[miklay]

Hi! It's me again.

Our CEO & COO are travelling abroad to visit an International Property Show. I have booked plane tickets as well as hotel accommodations for them. I am just anxious since it is my first time to have arranged for their trip I don't know exactly what to do and what to expect. What also makes me worried is having heard of negative feedback on the airline where I booked their tickets. I don't want to spoil their trip, so I am seeking for your help on what I can do best to make their trip a good one.

Thanks!

[deana79]

Hi miklay. I make travel arrangements for our CEO all the time. The first time I did, I was nervous wondering "what if I forgot something?" Do you mind me asking which airline you booked? I usually book whichever airline has the most convenient times. Although my boss prefers some over others, he would rather a direct flight with convenient travel times, so will compromise the airline for his preference of flight times.

Aside from the plane tickets and hotel accommodations, are they going to need transportation to and from the airport? I have a car service pick my boss up at his house for the airport then at the airport when he returns. However, when he is at his destination, he prefers to take a taxi.

Are they going to require any other arrangements? Entertainment, Meal reservations, conference registration?

Before my boss leaves on a trip, I create a folder for him with whichever information he will need. I create an schedule/itinerary organized by day/time. It starts with what time he'll be pickup at his house for the airport, his flight info(Time of flights, flight numbers, confirmation numbers, seat number), hotel info (check in time, name of hotel, address, telephone, distance from airport), meeting times, meal reservations, etc. Then on the day of his departure I list the time he needs to check out of the hotel, return flight info and what time he'll be picked up at the airport. Also in the folder is any meeting materials he may need, receipts/confirmations, tickets, as well as an information sheet on the hotel and any other local attractions.

[miklay]

Thank you so much for your reply. It has indeed enlightened me with the numerous questions in mind that has me worried considering they will be leaving next week. That's exactly what I am feeling, I am afraid I might forget some things and mess up their trip.

I have booked for a business class via Turkish Airlines for their travel from Dubai, UAE to Moscow, Russia. I gave them 2 airline options,Turkish Airlines (with stopover in Istanbul, Turkey) and the other having a direct flight but he chose the former because they heard of a bad news about the other airline. By the way, does it matter if the name has misspelling in the plane ticket/e-ticket?

As for the transportation to and from the airport, yes they will need a car service which I have yet to find one. On the other hand, somebody will pick them up at the airport in Russia which I sought assistance from our CEO's friend who happens to be working in a travel agency and has connections in Russia. He gave me the assurance that he will take care of them while in Russia.

I have never thought about entertainment and meal reservations though until you mentioned it. Again, thank you.

I have pre-registered them for the conference online and made a print out and kept it together with the plane tickets, photocopies of passport and visa on separate folders. More importantly, I do need to make an itinerary of their travel.

still look forward to hear from you more. Thank you very much!

[deana79]

Regarding the misspelling of the name, I would suggest calling the airline and checking. If needed, they may be able to fix the spelling on the ticket.

If you are still looking for transportation, I would suggest either looking for on in the telephone directory or, better yet, see if if you could get a reference from someone. Since this is your first time making their arrangements, I am guessing that you are slightly new to you position? Is the person that made the arrangements in the past available to speak with to see what service he/she used in the past, otherwise, can you ask your boss who they have used in the past?

Regarding entertainment/meal reservations, check with those traveling to see what their preference is. When my boss goes to a conference, sometimes he is so busy with the conference that he doesn't have time for much else, or he spends his free time networking with the other attendees. They should also give you an idea as to what kind of additional arrangements (entertainment, meal reservations, etc.) are expected.

[Jodith]

It looks like Deana pretty much covered you for your travel arrangements.

I talk about managing the boss's itinerary in my post Travel Arrangements to Wow Any Boss, Part II. I also have a sample travel itinerary linked there.

One other suggestion I have is to call the car service the day before it's scheduled to verify that they have all the details correct. Even with the best services, mistakes can sometimes be made, and the one thing you don't want is for him to be late for his flight.

I would definitely look at having the name problem corrected. It's not a problem most of the time, but when you are traveling internationally, it could throw red flags if it doesn't match the passport and visa.

[miklay]

Thanks so much Deana & Jodith for all your help, I really appreciate it.

I have already contacted the travel agent and correction to the name in the plane ticket has been made. Yes, I am new to this position. Unfortunately, there's nobody who made travel arrangements before me since it is the first time our bosses would be going for an international trip. A friend of our CEO has helped me arrange the travel especially during their stay in Moscow. He has delegated somebody to assist them all throughout their stay in Russia. What I would have to worry about is arranging for a car pick up in going to and from the airport. I am thinking of getting a taxi for them but our COO has given me a location map which is not detailed enough for the driver to find their house. I had to look it up in the Google earth and I hope it would help. Another option is to get the service from the same travel agency where I have purchased the ticket from.

Thank you for the travel itinerary template, it has helped me a lot.

[Jodith]

Your welcome!

Arranging travel can be a bit nerve wracking the first couple of times you do it, but after a few trips, you'll be an old hand at it.

[miklay]

Indeed it was... I couldn't help but think until the day they flew for Russia. Thankfully, the trip went well. They came back safe and sound. My worries are over. I wouldn't have made it without all your help. It's indeed a blessing finding your website! I Thanks a lot!

[Jodith]

I'm glad to hear the trip went well! Congratulations!

[deana79]

miklay, I'm glad to hear that their trip went well.