3 ways companies can support better business travel

Working for a global travel company, many of our employees spend a fair amount of time on the road, traveling to and from various meetings with colleagues, customers and partners. After spending a great deal of time in airports, hotels and meetings, some may say they never want to see another airport lounge, hotel lobby or chicken cutlet again!

At Amadeus, travel is in our DNA. It’s at the heart of what we do – along with our people, the ambassadors of the technology we produce, market and sell. Because travel technology is our business, and people are our greatest resource, we understand firsthand the importance of caring for, and investing in, our most valuable assets.

Today’s corporate leaders, HR professionals and travel managers play a key role in improving business traveler well-being. Specifically, we must continually find new and better ways to support their health, welfare and productivity.

3 ways to elevate traveler wellness

The risks of higher medical claims, absenteeism, short-term disability and reduced productivity and performance pose a huge threat to corporations in the form of higher direct and indirect costs. Other risks include tarnished reputation and diminished recruitment and retention. Here are three insights to consider when promoting better employee-traveler wellness at the C-suite level.

Insight 1: Collaborate across the organization

HR leaders are uniquely positioned to collaborate cross-functionally with other departments – Travel, Finance and Risk/security for example – to influence C-suite adoption of health-focused initiatives and employee-friendly travel policy changes.

Insight 2: Offer tools for better trip management

HR influencers can support traveler well-being with tips, tools and technology that promote healthy eating, exercise, relaxation and trip management. My life changed forever the day I got my iPhone. Now I can cancel a hotel, book a last-minute flight, rent a car, check the weather, and track my baggage directly from my mobile. TSA PreCheck is another great tool that enables road warriors to glide through security and avoid removing shoes, laptops, liquids and belts.

Another stress-busting app is Checkmytrip by Amadeus, which organizes all my trip information in one place. Everything is there – my flights, hotels and rental cars – in a single view. I can even check in to flights directly from the app. This tool has completely eliminated the need to carry (and potentially lose) printed itineraries, papers and folders.

Insight 3: Help travelers manage disruption

As head of HR for Amadeus Americas, I have a legal mandate to protect my employees from travel disruptions caused by bad weather, strikes, health scares and security risks, all huge business travel stressors. It’s critical that we stay connected with our travelers at all times, especially during key moments when they need us. Two essential Amadeus solutions that help companies locate and connect with travelers anywhere in the world, anytime, include Amadeus cytric Travel & Expense and Amadeus Mobile Messenger.

Lost baggage, delayed flights and missed connections also cause tremendous traveler stress. Solutions like Amadeus Ticket Changer Shopper help avert disruption by enabling travelers to change their own tickets online, and shop and book the lowest available fares for their revised route.

Making travel better for everyone

Personally speaking, I’ve been an Amadeus brand ambassador and road warrior for the past 17 years, so you could say I know a little about business travel! Because it can be mentally and physically taxing, we must never lose sight of the fact that business travel is work. Together as HR professionals, travel managers and business leaders, we owe it to our traveling constituents to effect positive changes through updated travel policies that make business travel better, softer and easier – with fewer surprises.

As a company, Amadeus is doing many things well, yet we know we can always make improvements. Here’s to finding new, improved ways to better support our travelers’ health and productivity as we continue on this wellness journey together.