While parts of the world are still in lockdown it can feel like we won’t see in the inside of a plane for a long time yet. However there are signs that travel is starting to make a small, yet positive comeback.
To help you make the most of this downtime we’ve prepared a handy checklist to help you give your travel program and documents a spring clean, so you are ready to go when those travel requests start to roll on in!
Company Checklist
- Review travel insurance coverage, and double-check if any changes are in place post-COVID.
- Audit your traveller profiles to ensure they are all up-to-date.
- Review who is authorised to book travel on behalf of your company.
- Determine how travel is going to be permitted post-COVID.
- Determine what new procedures you want to implement to protect both your company and your travellers.
Traveller Information
- Check that you have emergency contact information on file for each traveller. This is vital when travelling during times like COVID-19.
- Review your traveller’s preferences – do they prefer a certain seat, meal-type, particular hotel location etc.
- Audit what passport and visa information you have on file. Are you missing any? Are some coming up for expiry? This part can save you a lot of time when booking, particularly around passports and ensuring they are valid for the required length of time to enter certain countries.
Post COVID Policy Refresh
- What approvals are required for someone to travel.
- How should travel be booked? Eg. Via a TMC and/or via an online booking tool.
- Highlight use of credits on hold to minimise your expenditure in early stages of travelling. We have summarised the current policies for the main Australian domestic airline carriers here.
- Review your supplier agreements to ensure they are in inline with policy.
- Do you need to implement a duty of care or risk management process for travel.
Get Techy
- Check that your travellers have the latest travel apps downloaded and working.
- Include apps for each airline, including frequent flyer and entertainment apps.
- Download the Government’s COVIDSafe app if you haven’t already.
Refresh your OBT skills
- Is your online booking training up-to-date? Are you across the latest releases?
- Do you need to train up anyone else in your team?
For The Traveller - Before you go
- Check border restrictions and self-isolation rules for the state and country your traveller is going to. For Australian states click here and for international border updates visit Smartraveller.
- Check airline rules – are there particular health requirements your traveller needs to consider?
- Consider providing your traveller with a letter that states they are travelling for ‘essential work’. Make sure your travellers have at least two hard copies in their carryon luggage as well as an electronic version handy in their emails.
- What process should a traveller follow? Do they need to check in with your company whilst on the trip, and what protocols should be followed when they return from a trip?