Sandfords have confirmed the location careful consideration should be used to choose the travel method and accommodation while assuring to stick to the company budget.

The deciding factors on what method of transport or accommodation to choose are based solely on a number of things that need to be considered when making travel decisions. This is dependent on cost, convenience and destination. Which option is within the allocated budget, which option is more convenient for the business and the person/s travelling and lastly which option is closest to the destination reducing travel time.

There are many different travel options available depending on the location travelling to:

Firstly by plane: When flying there are many different options available. For example the business can fly employees either economy or business class, depending on their budget. There is also added extras the business can pay for to improve the quality of the flight such as; priority boarding, seat allocation or a more legroom seat on the airplane. However again these are an added cost and it will depend on the company’s budget available if the employees receive these luxuries.

Another option available is train: Again there are many different options available when travelling on certain train lines. Such as the company can select if the employee will travel in standard seating or first class also depending on the company’s budget. The business also have the option to include bus or tube tickets to travel to the required train if it is not local to the business or the start point of the trip.

The last option available is by car: The business has the option to either hire a vehicle for the employee to make the journey to the chosen location in or offer up the service of the company car if the company have one or it is available. Lastly the company could suggest the employee use their personal vehicle and potentially offer to cover costs of the journey, for example petrol money, food and drink expenses if the driver is required to stop over.

Similarly to travel there is many different options when choosing accommodation:

The business has the choice of a Hotel for accommodation of the employee. Hotels offer a full range of facilities and therefore will make the employees stay more pleasurable and convenient, this is depending if the company’s budget can stretch to this cost. Hotels are mainly convenient if accommodation is needed for one or two nights as a longer time frame can become very expensive.

If accommodation is needed for a longer time period then an Apartment is a more cost effective choice of accommodation. They have a range of facilities available such as washing machines and are more spacious than hotel rooms. The employee can also choose to eat in or out making it easier to fit meals around their schedule instead of relying on the hotels allotted eating times for their meals.

Lastly Bed and breakfast in a guest house could also be an option for accommodation. Bed and Breakfast’s usually offer what is stated in the name as part of their deals, a room for the night followed by breakfast in the morning. However some facilities offer guests to choose if they wish to have one or two meals provided, this usually being breakfast and/or dinner. This accommodation option is typically the cheapest but can also be an option for a short or long trip. Bed and breakfast offers the basics for those staying so will keep cost down for the business if chosen for either a short or long stay.

This task is not expected in my role at Sandfords, Sinead currently takes on this role as the businesses secretary and receptionist. However I was trained by my manager Sinead on how to effectively complete this task and also how to correctly document the required records relating to business travel and accommodation. I was trained specifically on this task as Sandfords was kind enough to offer me a permanent contract before completing my apprenticeship as office administrator, therefore when my apprenticeship is complete I will take on all administrative roles from Sinead and this will be a task I am required to do. Being trained for this tasks early on also allows me to help with arranging business travel currently alongside the support of Sinead to develop my skills feeling confident and prepared to take on the responsibility once completing m apprenticeship.