With businesses in the UK estimated to spend £46.8 billion on corporate travel in 2025, choosing the right travel management partner is crucial.
The right company will save you money, help with the safety of employees, provide around-the-clock support, and streamline the entire process.
They can speed up everything from booking to finding corporate deals, understanding visa requirements, and even the reimbursement stage post-trip. But alignment between your business and the travel management partner is key.
With this in mind, here are seven questions to ask before choosing a travel management partner.
1. What does your customer support look like?
A good travel management company will support you during the booking process, but a great one will be there throughout the whole trip and beyond.
Unfortunately, travel hiccups can occur, and an employee may need someone to speak to should concerns arise. When a travel management partner hasn’t been chosen, and a booking is made solely by the company, a dedicated person needs to be on hand who can be contacted at any time.
This is where the support of a travel management partner is particularly important, as an experienced port of call is then assigned.
You should ask what this support entails. Will one specific person be on hand, and when are they available to be contacted?
P.S. At Good Travel Management, we’re available 24/7 so your travellers always have someone to call, no matter the time zone.
2. Do you plan for emergencies?
No one wants to think about emergencies when planning a trip, but it is important to know whether the operator has contingency plans in place.
Ideally, the company will have already assisted in creating risk management strategies tailored to your company’s travel patterns and needs.
They should also have a plan in case incidents occur, along with maintaining partnerships with global security and health organisations, so that they can remain up to date with the latest advice and support.
If a flight has been cancelled or delayed, for example, will the company be able to assist those on the trip, or will the employee be left to manage the situation on their own? A great travel management company will be able to assist and liaise with airlines to understand the circumstances.
They should also rebook flights if necessary or offer alternative travel arrangements with minimal disruptions to plans.
3. Does your experience include the UK or is it international?
Some companies specialise in specific niches, such as luxury travel or sustainable tourism, while others prefer to focus on bookings based in the UK.
If you’re looking for a broader experience, where UK and international travel could potentially be involved, ensure the provider is experienced in both.
The ‘About Us’ pages on the operator’s website should provide some indication, along with third-party reviews sites.
4. Are you ABTA/ATOL protected?
While it’s always the aim for the business trip to go as smoothly as expected, there is unfortunately the possibility of things going awry.
Whether it’s a cancelled flight or delayed transport, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) provides protection against holidays that are bought in the UK.
This means that if the travel company goes out of business, a refund will be possible. If this occurs while away, the transportation home will be covered too.
ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licensing), on the other hand, focuses on people who fly whereas ABTA is for rail, road or sea travel holidays.
This doesn’t mean you should avoid getting insurance for personal means, but it is something you should always check before investing time and money.
5. Do you have special rates or partnerships?
A key benefit of utilising a travel management company is its cost savings, as many have strong industry relationships and connections they’ve built up over time.
Special rates and packages for group bookings are possible, with this being a great way to reduce business travel costs and should bring up cheaper prices than what you’d find normally.
While corporate travel prices can typically be given, some companies have partnerships with specific airlines, hotels or organisations which could lead to a greater experience and even lower costs.
For example, Good Travel Management (which has almost 200 years of history to its name) is a strategic UK partner in the Lufthansa City Center Global group. It’s also an independent contractor in one of the largest travel management companies in the United States, named ALTOUR.
“Our partnerships are integral to providing our clients with exceptional service,” says the GTM team.
“Teaming up with such renowned organisations allows us to access the best fares, faster journey options, streamlined administration, and enhanced corporate travel strategies, ensuring that our clients receive unparalleled travel experiences and value.”
6. Do you manage the full process including handling expenses or visa processing?
If you’re looking for a company that can do it all, you need to check how extensive their services are ahead of getting started.
Handling payments, expenses and the reimbursement process can be a time-consuming and frustrating process if not handled correctly. The TMC should have a system in place for this as it is a critical component.
Companies that can effectively assist with travel expense management and reporting should be able to generate detailed analyses, develop efficient expense policies, integrate with existing finance systems, and offer tracking and submission tools to simplify the process.
If visa and document processing is included, which is usually an additional service, this should include the team already having a wealth of knowledge and experience in international visa requirements.
They should then be able to provide you with this information, along with guidance on documentation, application procedures and timelines.
Some companies will also liaise with embassies and consulates on the behalf of companies to ensure that all travellers have the necessary documents in place before embarking on the trip.
7. Do you have sustainable practices?
If sustainability is high on your list, ensure you’re partnering with a company that has the same values at heart.
While it’s a good strategy for the planet, research suggests that a massive 80% of business travellers would be more inclined to work for a company that builds sustainability into its corporate policy.
When this is a focus, logical and strategic choices should be looked at to enable you to make better travel decisions.
At Good Travel Management, this is one of our specialities as we help businesses to run a more sustainable travel programme. Our actions to achieve this include:
- Providing comprehensive CO2 emissions reporting with tailored recommendations
- Bespoke booking tool messaging for your team, with positive habits written into it to reduce your environmental impact
- Designing effective offsetting programmes to help you run a greener business
- Developing travel policies which focus on the reduction of CO2 and more eco-friendly travel decisions
- Giving unique recommendations on your travel habits and behaviours to help you fine-tune and improve the way you travel
We have an expertly trained team who are able to guide you, and other decision makers, through sustainable business travel strategies. Not only do we talk the talk, but we walk the walk too as we’ve been operationally carbon neutral since 2022.
How we operate at Good Travel Management
We’re a travel management partner that offers end-to-end solutions, covering everything from taxis and car hire to business flights, rail travel arrangements, accommodation bookings, and specialised group and event travel management.
As always, we put our extensive industry relationships and market knowledge to good use as these are leveraged to negotiate preferential rates with major travel providers.
At the heart of our service is our 24/7 support for business travellers, meaning everyone involved can access immediate assistance at any time.
We have a dedicated support team who offer real-time updates on travel disruptions, help with emergency situations, provide location monitoring, and assist with last-minute booking modifications.
Ready to book business travel with a travel management partner that goes beyond mere logistics? Get in touch with our team.