Administrative Assistant / Secretary: A Simple Guide to Making Business Travel Arrangements

Today’s Business Traveler
In today’s competitive market, companies routinely buy and sell products and services both across the country and around the world. Because of this situation, business-related travel is common to every type and every size of company.
A small business just getting under way may have interest only in local markets; however, as the business grows and expands, a larger domestic market and possibly international markets will be of greater interest. Thus, as a business grows and an owner’s needs increase, your administrative duties will include keeping abreast of how to handle your employer’s travel needs quickly and efficiently, no matter how far he or she goes.
Even if you work for a larger company that has an in-house travel department, it’s useful to know the following procedures to troubleshoot for your boss when needed.

Getting the Trip Under Way
Your main purpose in making travel arrangements is to get your boss to his or her destination and back home again as smoothly as possible. Speed and cost may be other considerations. If you are a new administrative assistant or new to a particular office, see what the policies and precedents are for making travel arrangements. You may find helpful information in the files. There may even be a step-by-step procedures manual to consult, or you may find a special intranet Web page that contains travel information.
As you collect information for the trip, be sure to determine the following basics:
- What is the purpose of the trip?
- What are the desired departure and return times and dates?
- What is the point-by-point itinerary?
- Will the boss be traveling alone, or will other staff members or family members be traveling along?
- What type of transportation does your boss desire? What is the best means of transportation available at that particular destination? If you’re not sure, a travel agent can help you with some of this information even if arrangements are ultimately not made through the agency.
- What is the lodging facility closest to the activities of the trip? If your boss’s appointments are scattered throughout the city, perhaps a downtown hotel or an airport hotel or motel would be preferred.

Booking Travel Online
It is simple to make travel arrangements online. You can go directly to the website for an airline, hotel, or car rental company and make reservations or purchase tickets. You can also visit a travel website and make all the plans from one site. Some of the most popular travel websites include the following:
- Priceline: www.priceline.com
- Expedia: www.expedia.com
- Kayak: www.kayak.com
- Orbitz: www.orbitz.com

Hotel Reservations
If the meeting is in a major city, make the lodging reservations without delay because city hotels are often fully booked weeks in advance. Always get printed confirmation from either the website or from a confirmation email, which your boss should carry when traveling in case he or she arrives only to be told that no such reservation exists.
Some hotels also make airport shuttle or limousine reservations. If your boss needs either of these, make a reservation now. Have the date and the exact time of day the shuttle or limousine is needed, and add that to the reservation. Again, get a printed confirmation and provide a copy to your boss.
Hotels hold room reservations only until a specific deadline, typically 6 p.m. You can extend the reservation beyond that time limit by guaranteeing payment whether or not the boss arrives. To do this, you must give the hotel reservations person a credit card number. Remember that if the boss changes his or her mind about making the trip or staying at that hotel, the room charge will have to be paid anyway, since you’ve guaranteed arrival. However, most hotels and motels will allow you to cancel a guaranteed reservation without charge if you cancel before 6 p.m. on the day of arrival.
All of this presumes you know which hotel to choose. If your boss is traveling to a city he or she has never visited before or is going to a convention that does not recommend a particular hotel, investigate your choices using the Internet. If your boss has a favorite hotel chain, you can call the national reservations center for the chain or go to its website and find out if they have a hotel in the city your boss will be visiting. You can then make reservations using the national reservations center or website.

Transportation Reservations

Airline
You can purchase airline tickets by either calling the airline’s reservation office or by visiting its website. Some airlines offer a discount for booking the travel online because it saves them the cost of ticketing agents.
As soon as you’re in touch with the airline, you can instantly make a flight reservation and usually secure a preferred seat and rental car reservation as well. You’ll need your employer’s credit card number in order to confirm the tickets.
Check with your boss to determine when he or she wishes to travel, which airport to fly in and out of (if the destination has multiple airports), whether nonstop is required, and his or her seating preferences. Most airlines offer first-class and business-class seating in addition to coach; however, some budget airlines only offer one class of seating. Some airlines offer coach seating with extended leg room or exit rows for an additional charge.
Electronic Tickets: Electronic tickets, or e-tickets, allow you to print a ticket and boarding pass from your office computer printer. Some airlines also offer electronic tickets that can be downloaded to a smartphone. This requires the passenger to register with the airline as a frequent flyer and download the airline’s mobile app. Most airlines also allow you to check in for a flight 24 hours in advance and then print a copy of the boarding pass.
Airport security and airline check-in locations require you to provide a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license. (The name on the ticket must match the name on the ID.) For international travel, a passport may be needed as identification. In addition, when flying on an e-ticket, you must have a printed copy indicating a flight departure for the current date.
This information is required in order to enter the secured area beyond the security screening checkpoint. Passengers who do not need to check baggage and already have an approved document (outlined above) may proceed through the security checkpoint directly to the departure gate.
Some employers require paper receipts for business travel expense reports. Some companies accept printouts of confirmation emails, but check your company’s policy to find out what is acceptable documentation.

