Having worked in the travel industry for over 25 years, I can easily see the value of booking with a Travel Management Company (TMC) when travelling for business. But does everyone share the same view if they have been booking their own travel for years? After all, we all have access to websites where we can book flights, trains, and hotels directly, right? So why would anyone pay a TMC to handle their bookings and charge a booking fee on top?
It is a fair question, and one that many people ask. But to truly understand the value, we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
Your TMC should offer 24-hour emergency service, and at DP&L Travel Management, we take pride in providing this support in-house. Building strong relationships with our bookers and corporate clients is at the heart of what we do. That is why we want to be the ones to assist you when things go wrong or when changes are needed. We believe that personal connection is key, ensuring that we are there for you when you need us most.
Additionally, our long-standing relationships with suppliers give us the flexibility to make changes that might not be possible if you were booking directly. This allows us to handle unexpected situations with ease, ensuring that your travel plans run as smoothly as possible.
TMCs, and especially DP&L Travel Management, are part of industry consortiums, which gives us greater buying power with suppliers. This means we can access negotiated fares and exclusive rates that may not be available to the public. While we do charge a booking fee to cover our team’s expert advice and time, we also pass on these discounts to you. Ultimately, this means you are not only saving time but money as well, all while benefiting from our experience and industry connections.
Booking with a TMC offers much more than just booking flights and hotels. With DP&L Travel Management, you gain access to up-to-date reports on all your travel expenditure, including CO2 reporting. We track trends to help identify potential savings and provide customised dashboards to monitor your spending and analyse year-on-year data.
Additionally, we offer a powerful reporting portal called DP&L Discovery, which includes GEO. This feature allows corporate clients to see where all their travellers are on a map, pinpointing their locations in real-time. GEO also enables you to set up risk management protocols, providing safety and travel information for every country.
This is all part of our commitment to Duty of Care—a core value at DP&L Travel Management. We believe it is essential to keep travellers safe, informed, and well-supported throughout their journey.
So, the answer to my question is – Booking with a TMC like DP&L Travel Management ensures expert advice, exclusive discounts, 24/7 support, streamlined reporting, and enhanced duty of care, all while saving you time and money.