QUICK GUIDE To Business Travel

Entrepreneur, April, 2001 by Christopher Elliott, Christopher Mcginnis

Travel isn't the same for owners and employees of smaller companies as it is for people working for large corporations. Most of the time, travelers from small businesses pay for their travel expenses out of their own pockets, with no generous expense accounts to fall back on. While that used to mean travelling on a shoestring, noncorporate travelers recently started stepping up in the world. No longer are they willing to accept inconvenient flights; small, dark hotel rooms; or clunky, old rental cars just because they're inexpensive. That's not to say independent travelers are out there burning dollars. But as their businesses grow, they're increasingly willing to spend a little more money on travel if they feel they're getting more value.

Travel suppliers are taking note of that trend. As a matter of fact, some are even changing their names to reflect a focus in that direction. For example, the Budgetel hotel chain recetnly changed its name to Baymont Inns & Suites and spent the past year upgrading its offering and its image as it migrated from the "economy" to the "midmarket" segment of the hotel industry. Also, major airlines have recently launched programs offering small businesses added value in the form of discounts and perks that were traditionally reserved for large corporations.

Remember our awards do not constitute a formal or scientific survey--they're just our highly subjective choice of suppliers with offerings of true value for independent travelers.

BEST LOW-FARE AIRLINE: AirTran Airways

AirTran Airways has continued to grow and prosper since we first recognized the upstart carrier in our awards three years ago. Travelers seeking to avoid the increasingly rapacious fares charged by major carriers for midweek business trips are flocking to AirTran. That's because the airline never requires a roundtrip purchase or a Saturday-night stayover.

AirTran also recently bought the first 16 of 50 brand-new Boeing 717 aircraft. In addition, the airline offers last-minute upgrades to "business class" seats at the front of the plane, where travelers will find enough room to spread out and get some work done--or relax--for just $25 more than its standard coach-class fares. And for small businesses, AirTran's A2B Corporate Travel Program offers upgrades, reduced restrictions, lower change fees and bonus frequent-flier points.

Last year, American, Delta, Trans Air, TWA, United and US Airways signed interline" agreements with AirTran, meaning passengers of delayed or cancelled flights can be reaccommodated on the other airlines (or vice versa) for no additional charge. This is good news not only for AirTran passengers, but also for the airline, as acceptance from the big boys shows that they no longer see AirTran as a struggling upstart.

Systemwide, AirTran now operates 310 daily flights between 34 cities, mostly in the Midwest and on the East Coast, with its major hub in Atlanta.

DO NET AIRFARES FLY?

Great fares, or farewell to online booking? You decide.

The recent launches of three new Web sites promising to find you the lowest air fare are giving business travelers new hope of cutting travel expenses. But is it only hope? The three projects, AirlinesGuides.com, FareChase.com and QIXO.com, belong to a new breed of search sites that query multiple booking engines at the same time, helping travelers compare prices more easily.

* AirlineGuides.com, which modestly describes itself as "The Internet Travelers' Best Friend," searches sites such as Expedia.com and OneTravel.com to find low prices. However, response times are sluggish, and, once you find a fare, you have to repeat the search on the particular site where the fare was found.

* QIXO.com says that it's many travel sites in one and tries to prove it by culling from a number of airline Web sites, Travelocity, Cheap Tickets and others. It's only slightly faster than AirlineGuides, and it also forces you to run two searches--one on QIXO, and another on the airline or travel agency site--unless you register and fork over a service fee of 1 percent of the purchase price (with a $10 maximum).

* FareChase (www.farechase.com) bills itself as the "Internet's First Real-Time Travel Comparison-Shopping Search Engine." (It reportedly launched within a day of QIXO.) In addition to airfares, it searches for hotel rooms and rental cars. Finding a fare is painfully slow for the moment, but FareChase takes you directly to the site and lets you book from the supplier in question without any additional charges. Pay attention though, to the unusually large number of disclaimers.

To be fair, these sites were in their start-up phases at press time and should improve with age. But until they do, it's a good idea to check with a variety of sources, including a real travel agent, if you're looking for competitive fares.

TACKING ON TAXES

The government's got its hands in your travel expenses-and you may never benefit.

Feeling overtaxed lately? That's probably because you are if you travel often on business, according to Alexander Nikoloff, a research analyst for Michigan State University's World Travel & Tourism Tax Policy Center. His research suggests travelers are carrying more than their fair share of the tax burden and rarely benefit from the levies they pay. "It's taxation without representation," contends Nikoloff.