Train
In days gone by, rail travel was the way to go, with comfortable sleeping compartments and dining cars with fine food graciously served. But today, with time being money, most executives prefer air travel. Still, there are executives who either prefer not to fly or genuinely enjoy leisurely travel such as that provided by Amtrak. Railway travel is usually done when there is adequate time and easy access to rail terminals.
If your employer prefers rail travel, obtain a schedule for Amtrak trains as well as for commuter lines and connecting lines from the nearest rail station or at the Amtrak website at www.amtrak.com. A call to Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL (800-872-7245) will also answer your questions.

Car Rental
Call the preferred car rental company’s reservation office by consulting your telephone directory for a toll-free 800 number or make the reservation online by visiting the car rental company’s website. Many car rental companies have frequent-renter programs that speed up the rental process both when making reservations and when picking up a car. Check with your employer to find out which car rental company is preferred and whether or not he or she has a frequent-renter membership. Also ask about the type of car your boss prefers.
Car rentals are handled much the same way as hotel reservations. You’ll need to provide a credit card number in order to guarantee the reservation.

You will also need to know the following in order to make a car rental reservation:
- City
- Specific rental location in the city
- Car pick-up time
- Car drop-off time
- Car class

The Itinerary
An itinerary—that is, a written travel agenda—is useful to both the executive and the administrative assistant who remains in the office. Quick reference to it can be made when questions arise. Perhaps the executive has forgotten the address or time for an appointment, or perhaps the administrative assistant, faced with a sudden emergency, needs to know exactly where the employer can be contacted.
Before preparing the written itinerary, confer with your boss, making notes of all activities on the trip. Show your employer a draft of the written schedule so that changes can be made or forgotten items added. Once the itinerary has been completed, it can be typed on small pocket-size cards or on plain paper or emailed to the traveler’s smartphone. Figure 5-1 contains a sample itinerary.

Sample itinerary.
 

Before-the-Trip Checklist
Before your employer leaves on a trip, you should confirm the following:
- Airline tickets and frequent flyer number
- Lodging information and confirmation number
- Car rental information and confirmation number
- Money, travelers’ checks, or credit card (alert the credit card company of your employer’s intended travel, so that the company won’t freeze your employer’s account for suspected fraud)
- Passport, visa, driver’s license, or international driving permit
- Itinerary
- Destination contact names, addresses, and phone numbers
- Meeting agendas
- Speeches, reports, and presentations
- Computer or iPad
- Cell phone

International Travel
If the boss’s trip involves international travel, make plans well in advance because of the many details involved. He or she should be aware of both U.S. requirements regarding foreign travel and the requirements of the country or countries to be visited. There are many conditions imposed on business travelers that are different from those imposed on tourists.
For assistance in arranging an international business trip, you can contact the U.S. Department of State at www.travel.state.gov. You can also visit the U.S. Department of Commerce website at www.commerce.gov.

Visas and Passports
Most U.S. citizens need a passport to leave the United States and to reenter it. A passport is required by U.S. law for travel to North America, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, or Bermuda (under previous law, a passport was not required for such travel). Passports are not required for travel to U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico). All travelers should always carry personal identification, such as a driver’s license or a government-issued photo ID, which is at the least necessary to board planes.
In addition to a passport, many countries require a visa to enter. Usually, the visa must be obtained in advance and can’t be purchased at the border or point of entry. Visas are issued by the individual embassies and consulates of various countries. Some countries charge a small fee, while others issue visas for free. Since the requirements can and do change often, even if your employer has obtained a visa in advance of a trip, double-check before your employer leaves to make sure the visa is still valid.
To find out more about passports and visas, contact the U.S. Department of State at www.travel.state.gov or call 877-487-2778.

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Enhanced Driver’s Licenses
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is an international agreement among the United States, Canada, and Mexico that allows for travel between countries using a WHTI Enhanced Driver’s License in lieu of a passport.

