Key takeaways
- A business travel itinerary consolidates flights, accommodation, transportation, and meetings into one document.
- Include flight details, ground transportation, hotel bookings, meeting schedules, and emergency contacts in every itinerary.
- Follow a step-by-step process: gather flights first, add transportation, confirm hotels, map meetings, include emergency info, then share with stakeholders.
- A travel management company (TMC) centralizes bookings and provides 24/7 support for unexpected travel challenges.
- Travel management platforms automate itinerary creation and simplify post-trip reporting.
What should a business travel itinerary include?
- Flight details
- Flight numbers and flight itinerary
- Travel schedule
- Departure times
- Arrival times
- Layovers
- Travel agency information
- Airline and reservation information
- Emergency contact information
- Other important travel details
- Transportation information
- Car rental pricing and details
- Pick-up locations
- Transfers
- Accommodation details
- Hotel booking check-ins
- Hotel information
- Reservation details
- Check-out time
- Trip details
- Meeting schedule
- Trip planner with daily itinerary
- Event or conference information
- Plus any trip-specific extra info!
How to create a business travel itinerary
- Gather all flight information first. Collect flight numbers, departure and arrival times, layover details, and airline confirmation numbers. This forms the backbone of your itinerary.
- Add ground transportation details. Include car rental reservations, pick-up and drop-off locations, transfer services, and any mileage estimates for driving segments.
- Confirm accommodation bookings. List hotel names, addresses, check-in and check-out times, and reservation confirmation numbers for each night of the trip.
- Map out the meeting and event schedule. Add meeting times, locations, attendee names, and any conference or event registration details. Include buffer time between appointments.
- Include emergency contacts and backup plans. Add your company's travel support line, local emergency numbers, and alternative flight or hotel options in case of disruptions.
- Share the itinerary with all stakeholders. Distribute the final document to the traveling employee, their manager, and anyone who needs visibility into the trip.