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What Type of Traveller Are You?

Aug 29, 2024

Separating Work Boots from Dress Shoes and Flip Flops

When booking travel for the hard hat and work boot crowd, the options can be limited.

For the average travel manager looking to book rooms for crews, you're typically constrained by the usual search and booking companies that cater to travellers with suitcases or briefcases. Workforce travel is simply much more complicated than leisure and corporate travel.

Managing travel for crews heading to a remote oil field, utility project or construction site requires a high level of coordination, with multiple team members needing to be at different places on time.

Let’s delve into what separates the three forms of travel, how they’re booked and some of the ways in which workforce travel requires a unique solution.

This method of booking travel does provide a high level of choice, with travellers able to choose from thousands of properties and select from several options to narrow down their selection.

Travellers can also choose and book their transportation via many travel sites, selecting from several airline and transportation companies, and even package vacations that couple rental cars with flights with all-inclusive accommodations.

For the average tourist or even a small family, planning and booking a trip using one of these sites is relatively easy.

However, the obvious drawback with this method is the work required to organize everything when the trip starts to involve a few more variables.

Add in a few more travellers, a destination more off the beaten path, the considerations necessary when working within a corporate budget, and a more demanding schedule and you have a situation where the hands-on, do-it-yourself approach can be too much to handle.

Such sites often give priority to accommodations that have paid to have a higher priority on the results list, meaning “the best deal” may not always be the best deal.

There is also the risk of encountering hidden fees and restrictive cancellation policies that can add unexpected costs and complications to your travel plans.

And should anything go wrong, the available customer service can leave much to be desired for responsiveness and resolution effectiveness.

Thus, while these sites offer a lot of flexibility and choice, they can also come with significant challenges that make them less suitable for more complex or corporate travel arrangements.

Why This Option Isn't Ideal for Crews

Complexity: Managing trips with numerous variables can become overwhelming and labor-intensive. It's simply not built with your crews in mind.

Hidden Costs: There’s a risk of unexpected costs due to hidden fees and strict cancellation policies.

Biased Listings: Sites often prioritize listings that pay for better placement, so the top options may not be the best value.

Poor Customer Support: Customer service can be slow and ineffective when issues arise.

Business Travel - Travelling with Briefcases

When it comes to business travel, the needs and expectations differ significantly from those of vacationers.

Business travellers often require a higher level of coordination and precision to ensure they arrive at conventions, board meetings, or sales presentations on time and prepared.

Just like booking tourist travel, there are several existing options people can turn to for assistance with business travel.

Generally, a company focusing on business travel will be experienced in booking individual or small group travel to urban locations with established infrastructure. The logistics are straightforward, with travellers typically heading to hotels, conference centers, or corporate offices for relatively short periods of time.

With the focus on providing comfortable accommodations for the average 9-5 worker, the required amenities are fairly common.

Meeting rooms, Wi-Fi, and business centers that cater to the needs of corporate travellers are important, while more unconventional considerations such as after-hours meals, large-vehicle parking and tertiary locations are not normally required.

While business travel management companies may offer corporate discounts and negotiated rates, the cost-saving measures are generally designed for short-term stays and individual bookings.

Why This Option Isn't Ideal for Crews

Lack of Specialized Services: Business travel companies may not manage large groups in remote areas or provide necessary amenities.

Inflexibility: Rigid policies of business travel companies may not accommodate the unpredictable nature of workforce travel, causing inefficiencies and higher costs.

Insufficient Industry Knowledge: Without expertise in industries like construction or energy, business travel companies may struggle with specific workforce travel needs.

Higher Costs: Business travel solutions often aren't optimized for long-term, bulk bookings, leading to higher costs and inefficiencies.

Workforce Travel - Travelling with Hard Hats and Work Boots

Requiring perhaps the most specialized provider of all, companies catering to workforce travel have another level of considerations to account for.

Workforce travel often involves transporting large groups of workers to remote or industrial locations, such as oil fields, construction sites, or utility projects.

Managing these teams requires more complex coordination, including arranging transportation for equipment, ensuring proximity to work sites, and managing accommodations that can handle the specific needs of crews.

Crew members walking toward their work site.

Workforce travel can also require accommodations that go beyond standard hotel amenities. Workers need facilities that support long-term stays, such as laundry services, meal plans, and adequate parking.

With projects often shifting timelines, encountering unexpected changes and last-minute bookings or cancellations, any company managing such travel also needs a high degree of flexibility.

Workforce travel solutions must adapt quickly to the dynamic nature of fieldwork and project-based assignments.

Workforce travel solutions also need to consider the unique budgetary considerations, emphasizing long-term cost efficiency, with a focus on securing affordable rates for extended stays and bulk bookings.

Finally, workforce travel management requires an entirely different set of expertise and an enhanced level of support. A company focused on workforce travel understands the unique challenges and regulatory requirements of industries like construction, energy, and utilities, providing tailored solutions that ensure compliance and efficiency.