7 Tips for Managing International Business Travel (and travelers)

Don’t be that person.

Don’t let your travelers be that person either for that matter.

You know, that person who, after standing in the international line at the airport for hours…and hours… is caught completely off guard by an entry requirement. International business travel is ramping back up and the experts (and travel managers) are recommending that everyone plan ahead if they need to go abroad.

As COVID-19 testing, masking, and vaccination entry mandates disappear daily, it’s easy to think that international travel is going to be easy from this point forward. Let this serve as a good reminder that leaving your home country is likely to be just as complicated (if not more complicated) than it was before the pandemic – even without the pandemic-level restrictions in place anymore. In fact, many countries, regions, and territories are implementing new, stricter visa and passport requirements than ever before.

Business Travel News (BTN) recently spoke with Faye Zeidlhack, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.’s global travel manager. She’s nervous for her international business travelers.

Travel is tricky, international travel especially so. Luckily, sometimes all it takes is the right tools at the right times – and a few helpful industry connections – to avoid rushing around the airport, scrambling for the documents, fighting deadlines for an in-person appointment, or worse…missing an important meeting altogether.

At Gant, international business trips are streamlined, automated, and stress-limited (hey, nothing in travel is stress-free… we’re a great TMC not miracle workers, remember?) experiences.

Here’s a list of 7 things we think will help you keep your international travelers happy…

1. Plan ahead

If there’s one thing we know for sure about a successful international trip, it’s that it starts with research. Customs requirements, paperwork requirements, processes, cultural norms, etc. They differ from country to country – and can play a big role in determining whether your travelers are allowed entry at all.

Gant’s partnership with VisaHQ allows business travelers to view entry requirements with consideration to destination and traveler citizenship. Gant’s partnership offers access to all clients. Fees only apply when travelers purchase a passport or visa service through VisaHQ.

2. Start early

Even before 2020, preparing for an international trip could take weeks (or months) to secure everything needed. Then you still had to get everything done. . First things first in international business travel – find out which official forms and documents are needed for a trip. And do it as as quickly as possible. Waits, sometimes even long waits, are normal for many types of submissions or requests.

If you’re a Gant client, uploading a valid passport will trigger automatic visa and passport information when booking international travel. Within minutes of booking, VisaHQ sends a customized email notification to the traveler. The email outlines any visa and passport requirements and offers one-click access to their platform. If you want or need to use their services, that is.

3. Know Protocols

Current health and safety protocols can differ greatly depending on your destination. Seemingly, every country, region, and territory has their own rules. It’s nearly impossible to mentally keep track of the rules that could apply… and when to apply them. It’s a good idea to check for special requirements and mandates before you agree to an international destination – and then regularly check those guidelines for any changes that could be implemented before your travel commences.

While nearly all of us are excited to be travelling again, most are cautious in their excitement. Recent research from GBTA found that a large majority of travelers still believe it’s essential to stay informed on the latest safety recommendations before they take their next trip. These individuals also feel that it’s up to their travel management company – like us – to support them along the way.

We agree.

Available to all, our Covid Resources page offers quick access to links for most US government, state, and embassy sites as well as recently issued travel alerts and warnings.

For Gant program champions, we compile US Department of State travel alerts and warnings (Level 3 or above) in our weekly email. We also include important industry news, available trainings, and our own service updates. Within the Gant Gateway, your entire organization has access to data on COVID-19 cases.

4. Secure agreements

Travel prices fluctuate. All the time. It’s the name of the game. We don’t have to tell you that. You are part of the team that’s managing travel for your organization, and you know exactly what we’re talking about. And if you’ve been watching 2022 pricing at all, you know it’s been a particularly wild ride this year. International travel has never been cheap. Prices are steadily increasing across the entire industry. And with budgets simultaneously tightening across most companies – paying the best price possible is only set to grow in importance.

Trying to get that best possible deal while sticking to a trip’s business functions (and traveler comfort) can get tricky. An unfamiliar country only makes it trickier. Discounted rates and fares are going to be imperative to maintaining a great travel experience without killing the budget.

At Gant, we help clients save money wherever possible by leveraging our agency-level negotiating powers, chainwide agreements, day-one discounts, and dynamic consortia rates – including ones for international travel, properties, and cars. Gant Travel/FROSCH has well-developed relationships and advisory-board memberships with most of today’s leading airlines, hotels, and car rental companies. We also have automated price-checking software running automatically for flights and hotel rooms, and we even have a team that can help you secure a corporate rate for rooms and room-blocks at international properties.

5. Track alerts

Initial itineraries don’t always work out… especially in this new landscape of post-pandemic travel. Staffing shortages and supply issues continue to impact flight schedules in major airports around the world. Knowing where you’re headed and when to be there is essential if you’re on the road for work. Delayed flights and moved gates (especially to another terminal on an already short layover) turn the unexpected into the frustrating and the confusing – quickly.

As an opt-in service, Gant provides real-time alerts to all travelers. Your team can choose to receive messages through text or email (or both) so they can stay up to date – especially once they’re already on the road and time is of the essence.  Our messaging includes: a check-in reminder 24 hours before departure, flight status notifications, gate changes, and connection gate changes. They system sends a notification if a flight is delayed by more than 30 minutes and/or if a connection time changes by fifteen minutes or more. It also notifies of flight cancellations and reinstatement (if a previously canceled flight returns to “scheduled status”).

6. Have support

This should be the no-brainer. Having someone there and ready to provide support when things get dicey has a way of making bad situations… well… less bad. That definitely applies when it comes to international business travel and all T’s that need crossed and I’s that need dotted. We’re not just talking about avoiding lackluster customer service here, we’re talking about making sure there’s always someone available to help. Period.

Whether there’s a snowstorm, hurricane, or global health pandemic, we all know how stressful it is when something goes wrong and it’s completely out of our control. When your travelers are thousands of miles away from home (and maybe don’t even speak the language), they need to know that someone has their back if their trip doesn’t go as planned.

Our full-service support team is available 24/7and our direct line and travel support email will let a traveler connect with an agent no matter what country they’re in.

7. Collect data

Remember when the first wave of the pandemic happened? When travelers were temporarily stuck abroad because of the swiftly enacted global travel restrictions? It proved once and for all that in this fast-paced world we live, companies need quick access to where travelers are.

Just in case.

Just in case they need to leave quickly; just in case they need to stay longer; just in case they need to quarantine when they come home. Just. In. Case.

For many, new Duty of Care initiatives require more data than ever around your team travel. Like, where they are going, where they’re staying, and how long they’re staying there.

At Gant, we recognize that extra peace of mind can go a long way. Our reporting and analytics dashboards offer champions summary and detail views of bookings, cancellations, voids, refunds, and active trips.

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Questions? Get in touch with your Gant Account Manager, they’re here to help.

Not a current Gant client? Reach out whenever you’re ready to talk – [email protected]