Understanding the risks of travelling in a post-covid world is not enough. Businesses will need to adapt their business travel strategies accordingly and change how they approach security. The old mantra "safety first" needs to be updated for this new era, with businesses ensuring that safety is also "first".
This includes adopting new technology, improving processes, and increasing cooperation between companies (e.g., airlines). It may mean changing how people work at home or abroad, both physically and virtually.
With these changes comes an opportunity for creativity: what can you do differently now? What are your company's strengths? How can you innovate in the face of increased risk? These are just some questions that any business should be asking itself now.
Stay Informed of Any Travel Restrictions
With the increasing number of flight restrictions, it’s essential to keep up-to-date on what destinations are still accessible to you so you can plan your business travel accordingly. Check the Travel Advisories for that country/region before making travel arrangements to a new destination.
Check the Travel Advisories for that country/region. This will ensure that if any further restrictions are placed, you will be aware and not left stranded when trying to travel.
Keep Yourself up to Date
Because government advice and new legislation about business travel can change daily or hourly, you should ensure that you are always up to date with the most up-to-date information available. The importance of staying on top of new regulations cannot be overstated. Doing so will help you prepare for changes before they occur and place your company in a better position than those who do not.
Be Aware of the Risks
Business travel has always entailed some level of risk, but COVID-19 has further increased the significance of that risk. When feasible, avoid travelling to high-risk areas if at all possible. If travel is unavoidable, make sure you know the dangers and take the essential procedures to keep yourself and your company safe while on the road.
Establish a Business Travel Policy
Your company should have established protocols in place regarding travel for business purposes. These policies should ensure that your employees are safe while travelling, that they don’t overstay their welcome at the places they visit, and that they do not violate any laws or regulations you are aware of. You don’t need to go into too much detail in the policy—you need to let employees know that this is a serious issue and they should be responsible while travelling for work.
Make a Policy and Keep Track of It
A business travel policy is necessary, but it’s not sufficient in and of itself. In addition, you must ensure that the policy is enforced and that compliance is tracked. This will assist you in providing that your employees are safe while travelling and that your company is not put at risk. We recommend that you create and maintain your policy based on the following criteria:
- Price ceilings
- Timeframes for booking
- Cabin classes that are permitted
- Flight time is limited
- Budgets for certain locations
Business travel has always entailed some level of risk, but COVID-19 has further increased the significance of that risk. When feasible, avoid travelling to high-risk areas if at all possible. If travel is unavoidable, make sure you know the dangers and take the essential procedures to keep yourself and your company safe while on the road.
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Examine How You Approve Things
You must establish a mechanism by which employees can request business travel, and managers can accept those requests for your policy to be effective. Your company should follow the following protocol: All applicants must submit a written request with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. All approved applications should be forwarded to human resources for final approval Employees who fail to follow the protocol will be fined.
Review The Process Regularly
Every year, you should go through your business travel policy to ensure that it's still serving you well and is still effective. You may also wish to discuss any adjustments or upgrades with top management before putting them into effect. The current time is a perfect moment to examine and amend your company's travel policy, whether you want to make it more stringent or more flexible in its application.
Speak With a Professional
If you have any queries about the current travel limitations, speak with your corporate travel agency like Locomote about this. They can help you navigate the new landscape of COVID-19 and ensure that your company can be as flexible as it needs to be while still protecting itself. Information on the current travel restrictions can be obtained from them, and they can also offer guidance on how to best handle your business travel in light of these new limits.
Develop a Communication Plan For Your Travellers
If you have employees travelling for work, make sure you have a communication plan
in place. This should include the following:
- A designated contact person at the company who can be reached in case of an
emergency - The name and contact information of a doctor in the destination city
- Contact information for local embassies or consulates, local hospitals, and local
police departments - Directions for getting to the closest medical facility in the event of a pandemic
- A process for assessing whether your traveller is sick before departure
In addition, you need to have a communication plan in place between your business and any travellers who may become separated from their company or be sent out on assignment in a different part of the world.
This communication plan should allow you to get in touch with your traveller at any time—even though they may not have 24/7 access to technology.
Maintain Communication With Your Personnel
Make sure you are in regular communication with your employees travelling for work, even if there's no emergency. This will help ensure that they know the latest travel restrictions and how to contact you if they need help.
Take Immediate Measures To Ensure the Safety of Your Staff
If you have employees travelling for work, it's essential to take immediate measures to ensure their safety.
This may include the following:
- Make sure your employees have up-to-date vaccinations, including the MMR and polio vaccines
- Requiring travellers to get a travel health consultation from a doctor before departure
- Encouraging travellers to take personal protection measures while travelling, including using antibacterial wipes on their airplane seat
- Encouraging your employees who are sick to see a doctor before travel
It would help to establish these early protocols for employees traveling for work. If they are already on assignment or on the road when COVID-19 spreads, they will have a much more difficult time getting treatment.
Go Above and Above To Ensure the Safety of Your Staff
If you have employees travelling for work, it's essential to go above and beyond the protocols as mentioned earlier.
These additional protocols may include the following:
- Evaluating employees for COVID-19 when they submit their online travel request forms
- Informing your employees about how far from a medical facility they can go in case of an emergency
- Requiring business travellers to carry at least three days’ worth of food and drinking water when travelling alone
- Requiring travellers to have a satellite phone or a means of communication with the company in case of an emergency
- Requiring travellers to purchase travel insurance that includes medical evacuation coverage
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Proper Allocation of Budget To Save Money
When operating on a tight budget, it's critical to use your money wisely.
This may include the following:
- Not sending all of your travellers on one trip together if they can be sent out individually—this will cut down on expenses related to housing, food, and supplies
- Only sending travellers who have current vaccinations against COVID-19
- Make sure your employees are aware of the local laws and customs in the destination city so they can avoid any fines or penalties.
