How To Guides

The How to guides help travel program managers and business travelers navigate the ins and outs of traveling for work. From packing and preparing for trips to booking, budgeting and managing expenses, our guides cover a range of topics to help make business travel as seamless and successful as possible.

Latest guides

How to make sure your travel program is better than it was last year

Spring is approaching and nature isn’t the only thing coming out of hibernation. Business travel is picking up. If your travel program isn’t already bustling with flight, hotel, car and rail bookings, it’s likely to happen soon. Are you prepared?

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How to pick a travel management company (TMC)

The Travel Management Company (TMC) partner you choose can significantly affect the success of your organization’s managed travel program, traveler satisfaction, and the company’s bottom line. Finding the best TMC match requires strategic planning, a methodical process and involvement from the right travel stakeholders. Here’s a guide to help pick the right TMC to manage your company’s travel needs.

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How to take business trips with coworkers

Traveling with colleagues can be tricky. Should you sit together on the plane? How much should you talk about work? What about sharing cars? Who pays for team meals? Team travel can present some interesting challenges, but common sense and good manners can go a long way in making it work. Here are some ideas.

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How to keep points, miles and rewards safe from scammers

Imagine getting ready to use the hotel points or airline miles you collected for years only to find they are gone. We’ve seen it happen.

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How to build a robust hotel program

Start managing your company’s hotel bookings easier and better. It will help you save hotel costs and keep your travelers productive, safe and comfortable while on the road.

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How to reduce burdens on patient travelers and caregivers

For someone living with acute or chronic illness, travel can seem daunting, especially if the person is taking a trip to address their health. The BCD Life Sciences Center of Excellence (LSCOE) partners with organizations to offer solutions that reduce burdens on patient travelers and their caregivers.

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How to help make business trips better for neurodivergent travelers

Under the best circumstances, traveling for work can be stressful. For neurodivergent business travelers, the added sights, sounds, crowds, delays, or routine changes can make trips even harder. Understanding and finding ways to support neurodivergent travelers helps build and strengthen inclusive environments. Below are some considerations for introducing awareness, education and accommodations into a managed travel program.

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How to pack for business trips with just a carry-on

Traveling with a single piece of luggage can save time and stress – and can even be good for the environment. Getting everything you need for business trips into a carry-on may take some practice, but will make your life easier.

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How to manage bad weather and business trips

Business travelers need to keep working even when the weather isn’t great. These tips might help.

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A well-dressed woman wearing tinted glasses checks a phone as she walks down the street.

5 ways to make your traveler communications digitally accessible

Use alternative text, color contrast, captioning, and multiple content formats to meet travelers’ various needs.

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8 ways to play it safer with social media on business and personal trips

We’ve all seen the reels and pictures from travelers posting their passports, airline tickets, and hotel rooms. Sure, the artistic snaps are great for followers, but hackers, bad actors and other ill-intentioned individuals can wreak havoc using information from seemingly harmless posts.

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5 ways buyers and travel managers can deal with airfares and inflation

Soaring airfares are an unexpected effect of pandemic recovery. Prices are now above pre-pandemic levels. Advito research shows fares from Europe, North America and Asia are currently up about 15% on intercontinental flights in the business cabin compared to the second quarter of 2022. Economy cabin fares are also increasing, especially from Asia and the Southwest Pacific (more than 30% compared to 2022 for domestic, regional and intercontinental markets).

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Risk management and safety tips for travel to high-risk destinations

8 ways to prepare for travel to a high-risk destination

Travelers face threats each time they travel but trips to high-risk destinations increase the chances that an incident may occur. Proper preparation can make the difference between a successful trip and a stressful one. BCD’s Global Crisis Management team suggests these eight ways to prepare for travel to a high-risk destination.

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6 tips to fight inflation in your hotel program

The hotel industry looks different after a few tough years. New hotels open as fast as others close. Demand is on the rise and finding staff is difficult. Everything is more expensive, including the goods, services and operations needed to keep hotels running. Inflation is climbing – and your hotel program won’t remain unscathed. Here are six tips to help you beat rising costs.

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How to get ready for international business trips

Planning to travel internationally for business? Read these tips for managing visas and passports, vaccines, testing requirements, currency exchange and more.

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4 ways to tackle business travel program data

How to transform data into actionable insights that help you make good business decisions for your managed travel program.

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How to make sure your hotel sourcing strategy works for you and your travelers

After two years of abnormal travel activity, planning your 2023 transient hotel program may seem intimidating. Here are four ways to make sure it isn’t.

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How to stay cyber secure while traveling

Staying cyber secure in a world where we’re constantly connected can be a bit tricky, but it's not impossible.

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How to be good to your pets when you’re traveling for business

(Yes, this is a real blog article from BCD Travel. No, we’re not kidding. But we are having fun.)

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How to get the most out of a business travel convention

We asked some BCD Travel convention veterans how to make the most of a show experience. Their advice: make a plan, step outside your comfort zone, enjoy the festivities (but not too much) and rest.

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How to manage bleisure travel requests

Here’s a short guide to help you manage requests for personal travel extensions during business trips.

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How to introduce diversity, equity and inclusion into your business travel program

The business travel industry is showing increased interest in DE&I, but it's slow to take action. BCD Travel's SVP of Diversity & Inclusion shares 4 practical ways travel managers can integrate DE&I into business travel programs.

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How to beat jet lag: Help for business travelers

Flying halfway across the world can affect your business travelers’ wellbeing and productivity, especially if they’re new to long trips or just resuming them following a travel hiatus. While there’s no easy way to beat jet lag, there are a few things travel teams can do to help ease traveler journeys.

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How to spring clean your business travelers’ profiles

Spring cleaning isn't just for your garage. Now is the time to give your traveler profile database a good scrub down. Updating traveler profile information should happen at least annually. This will require action from travelers and travel managers.

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See all our resources.

Visit our business travel management resources page. Here, you'll find a variety of tools and information to help you plan and manage your company's business travel.