Preparing for Business Travel

Business trips are different to holidays in many ways, so if you're going for a large conference or a small meeting, you need to think differently. Below are some tips for planning your flights so you will be prepared for any and all encounters before the big meeting.

Most business expenses can be recouped by the business or through tax, but don't let this fool you into thinking that you can travel however you want. Most business's have a limit to how much they will give back, so think twice before booking a first class seat to your destination; you may have to pay the entire thing yourself. Some business trips can be called off at the last minute due to cold feet or other issues arising, so book a ticket that can be refunded. These usually cost more, but the entire amount will be given back if you need to change it to a different time or to cancel it. Booking a ticket that can be changed will also be beneficial if the one hour meeting turns into a two day event.

You can save money by flying in hours before the scheduled meeting and leaving hours later, so you don't have to postpone a flight if the meeting runs over time. It used to be that business people would book a hotel room to store their luggage and freshen up before the meeting, but most major airlines now have business class rooms complete with Wi-Fi, showers and buffet food, so you can relax there before the meeting.