- Booking flights that have a layover so travellers can save money on their tickets
- Requesting quotes for travel from multiple companies to make sure you are getting the best deal
- Purchasing travel insurance in case of an emergency
- Make sure your employees are aware of the company’s travel policy and what is expected of them while travelling
Don’t Let Cancellations Cost You Money
If you have to cancel a trip, make sure your employees understand why it's essential to follow the protocol for canceling a trip.
This may include the following:
- Notifying the company as soon as possible if there's a change in travel plans
- Make sure all tickets and reservations are canceled
- Canceling any hotel or car reservations
- Purchasing refundable airline tickets
- Canceling any insurance policies that were purchased for the trip
Encourage Travellers To Stay at Low-cost Hotels
If you have employees travelling for work, it's essential to encourage them to stay at low-cost hotels.
This may include the following:
- Staying in a hotel that is within proximity to the office
- Choosing a hotel that offers complimentary breakfast
- Booking a room with multiple people to split the cost
- Staying at hotels that are affiliated with loyalty programs to earn points
If you don’t follow through with these tips, you could end up wasting money. Your travellers must also understand this because they will be expected to adhere to the same rules when their travel plans are made.
Consider Booking a Lodging Facility
If your employees are travelling for an extended period, it may be a good idea to consider booking a lodging facility. This can save your employees money on food and housing, and it can also make it easier for them to stay in communication with the company.
There are many different lodging facilities available, so you can find one that will give your employees access to all the technology and resources they will need.
If you consider booking a lodging facility for your employees, make sure you do your research first. Talk to other businesses who have used these facilities and get their feedback. This will help you choose the right one for your needs.
Take a Look at Airbnb
If you are looking for a more affordable option than a lodging facility, Airbnb may be the right choice for you.
This online platform allows people to rent out rooms in their homes or apartments, and it's often much less expensive than traditional hotels.
Airbnb also offers several different options when it comes to accommodations. You can find everything from high-end homes with luxury amenities to simple apartments.
Make sure you follow the protocol for booking an Airbnb if you choose this option.
This may include the following:
- Paying the host directly if it's required—will help to avoid any potential scams
- Make sure the host has a good rating and positive reviews
- If you are looking for a more affordable option than a traditional hotel, Airbnb may be the right choice for you
- This online platform allows people to rent out rooms in their homes or apartments, and it's often much less expensive than traditional hotels.
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Adapt to the Post COVID World Business Travel
With all of the recent news surrounding COVID and how it's expected to change travel management, we hope that more and more corporations will be investing in cloud-based travel management tools. It's essential for managers (and their teams) who use these systems to know and understand the platform they're using and its capabilities.
For this reason, we've compiled a list of tips and changes to expect when managing business travel in the new COVID era.
We hope that these insights will help travellers and administrators be more efficient and transparent with their communication before, during, and after business trips.
The first step is to understand the limits of your platform. If you're already using an existing system, be sure to go through its capabilities and check for any special tips or restrictions on travel in COVID countries. Most platforms will not allow you (or travellers) to book flights on non-COVID airlines within particular countries.
We recommend educating yourself on the laws, regulations, and departmental policies surrounding COVID. As mentioned earlier, enforcement is expected to be strict. Travellers need to know what they can and cannot pack in their carry-on luggage because certain items are prohibited altogether or restricted within specific regions.
This includes devices such as cell phones and laptops and everyday items such as moisturizers and aerosol containers. Most mobile application-based travel management platforms will send an automated message to travellers the night before they depart for their trip.
Administrators can customize this reminder to contain specific information on any region- or country-specific restrictions. For example, if you know that your work destination has a laptop restriction, you can include this information in the automated reminder.
These guidelines aim to make sure everyone stays informed and safe when they travel. Another (less obvious) benefit's forcing administrators and travellers to communicate more effectively via digital platforms. These steps contribute to creating a safe, secure, and well-informed company culture.
Download the Travel Managers Pre-travel Checklist
Wrapping It All Up
As always, please remember to remain calm and practice good personal hygiene. Maintaining a professional attitude will allow you to conduct business as usual.
If you have any questions or concerns about COVID-19 or managing your company travel policy in the event of an outbreak, please get in touch with your HR representative for guidance.
Companies are advised against sending business travellers to affected areas of the world.
If you are currently on vacation/travel, don't hesitate to contact your company immediately upon return to work regarding any potential COVID-19 infection.
Please know that we are doing everything in our power to assist those who have contracted COVID-19 and their families. Your safety is our number one priority.
If you have contracted COVID-19, please remain calm and immediately seek medical attention before returning home to work.
As always, if you are experiencing any severe discomfort or illness—and the CDC has not previously noted it—please see your doctor as soon as possible.
Locomote Can Help You Manage Your Business Travel Post-COVID-19
At Locomote, we understand that the recent pandemic has put many travellers in an uncertain position.
That’s why our team is here to help you plan your next business trip with confidence. Our professionals are available 24/7 to answer any questions or concerns that you might have about travelling in the event of an outbreak.
In addition to our award-winning travel management platform, which allows you to book flights, hotels, and other travel arrangements with ease, we also offer a wide range of risk mitigation services.
Our team can work with you to create a custom travel policy that meets the specific needs of your company, and we’ll help you stay up-to-date with all the latest news and information, as well as monitor personal accounts for signs of COVID-19 infection.
From helping you find the perfect hotel to creating a comprehensive emergency action plan and everything in between, Locomote can help you travel efficiently and safely during the current outbreak.
As business travellers continue to face an uncertain future for air travel, they must be aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Chat to us today to see how we can help you get back to travelling safely again.
