Why do companies use corporate travel agencies?

Probably it's easier for them. Or to control you.

I work at a university and we are encouraged but not required to use the designated travel agency. However, if booking our own travel, we are forbidden to book airfare/hotel packages that are often much cheaper than buying each one separately. It's frustrating because I am usually traveling using funds from my own research grants that I sweated blood to get and have a very limited travel budget. I don't appreciate being told that I can only take two trips arranged through the travel agency when I could take three trips at the same cost if I booked them myself.

Thank god I work for a small company that lets us do whatever. I always book on my personal cards to get points/rewards and then get reimbursed ASAP when returning.

My brother used to work for a megacorp that had a draconian travel policy. Some things he had to put up with:

- Had to take a 5:20am Spirit Airlines flight because it was $20 cheaper than an 8:30am flight on Delta.

- He once had to do a 4-hour layover in Atlanta going from Chicago to Miami, on a Sunday, because it was $40 cheaper than flying direct.

- He once got hassled for spending $30 on lunch, despite only spending $45 for the entire day. The policy was three meals at $20 each ($60 total/day).

Needless to say, he only lasted 2 years and left, part of the reason being the travel policy.

You know, try visite site here it is possible to book business class tickets online. We recently booked tickets here for a corporate holiday. The flight was comfortable and fast. We also got a discount on tickets.

Corporate travel can be idiotic. I had a trip schedule that included stops in Syracuse and then to White Plains (north of NYC), on Thursday and Friday, and then in North Carolina on Monday. Corporate travel refused to let me stay over the weekend, but they were willing to pay to fly me back to California on Friday night and then back east to North Carolina on Sunday night. The cost of staying at a hotel in NC was less than $150 for two night. The cost of a second round trip flight was over $1200.

The second time my boss tried to schedule a similar set of meetings, across the country, and overlapping a weekend, I refused to go, told him why, and he agreed to let me do the Monday meeting by telephone.

Many places, like the place I used to work at, have government requirements for travel, as well as poorly thought out corporate requirements. The goal is to set one set of requirements for every company traveler. And, where I worked, that included no discount on tickets because that was deemed to be a type of kickback which is illegal when traveling when the government reimburses the cost ... illegal, unless you are a politician.

The main reason why a travel agency makes sense for corporate travel is that they provide you with corporate and special event solutions that don't break the bank. Using their extensive knowledge and resources to get you the cheapest airfares so you can get to your business events without any hassle.