Unit 7 - Travel

TravelUnit 7

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Learning Outcomes Business Travel Information required for Business Travel Methods of Travel Sources of Travel Information Travel Documentation Accommodation An Itinerary Methods of Payment Mr Burns’ unforeseen circumstance Expense Claim Form Evaluation of Business Travel

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Mr Burns is off on a Business Trip!

Mr Burns has been asked to attend the National Sports Centre Awards Ceremony in New York in April.

As the Administration Assistant, it is Heather’s responsibility to organise the business trips.

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Why do so many employees need to travel in today’s business

environment? Many businesses now operate in the global

marketplace! Advancement in new technology has made the

world a smaller place and has greatly enhanced communications between organisations and their customers

Employees are required to travel in order to meet the demands of the global marketplace: Meetings Training Visiting other branches, colleagues etc Presenting to prospective customers, suppliers etc

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What INFORMATION must Heather gather?

The first stage in planning a business trip is to gather all the relevant information.

The type of information that Heather requires is: WHO is travelling: name; job title;

department WHERE the employee is travelling to:

in the UK or going abroad? WHEN the trip is taking place: start

and end dates of the trip WHY the trip is taking place

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The TRAVEL REQUEST form

Every employee must complete a Travel Request Form which provides Heather with all the essential information needed to arrange the trip.

As well as the information on the previous slide Heather requires the following information:

Preferred method of travel: air; road; sea; or, rail?

Type of accommodation required: Hotel; B&B?

Any special requirements: vegetarian; modem link to access e-mail and Internet; disability access

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ActivitiesActivities

Complete the following tasks in your activities booklet:

Question 1: Why do people need to travel for business reasons?

Question 2: The Travel Request Form

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What is Mr Burn’s Preferred Method of Travel?

There are 4 main methods of travel open to Mr Burns: Road

An employee can travel in the following methods ofRoad Transport: PRIVATE CAR COMPANY CAR: many organisations provide

employees with company cars particularly if there job involves a lot of travelling eg Mr Smart requires a company car to visit customers.

HIRE CAR: if travelling abroad, employees often arrange to collect a hire car when they arrive.

TAXI: this is a costly, yet flexible option. No need to worry about parking, directions, or pre-arranging, just hail a taxi, it’s hassle free!

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TrainAn employee can travel in the following methods

ofRail Transport: LOCAL trains: when travelling within a city or

over a short distance. NATIONAL trains: when travelling across

country, i.e Edinburgh to Glasgow, etc.. INTERNATIONAL trains: this is a longer distance

journey and could even involve travelling through the Channel Tunnel to the continent.

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SeaAn employee can travel in the following methods

ofSea Transport: Ferry: a large boat designed to transport people

and vehicles across seas. i.e from Scotland to N. Ireland, Mainland Europe or Scandinavia.

Hovercraft: Similar method of transport, however the craft hovers just about the water.

Seacat: this craft uses ‘ski’ type technology to travel across water.

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AirAn employee can travel in the following methods

ofAir Transport: DOMESTIC flights: internal to the UK, i.e. flying

from Edinburgh to London. INTERNATIONAL flights: flying abroad, i.e. from

Aberdeen to Munich in Germany.

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Mr Burns informs Heather that his preferred method of travel is AIR.

Mr Burns explains:

“I enjoy flying because it gets me there quickly and Ifind it a very relaxing way to travel. I enjoy all thefacilities of first class and am able to read and work during the flight.”

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What FACTORS determine which method of travel employees use?

Heather identifies the following factors to be key in deciding which method of transport is most suitable: The COST of the transport must be considered The TIME which is available to travel How FAR the employee is travelling ie

nationally or internationally? The employee’s POSITION within the

organisation eg Mr Burns is the Managing Director and is entitled to first class travel however as the Administration Assistant Heather knows that she would have to fly economy class

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Question 3: Identify the most suitable methods of transport

Question 4: Complete a Travel Request Form

Question 5: Create a Powerpoint presentation on the different methods of transport

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Sources of Travel Information

Heather now needs to find suitable travel information to help her prepare Mr Burns’ trip to New York.

There are a variety of sources of information which Heather can access to help her do this. Can you remember the different sources of

information that you studied in Unit 5?

