We’ve all felt it recently; the grounding of flights, cancellations of bookings and postponement of those all-important business travel plans. Business travel disruption is always an inconvenience and can be quite complicated to unravel and get your money back. This short blog should help you understand what needs to happen after your business travel has been cancelled and how we can help!
Your first step is to consult your travel insurance provider. Generally, most insurance companies give you a 31 day window to make a travel insurance claim, and then roughly 10-14 days before notifying you of the outcome. Different holders will have different policies, so it’s always better to read the small print and keep your documentation. You’ll need receipts and proof of why you’re cancelling. If it’s coronavirus related, then you should have received something in writing from your airline or hotel explaining the changes to your booking.
Digging out the policy confirmation email and your reference number should help speed things along, although our administrative assistants are very efficient and can always dig it out from your inbox or internal files; it always helps knowing that someone trustworthy is dealing with your business travel expenses so you can win back valuable time and focus on your to-do list.
Cancelling your flights before the airline has pulled the plug can often result in charges at your end, so where possible, wait for your airline to make their position known first. Hotels and B&Bs may have individual policies on refunds, so be sure to check with them and contact your card provider as they may have extra payment protection in case of a difficult proprietor or financial difficulties.
Depending on who your flights or trip were booked with, they will have different approaches to retaining your business and rescheduling your trip. British Airways may have grounded their planes but you can get a voucher for your intended flight to be redeemed at a later date. Likewise, Virgin Atlantic are operating a flexible no fee change policy, allowing you to move future bookings for no cost. EasyJet are operating a hybrid of the two. All airlines and travel providers will be looking to retain your business and to bounce back once normality resumes, so if you feel they haven’t got a suitable option, it may be an idea to contact their customer service directly.
Along with support for form filling and insurance research, SmartPA can also deal with the financial side of things internally. If you booked your trip using a company card, you may still need to deal with internal paperwork to ensure everything is squared away. If you are looking to claim back business travel expenses, our expert virtual assistants can also ensure you have ticked all the required boxes and everything is appropriately tracked financially.
Travel disruption is a major inconvenience. In these current circumstances, we need to be efficient and adaptable to keep calm and carry on. If you were travelling to gain new prospects, you can turn to social media or online networking to grow your database and fill your pipeline. If you were checking in with an international office, you can use online conferencing platforms like Zoom or Whereby to maintain the personal touch to those all-important sessions. In times like these, the rewards come to those who are adapting the fastest. Get your SmartPA to sort out the refunds for your business travel expenses and then reinvest in paid social ads. Your virtual assistant can offer marketing support and make recommendations, track performance and get you those all-important leads without leaving the safety of your own home. Maybe when it comes to rebooking that business travel, you’ll be flying in a different class!