subject: Business travel [print this page] Business travel Business travel
Business travel is the practice of people traveling for purposes related to their work. It is on the rise especially with foreign business markets opening up. Business travel is both underrated and overrated. Sometimes it can be glamorous, other times grueling. In fact, if a business trip is not both glamorous and grueling, then you are doing something wrong.
Many people choose a career based on the travel opportunities that come with it. Those who do are usually in fields of work that send them to hotbeds like London, Tokyo, Montreal, or New York. Others of us aren't so lucky; instead, we end up attending conferences in Indianapolis, sitting in hotel bars in Winnipeg or having breakfast in Baghdad -- hey, not that there's anything wrong with these places, I'm just not sure that they would top most people's "dream destination.
Airlines have also been working on tools that benefit the business travellers such as: Improved and competitive mileage programs, quick check in and online check in, lounges with broadband connection, etc. Hotels are not far behind. They are also on the competition for the business travellers by offering flexible points programs, broadband connection in all rooms and fast check in and check out services.
While internet booking engines have become the first destination for around 60% of leisure travelers, business travelers, especially with the need for itineraries that may include more than one destination, have still found that a knowledgeable travel agent may be their best resource for better ticket pricing, less hassle and better air and land travel planning. For larger business travel accounts these travel agents take on a travel management role, and are referred to as Travel Management Companies (TMCs), providing services such as consultancy, traveler tracking, data and negotiation assistance and policy advice.
Recent trends in this market have extended to the implementation of Self Booking Tools (SBTs) which allow automated booking of trips within company policy, an increase in the inclusion of Duty of care practices in the booking and monitoring process and more consideration for the environmental impact of business travel.
Business travel is a way of life. I have not worked in an office full time since my college days, and I know for a fact I could never go back to that kind of situation.
Some people are drawn to spending their lives on the road, while others prefer the stability that comes with a 9 to 5. For those of you who are just dying to get your very own travel job, I'd love to help.
Also be sure to checkthe travel jobs tagto see the latest travel jobs we've written about on the Business Travel Guide.
Airline Pilot: If you have the patience to wait out the ten years it will probably take to get the proper flight experience and the 50 large it will put you in debt, this is something to look in to. You'll get loads of time off work to spend as you'd like, and you'll have the expendable income to do so. Be aware that competition for positions at major airlines is FIERCE, so you need to be stellar at what you do. Also, some good ole' nepotism never hurt anyone.
Bus Driver: So, it's not business so much but bus drivers do quite a bit of traveling. This is an option for those of you who have no plans to attend college.
Coding Auditor: This is one of those niche fields that you may never have heard of, let alone thought you could do to travel. Coding Auditors are those people who audit physicians to make sure everything is on the up and up as far as the insurance claims are concerned. You do need a certificate for this type of work, as well as a few years of experience before they'll set you loose on the road. Assignments can be flexible with you spending several days to several weeks at any given location.
Flight Attendant: When you read the minimum requirements for a job as a flight attendant, it sounds like a piece of cake. In reality, you probably aren't going to get hired by a major airline unless you are college educated and have some sort of previous work experience in which you dealt with people extensively. Yes, your primary job is to serve people drinks (and dinner if they're lucky), when a large airline has 40,000+ applicants to choose from, they can sure as hell afford to be picky. The pay is terrible and the schedule can be crap, but then you get tons of days off and you get to fly for free!
