|
Why shouldn't we just use a regular travel agent?
Most travel agents today specialize in Cruises and Vacation Packages where they benefit from large commissions paid by the resorts and cruise lines.
There was a time when regular travel agents made a good living from business accounts. Airlines used to pay them 10% of the ticket cost as a fee. Today they get nothing for booking a plane ticket which is why they must now charge a fee to anyone for whom they make a plane reservation. However, the fee they charge isn't enough incentive for them to research all the alternatives for each trip.
When booking a hotel they still receive a commission from the major hotel chains so they are likely to provide you with a room at the "Corporate Rate" at one of the big name hotels. These rates are below the "published rates" of the hotels but are usually still much higher than the best available rates on the internet. Again, travel agents lack the incentive to dig.
How does My In House Travel.com differ from a regular travel agent?
We do not operate from a storefront and our only overhead is our time and telephone expenses. We do not have to rely upon vacationing families for the mainstay of our business. Our focus is on the business traveler who is interested in stretching their travel dollar without relinquishing comfort and convenience.
How much can we realistically expect to save?
That depends upon the length and nature of each trip. The use of a discount airline instead of a major carrier (or having the option of flying an hour later or earlier) can sometimes cut the fare in half. Staying at a boutique hotel can not only save money but provide your staff with a more pleasant overnight stay. Just checking all available fares (there are over 30 million published air fares on the books on any given day) can produce considerable savings. Likewise, some hotels offer specials that are below even the best prices found on sites like Priceline.com.
Why should we use an outside source for booking our travel?
You are not a travel agency. Your employees are not travel agents. They might eventually find the lowest available fares but at what cost to them and yourself in terms of how much time it takes them away from what they should be doing? Also, do you really want to give them another reason to spend their time on the internet?
How will we know if we are saving money using My In House Travel.com?
The savings will be obvious and immediate. Most business travelers are aware of their regular travel costs (air fare, hotel rates for a given number of stars hotels and rental car rates) from previous trips. It is our experience that the rates we provide are consistantly 15% to 45% lower than what they typical traveler would normally pay.
How will you know what each salesman or executive traveler prefers?
Everyone completes a Traveler?s Preference Sheet when they are entered into our system. Each time we receive a trip itinerary from them in the future these preferences are automatically considered when selecting the appropriate airport, making seat assignments or reserving hotel rooms and cars.
How do you receive trip itineraries?
Once a traveler is registered with us, they may submit individual trip itineraries to us via phone, fax, e mail or PDA. There is a simple form on the web site that can be completed and sent to us at any time. We try to respond within 24 hrs for regular bookings but last minute, same day reservations are not uncommon.
How do you notify us of the results?
By return e-mail. We can send to PDA's as well. A copy of each reservation can also be sent to the CFO if desired.
What if we have to change the itinerary en route?
All reservations are subject to change within normal practices. Some airlines are much more restrictive than others. If you are a "frequent flight changer" we will know this from your Traveler Preference Sheet and will try to keep you on airlines with more lenient policies. Any changes in itinerary are the responsibility of the traveler to make with the airline, hotel or car rental company. We can assist with changes and re-booking during normal business hours.
Are there restrictions on the tickets or hotel and car reservations?
In today's world of business travel even full fare tickets and reservations often carry restrictions imposed by the carriers or hotels. Any restrictions would be noted with the traveler at the time of booking.
What if we want to cancel or change a reservation after it is booked?
Any changes or cancellations are subject to the policies and fees of the airline or hotel they were booked with. Many of the most favorable fares and rates today are non-cancelable but sometimes we can apply part of their cost to future trips. Each case is individually determined. Any new reservations booked through My In House Travel.com will result in additional fees.
How much does My In House Travel.com charge for making these bookings?
Our research fees are listed on the website in the Research Fees Schedule section.
|