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Paper-Based Sources of Travel Information

TIMETABLES These are designed to show the ARRIVAL and

DEPARTURE times of trains/buses/flights etc These are very useful as you are able to carry

them with you at all times and can be referred to easily

MAPS These clearly show the location of towns and

cities They are very useful to the Admin Assistant in

planning where to book accommodation

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Paper-Based Sources of Travel Information

TRAVEL GUIDES These are designed to give in-depth information on a

specific area They tell you the best restaurants; visitor attractions;

informs you of the time zones; tells you how to use your currency; how to use public transport; what’s on guide in the city etc

HOTEL DIRECTORIES: These are very useful for an Admin Assistant as they

identify the star ratings of each Hotel – tells you which is best

It includes information about costs; facilities; nearby attractions etc

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Electronic-Based Sources of Travel Information

THE INTERNET This is the most valuable source of information! Information can be accessed on a 24/7 basis It is very user-friendly which means that it is simple

to access information A range of travel information can be accessed:

Hotel information: facilities; contact number; e-mail address; local attractions

Travel information: costs; timetables Information on location: easy to find out information on

WHERE the employee is travelling to Travel and accommodation can be booked ON-LINE:

no need to talk to travel agent. The Admin Assistant is able to do all the booking her/himself which means that the process is quicker and cheaper.

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Electronic-Based Sources of Travel Information

CD-ROM Autoroute Express is an example of a widely

used CD-Rom which assists people in planning their journey

Quite simply you key in the details of where you are travelling from and key in your chosen destination

Autoroute Express finds the best route and produces a map specifically for your trip

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Mr Burns’ Travel Documents

In order for Heather to plan Mr Burns’ trip abroad, she requires the following travel documents: PASSPORT: this document must be up to date

(it is important that Heather ensures the passport has not expired)

E111 FORM: this acts as medical insurance (if Mr Burns were to fall unwell whilst travelling abroad, with this form he would receive free medical treatment)

VISA: this document is required by non-European countries

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Another Important Travel Document

There is another travel document that would be required if travelling abroad: VACCINATION FORM: this is required to be

shown if visiting more exotic locations. It provides important information about recommended vaccinations. Depending on the country being visited certain immunisations are required to fight against diseases such as malaria, meningitis, typhoid and yellow fever

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Mr Burns’ Travel Documents Now that Heather has the legal documentation

required for Mr Burns’ travel to New York, she also ensures that he has the following documentation to aid his trip: DRIVING LICENCE INSURANCE: this is to cover Mr Burns for any

unforeseen circumstance eg an accident, personal belongings stolen, cancelled flight etc

MAPS: these will help Mr Burns know where to find his hotel, conference centre, attractions etc

CONTACT DETAILS: it is important that Heather provides Mr Burns with a list of contact details eg the Hotel, car hire company, colleagues etc

CREDIT CARD: this method of payment is safer than carrying currency

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Question 6: Sources of travel information

Question 7: Identify the most suitable source of information

Question 8: Important travel documents

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Accommodation

Heather refers to Mr Burns’ ACCOMMODATION BOOKING FORM to find out what he has asked for in accommodation.

Heather reads the following: A Hotel near Central Park Bed, Breakfast and Dinner included

in the cost Internet access Vegetarian meals Trouser Press and Iron facilities

Heather must now make sure that she meets all these requirements in booking Mr Burns’ accommodation.

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Accommodation As an Administration Assistant it is important to take

into consideration the following factors when booking accommodation: COST: depending on employee’s position within the

organisation will determine how much of a budget he/she receives. It is very important that costs are kept to a minimum and all requests must be passed to the Finance Department to confirm that the price is okay.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: it is important to consider any special requirements when booking the accommodation eg is the employee disabled? Is the employee a vegetarian?

LOCATION OF ACCOMMODATION: it is important that the accommodation is booked within a suitable location. Furthermore, maps must be provided so that the employee knows how to get there.

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Why Is It Important that Heather uses Travel/Accommodation Booking

Forms? Mr Millar explains to Heather the importance of

using Travel/Accommodation Booking Forms when arranging a business trip: The Finance Department can refer to the form once

the trip has been booked to keep a record of all the finances.

If there was an error in the booking (for example the hotel had double-booked!) then the form could be referred to straight away to confirm that the error was that of the Hotel’s.

The employee travelling can clearly tailor their own trip – they can very clearly place their requests and be assured that they do not have to worry about any of the arrangements.

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Question 9: Booking the most suitable type of Accommodation

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How does Heather inform Mr Burns of all the arrangements for his trip?