The following states and provinces are issuing WHTI enhanced driver’s licenses: (Please verfiy for latest updates)
- Washington
- Michigan
- New York
- Vermont
- Manitoba
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- Quebec

Required Immunizations and Vaccinations
Anyone traveling internationally must have up-to-date information concerning required immunizations. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has information on required immunizations for travelers available by calling 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747). You can also visit DHHS’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the Web at www.cdc.gov/travel.

Customs
When returning from foreign countries, the traveler must declare certain items acquired abroad to determine whether a tax is owed. Travelers returning home to the United States are allowed certain exemptions, which help cover the inevitable souvenirs. Articles totaling $800 (fair retail value in the country where purchased) are duty free, except for cigarettes, cigars, and liquor.
Beware: Travelers should not try to understate the value of an article or misrepresent the nature of any article. To do so could result in the seizure and forfeiture of the item, and the tax will still be assessed. If a traveler has doubt as to whether to declare an item, he or she should declare it and then ask the customs inspector about it. Complete and detailed information concerning customs regulations are available by visiting www.cbp.gov.

Time Zones
A variety of useful time zone–related information is available on the Web at www.timeanddate.com. The following is a list of abbreviations for time zones:

Standard
- UTC. Coordinated Universal Time, civil time, the one most often used by “ordinary” people. It also is known as Greenwich Mean Time.
- UT. Universal Time, based on the earth’s rotation, often used in astronomy
- TAI. International Atomic Time, based on atomic clocks

European
- GMT. Greenwich Mean Time, as UTC
- BST. British Summer Time, as UTC + 1 hour
- IST. Irish Summer Time, as UTC + 1 hour
- WET. Western Europe Time, as UTC
- WEST. Western Europe Summer Time, as UTC + 1 hour
- CET. Central Europe Time, as UTC + 1 hour
- CEST. Central Europe Summer Time, as UTC + 2 hours
- EET. Eastern Europe Time, as UTC + 2 hours
- EEST. Eastern Europe Summer Time, as UTC + 3 hours
- MSK. Moscow Time, as UTC + 3 hours
- MSD. Moscow Summer Time, as UTC + 4 hours

United States and Canada
- AST. Atlantic Standard Time, as UTC – 4 hours
- ADT. Atlantic Daylight Time, as UTC – 3 hours
- EST. Eastern Standard Time, as UTC – 5 hours
- EDT. Eastern Daylight Saving Time, as UTC – 4 hours
- ET. Eastern Time, either as EST or EDT, depending on place and time of year
- CST. Central Standard Time, as UTC – 6 hours
- CDT. Central Daylight Saving Time, as UTC – 5 hours
- CT. Central Time, either as CST or CDT, depending on place and time of year
- MST. Mountain Standard Time, as UTC – 7 hours
- MDT. Mountain Daylight Saving Time, as UTC – 6 hours
- MT. Mountain Time, either as MST or MDT, depending on place and time of year
- PST. Pacific Standard Time, as UTC – 8 hours
- PDT. Pacific Daylight Saving Time, as UTC – 7 hours
- PT. Pacific Time, either as PST or PDT, depending on place and time of year
- HST. Hawaiian Standard Time, as UTC – 10 hours
- AKST. Alaska Standard Time, as UTC – 9 hours
- AKDT. Alaska Standard Daylight Saving Time, as UTC – 8 hours

Australia
- AEST. Australian Eastern Standard Time, as UTC + 10 hours
- AEDT. Australian Eastern Daylight Time, as UTC + 11 hours
- ACST. Australian Central Standard Time, as UTC + 9.5 hours
- ACDT. Australian Central Daylight Time, as UTC + 10.5 hours
- AWST. Australian Western Standard Time, as UTC + 8 hours

Time Zone Time Differences
This table shows the time differences between countries and various time zones in the United States.

