By: BCD Marketplace Partner – Sanctifly
Employees are the backbone of any organization and supporting your employees’ needs is an excellent way to support your business. Business travel presents employees with a range of challenges including logistical difficulties in completing work tasks, unexpected travel delays, and added stress when juggling responsibilities while navigating unfamiliar locations. That’s why investing in the health and wellness needs of workers who travel frequently for business has never been more important for HR managers. Sanctifly is here to help corporations take care of your employees with new wellness options to change the landscape of corporate travel for employees.
Booking Direct Flights Whenever Possible Reduces Hassle for Traveling Employees
Finding a direct flight for employees traveling for work is a great way to decrease travel hassle. Direct flights are often more cost-effective and can reduce the time travelers spend waiting around on extended layovers. Choosing the most efficient flight gets workers to their destinations more quickly with less risk of lost luggage. According to recommendations from SmarterTravel, a direct flight serves as one of the best ways to avoid connection issues during travel. Travelers can also avoid delays due to missed connecting flights.
Aim for “Goldilocks Layovers” for Flyers
If layovers are unavoidable, finding a layover that’s not too short, but not too long either can reduce stress and time in transit. Although comfort level varies for each traveler (and also by airport, size, and time of day), a good general rule is 1 hour minimum for transfers, and no more than 3 hours total in the airport. For tickets booked with a single airline, the airline sets minimum transfer times for each hub they serve, and they’ll book passengers only on connections that meet those minimums. However, if you’re booking each leg of the journey yourself, it’s important to ensure travelers have enough time to change flights comfortably without added stress, but if that requires a much longer layover, be sure you provide wellness recommendations and access at the layover airport. Remember that changes between domestic and international flights almost always involve a terminal change, and that will take longer than changing flights within the same terminal.
Look Out for Open Bid Actions on Business and First-Class Tickets
Register for auctions for seat upgrades. Sometimes there can be great deals to be found which fit in to your travel budget. Additionally, these upgraded seating opportunities deliver access to perks such as increased in-flight food options as well as more space and time to comfortably get work done during travel time. Economy seats often don’t come with any included meals except on longer journeys, and travelers have to remember to request or pre-pay for meals that accommodate any dietary restrictions or preferences they may have. While business and first class tickets have the obvious perk of being more comfortable, the upgraded meals, quieter cabin, and better service can go a long way to helping your travelers feel cared for and relaxed when they land at work or home.
Upgraded Accommodations Can Make Being Away from Home More Comfortable
As employees prepare to tackle important assignments on a corporate trip, being well-rested is vital. While being away from familiar comforts is unavoidable, obtaining upgraded accommodations for workers can help provide a restful environment to support them in taking on business assignments with energy.
Having Prepared Food and Meal Delivery Options for Travel Days Alleviates One More Concern for Travelers
During business trips, the ability for employees to prepare their own meals can be limited. Since not all accommodations provide access to kitchens or kitchenettes for guests, having a plan for acquiring prepared food or taking advantage of meal delivery options is a great way to alleviate workers’ concerns about locating convenient meals during travel. While the easiest way is to provide food during long meetings and conference days, it’s also important to remember that people often have to make sacrifices and compromises when it comes to their dietary preferences during long travel days. It’s difficult to provide food options on travel days, but travelers who are members of the Sanctifly app are able to view healthy food options and airport maps for hundreds of major airports around the world, allowing them to see what’s available at their terminal, and even access exclusive options in lounges and hotel gyms and restaurants that would otherwise only be available to lounge members and hotel guests.
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