Heather must now create an ITINERARY. An itinerary is a plan of travel arrangements. The details shown in an itinerary are always

presented in 24 hour clock. Heather must ensure that the following details are

shown in Mr Burns’ itinerary: The dates of his business trip Times (always shown in 24 hour clock) eg check-in;

arrivals; departures etc Flight numbers Booking reference numbers – for both travel and

accommodation Addresses and telephone numbers – Hotel;

colleagues; Heather!

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Who Uses the Itinerary?

Whilst Mr Burns is away to New York for the National Sports Centre Awards Ceremony, the following people will require a copy of the itinerary: Mr Burns – he can refer to it at any time and find out

what he is doing the next day, who he is meeting etc. Heather – it is important that Heather knows where

Mr Burns is in case he needs to be contacted in an emergency or in case Mr Burns requires further instructions.

Person/People Mr Burns will be meeting with – it is important that these people are aware of Mr Burns’ deadlines and duration of stay so that they can plan their meetings accordingly.

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The Layout of an Itinerary An Itinerary should be presented in the

following format:

ITINERARY FOR (STATE THE PERSON WHO IS TRAVELLING)(IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP EG SALES CONFERENCE)(IDENTIFY THE DATES OF TRAVEL)

TIME DETAILS COMMENTS

ALWAYS PRESENTED IN 24 HOUR CLOCK

PROVIDE ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF ARRANGEMENT

ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT IS REQUIRED EG FLIGHT NUMBER; HOTEL ADDRESS

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Question 10: Itinerary for Mr Smart Question 11: Itinerary for Mr Burns Question 12: Why is an Itinerary so

important?

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It’s now time for ……… PAYMENT!

Heather is completely satisfied that she has made all the necessary arrangements for Mr Burns’ trip to New York.

Heather uses the company account to pay for the following: Mr Burns’ return flight from Edinburgh to New York Mr Burns’ hotel accommodation at Central Park

Caledonian Health & Fitness has been working with the same Airline and Travel Company for many years now that they have an ACCOUNT. This means that they send Caledonian Health & Fitness an INVOICE totalling the cost of the trip and usually give them about 30 days to pay.

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METHODS OF PAYMENT WHILST ON A BUSINESS TRIP

Heather recommends that the following methods of payment be used whilst travelling: CASH

It is important to have some cash in case of an emergency

Heather must ensure that Mr Burns has Sterling (£) and Dollars ($)

CHEQUE Mr Burns will carry a cheque book with him to pay

for items which are expensive eg meal at a restaurant for his colleagues

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METHODS OF PAYMENTWHILST ON A BUSINESS TRIP

CREDIT CARD The purpose of a credit card is that goods can be

bought NOW and paid for AT A LATER DATE. Examples of credit cards are Visa and MasterCard.

DEBIT CARD This means that when an item is purchased, the

payment is automatically taken out of the account.

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUES This is a safer way of carrying currency. Mr Burns quite simply signs the cheque in front of the

teller in order to confirm that they belong to him in exchange for the amount of currency stated on the cheque.

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Mr Burns and his Unforeseen Circumstance!

During his visit to New York Mr Burns had to pay for a 2-day trip to Boston as the organisers forgot to inform Heather of this excursion!!

As a result he also had to pay for hotel accommodation for the evening and his meals whilst in Boston.

Thankfully he remembered to carry his credit card and used this to pay for all his expenses.

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Does Mr Burns pay for his Unforeseen Circumstance?

Upon his return Mr Burns asks Heather about the payment of his unforeseen circumstance.

Heather informs him that he is required to fill out an EXPENSE CLAIMS FORM.

This means that Mr Burns can ask for his money back as it is an expense that Caledonian Health & Fitness must pay.

Mr Burns needs to do the following: Complete an expense claim form Attach any receipts to show proof of purchase

Once checked and the total amount due confirmed, Mr Burns will receive a cheque to be paid back into his own account.

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Did Mr Burns have a successful Business Trip?

It is very important that Heather receives FEEDBACK on the business trip.

This is important because: It informs Heather whether or not the travel

and accommodation were satisfactory. It identifies accommodation which can be

recommended for future use. It helps set a budget for future trips. It can establish future links between Caledonian

Health & Fitness and other businesses.

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ActivitiesActivities Complete the following tasks in your

activities booklet:

Question 13: Word Bank Question 14: Identify the different methods

of payment used for business travel Question 15: Importance of an Expense

Claim Form Question 16: Importance of feedback on

level of success of business travel

Unit 7 - Travel

Economy & Finance