Time Zone Time Differences

















International Currencies
The following is a list of countries and their currencies. (Note that the euro is the currency of thirteen European Union countries: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain. It is also the official currency of seventeen states of the European Union, which includes Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Malta, and Slovakia.)
- Afghanistan: Afghani
- Albania: Lek
- Algeria: Algerian Dollar
- American Samoa: U.S. Dollar
- Andorra: Euro
- Angola: Angolan Lwanza
- Anguilla: East Carribbean dollar
- Antigua and Barbuda: East Carribbean dollar
- Argentina: Argentine Peso
- Armenia: Dram
- Aruba: Aruban Guilder
- Australia: Australian Dollar
- Austria: Euro
- Azerbaijan: Manat
- Bahamas: Bahamian Dollar
- Bahrain: Dinar
- Bangladesh: Taka
- Barbados: Barbados Dollar
- Belarus: Ruble
- Belgium: Euro
- Belize: Belize Dollar
- Bermuda: Bermudian Dollar
- Bhutan: Ngultrum
- Bolivia: Boliviano and Mvdol
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Convertible Marks
- Botswana: Pula
- Brazil: Brazilian Real
- Bulgaria: Lev
- Cambodia: Riel
- Cameroon: CFA Franc
- Canada: Canadian Dollar
- Cape Verde Islands: Cape Verde Escudo
- Cayman Islands: Cayman Islands Dollar
- Central African Republic: CFA Franc
- Chad: CFA Franc
- Chile: Chilean Peso
- China: Yuan Renminbi
- Columbia: Columbian Peso
- Congo: CFA Franc
- Costa Rica: Colon
- Cote D’Ivoire: CFA Frac
- Croatia: Kuna
- Cuba: Cuban Peso
- Czech Republic: Koruna
- Denmark: Krone
- Djibouti: Djibouti Franc
- Dominica: East Carribbean Dollar
- Dominican Republic: Dominican Peso
- Ecuador: U.S. Dollar
- Egypt: Egyptian Pound
- El Salvador: Colon
- Ethiopia: Birr
- Europe: Euro
- Finland: Euro
- French Guiana: Euro
- Gabon: CFA Franc
- Gambia: Dalasi
- Georgia: Lari
- Germany: Euro
- Ghana: Cedi
- Greece: Euro
- Grenada: East Caribbean Dollar
- Guadeloupe: Euro
- Guatemala: Quetzal
- Guinea: Guinea Franc
- Guyana: Guyana Dollar
- Haiti: Gourde and U.S. Dollar
- Honduras: Lempira
- Hong Kong: Hong Kong Dollar
- Hungary: Forint
- Iceland: Krona
- India: Rupee
- Indonesia: Rupaih
- Iran: Rial
- Iraq: Dinar
- Ireland: Euro
- Israel: New Shekel
- Jamaica: Jamaican Dollar
- Japan: Yen
- Jordan: Dinar
- Kazakhstan: Tenge
- Kenya: Shilling
- Korea, North: North Korean Won
- Korea, South: Won
- Kuwait: Dinar
- Kyrgyzstan: Som
- Laos: Kip
- Latvia: Latvian Lats
- Lebanon: Lebanese Pound
- Lesotho: Loti
- Liberia: Liberian Dollar
- Libya: Dinar
- Liechtenstein: Swiss Franc
- Lithuania: Litas
- Luxembourg: Euro
- Macedonia: Denar
- Madagascar: Madagasy Franc
- Malaysia: Ringgit
- Maldives: Rufiyaa
- Mexico: Peso
- Mongolia: Tugrik
- Morocco: Dirham
- Mozambique: Metical
- Myanmar: Kyat
- Namibia: Rand
- Nepal: Rupee
- New Zealand: New Zealand Dollar
- Nicaragua: Cordoba Oro
- Niger: CFA Franc
- Nigeria: Naira
- Norway: Kroner
- Oman: Rial
- Pakistan: Rupee
- Panama: Balboa and U.S. Dollar
- Paraguay: Guarani
- Peru: Sol
- Philippines: Philippine Peso
- Poland: Zloty
- Qatar: Rial
- Romania: Leu
- Russia: Ruble
- Rwanda: Rwanda Franc
- Saudi Arabia: Riyal
- Senegal: CFA Franc
- Sierra Leone: Leone
- Singapore: Singamore Dollar
- Slovenia: Euro
- Somalia: Shilling
- South Africa: Rand
- Sri Lanka: Rupee
- Sudan: Dinar
- Suriname: Guilder
- Swaziland: Lilangeni
- Sweden: Krona
- Switzerland: Swiss Franc
- Syria: Syrian Pound
- Taiwan: New Taiwan Dollar
- Tajikistan: Somoni
- Tanzania: Shilling
- Thailand: Baht
- Togo: CFA Franc
- Tonga: Pa’anga
- Trinidad and Tobago: Trinidad and Tobago Dollar
- Tunisia: Dinar
- Turkey: Lira
- Turkmenistan: Manat
- Uganda: Shilling
- Ukraine: Hryvnia
- United Arab Emirates: Dirham
- United Kingdom: Pound Sterling
- Uruguay: Peso Uruguayo
- Uzbekistan: Sum
- Venezuela: Bolivar
- Vietnam: Dong
- Yemen: Rial
- Zambia: Kwacha
- Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Dollar