01 Oct Supporting Your Executive Through Business Travel
It’s convention season! Which means lots of travel planning for your executives and their teams. When managing business travel, it is vital for an executive assistant to always remain two steps ahead, so they are ready for any and all needs an executive might have on the road. At Ann Albrecht Consulting, our team of expert support staff know how to manage travel plans to ensure smooth sailing for our executives. We’ve compiled some of our best advice for managing executive travel:
1. Be Prepared!
Create a travel logistics profile ahead of time that you can refer to each time you book. This will make your travel planning more efficient and well-organized, saving time when coordinating reservations for transportation, lodging accommodations, calendaring, and expense reporting. The profile would include
• Passport, Driver’s license, and Credit Card information
• Known Traveler Number, Global Entry, and Pre-check details
• Loyalty, Frequent Flyer, and reward membership numbers for airlines, hotels, and car rentals
• Air travel preferences including airlines, seating class, seating type, and preferred travel times
• Car rental, ride-share, or car service preferences, including location of pickup and drop-off details
• Preferred hotels and any specific room or accommodation requests
2. Communication is key!
Ask questions prior to scheduling travel! Talk to your executive and make sure you review and know their destination and the purpose for this trip. Make note of all scheduled meetings and events along with locations, dress code, time zone, and currency used if traveling outside the country. Confirm details like budget, time frame, and if anyone is traveling with them. Don’t forget to block out travel time on your calendar to avoid scheduling conflicts. Once you have a thorough understanding of the needs of the trip, you can begin planning the details.
3. Write it all down!
For each individual trip, create a detailed travel itinerary to share with your executive. This list should act as a checklist for you to ensure you have all necessary information, and then as a guide for your executive once the travel day arrives. It should include:
• Car service information, including pick up and drop off details
• Airport and flight details, including terminal, confirmation numbers, departure and arrival times
• Hotel details, including check-in/check-out times, address, confirmation numbers, phone number, and any specifics about the reservation
• Daily itinerary, including event information, scheduled meetings and meals, etc.
• Any other details specific to this trip
4. Check, double check, and then check everything again!
Even for the most experienced executive assistant, it’s easy to misspell a name or write a birthday or phone number incorrectly. Make sure you check every detail on the travel itinerary repeatedly. Double check that passports are nowhere near within 6 months of the expiration date. Additionally, keep a paper trail with all confirmation emails and important contacts organized and easy to find. As you get closer to the travel date, call third parties to confirm that reservation details have not changed since booking. Confirming and reconfirming itineraries is crucial to make sure everything runs smoothly for your executive.
5. Plan for changes!
Finally, think ahead and be prepared to deal with last-minute changes such as flight delays or cancelations and meeting time changes. Make sure to update contact information so your Executive and you receive notification texts in the event of a change. When possible, have free blocks of time built into the schedule to help when rescheduling. As always, effective communication with your executive is key – be on call to address any last-minute issues. Remember to stay calm, be solutions-oriented, and make sure your executive knows that they can always rely on you, even when on the road.