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Travel management service: lower travel costs with PartnerPlusBenefit

Corporate travel management service: lower travel costs with PartnerPlusBenefit

Travel management is being promoted more and more in an ever more globally-active business world.

The more frequently employees travel for business, the greater the cost of business travel management. All the more important that companies can "recover" a portion of the resulting costs with a far-reaching corporate bonus programme.

Get to know PartnerPlusBenefit. The free and powerful Lufthansa corporate bonus programme offers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) unprecedented opportunities to save on travel costs for business trips and motivate employees. With free flights, upgrades and vouchers for excess baggage, for example.

Find out more and benefit now

Background information on the topic

Business travel and the development of new markets

Foreign trade is one of the biggest factors for Austria’s economy.  Austrian quality goods fly off the shelves in the international boom market.

The Austrian middle class increasingly contributes to this status. It has responded to the continuing globalization and is opening up new markets beyond Austrian and European borders. Meanwhile, international trade and cross-regional cooperation’s have become important success factors for small and medium-sized enterprises. The middle class is expanding across the globe, supported by the strong economic environment in Central Europe and a highly skilled and trained workforce.

More internationally-oriented business models can be found among SMEs founded in the last five years than among older SMEs, even though these companies have had less time to develop their business activities. It is noteworthy that the majority of SMEs that outperformed the overall market over the past three years are indicating a desire to further expand their percentage of exports in total sales over the next three years, despite the current uncertain economic conditions.1

Different markets – different rules of the game

Nevertheless, a large amount of potential remains untapped. Despite modern technologies, information gaps regarding the functional mechanisms of the international markets in particular, lack of information about foreign markets, high customs duties and lack of know-how all hinder international expansion. In addition, it is difficult to build relationships with international partners and customer groups. The exploration and gathering of information about the markets, as well as the constant monitoring of foreign operations already underway, drain increasingly scarce resources.

Business travel: travelling towards success

International business relationships are increasingly becoming a prerequisite for the economic success of an enterprise.  They help support the core business and promote its growth. This leads to an increase in business trips for many Austrian companies.2 But this comes at a price: the expenditures for business travel are increasing significantly despite all austerity measures. Medium-sized companies in particular are struggling with rapidly rising travel costs.

Rising oil prices, European emission allowances and national air traffic taxes are significant cost drivers for flight tickets.3 In addition to the actual travel expenses, costs for meals, lodging and auxiliary travel expenses must also be taken into account. If there is an increase in business trips, the costs could decrease the actual success of a business trip.

Travel management for more efficiency

Against the backdrop of rising expenses for business trips and their increasing importance, investment in professional travel management is worthwhile.4 The objective of efficient business travel management is to optimize the costs resulting from a business trip for a company. The first step may be cooperation with a business travel agency / travel management service. This agency can uncover savings opportunities when planning and booking travel as well as while travelling – i.e. the entirety of travel management. The total costs for business trips are reduced, thus allowing the company to remain competitive. In addition, the professional support creates time savings for employees so that they can focus on their core tasks.4

Travel management in combination with PartnerPlusBenefit

PartnerPlusBenefit significantly contributes to the optimization of travel management. Participation in the corporate bonus programme allows the travel costs to be reduced significantly, thus "stretching" the travel budget more efficiently. The collected points can be redeemed for free flights, upgrades or excess baggage vouchers, for example, leaving more funds available for more business trips and for attending personally to business relationships even more often.

Footnote

1 See Internationally oriented SMEs successful in the "global village", online at: http://www.themenportal.de/wirtschaft/international-ausgerichteter-mittelstand-erfolgreicher-im-globalen-dorf-24001 (As of 30.01.2013)
2 See Employees have to jet off even more for the job, online at: http://www.wiwo.de/erfolg/trends/zunahme-von-geschaeftsreisen-arbeitnehmer-muessen-noch-mehr-fuer-den-job-jetten/7854310.html (As of 28. 02. 2013)
3 See Expenses for business travel increase enormously - significant employment potential, online at: http://www.schule-tourismus.de/presse/archiv/2014/03/25/ausgaben-fuer-geschaeftsreisen-steigen-enorm (As of 25.03.2014)
4 See Cost-conscious business managers rely on business travel agencies, online at: http://www.drv.de/fachthemen/business-travel/detail/kostenbewusste-chefs-setzen-auf-geschaeftsreisebueros-1.html (As of 14.05.2013)