15 money-saving tips for business travelers

A great article on business travel in today's USA Today by David Grossman

In recent years, it was often advantageous to wait until the last minute before booking travel. Airlines with empty seats and hotels whose rooms would otherwise go vacant for a night were ready to wheel and deal, and late-notice discounts were readily available.

With struggling U.S. airlines cutting capacity to save money and avoid high fuel costs, flights are more crowded than ever. And hotel rooms face unprecedented demand, with several cities reporting record occupancy rates. The results are higher prices and fewer discounts. Air fares are up by 11% and hotel prices by 8% this summer over last year according to a survey conducted by Priceline.com.

Waiting for a sale in this economy is a dangerous strategy. Airlines and hotels cannot run last minute specials if there are no seats or rooms to be sold. For an upcoming trip to Chicago for the National Business Travel Association meeting, I locked in my air fare from Oakland on Southwest a few months ago for $270. That same trip could be booked for $200 last year. If I waited to book that same trip today I would pay at least $360. And for a last minute business trip, a walk-up fare would be at least $540 on any airline — if seats were still available.

In such a situation, with prices rising and bargains rare, it pays to look for any possible way to trim travel costs. Here are 15 money saving tips I use whenever possible.

In the air

1. Refundable air tickets
2. Connections and alternate airports
3. One-way air fares
4. Combining trips

At your hotel

1. Contracts and negotiated rates
2. Avoid city centers
3. Corporate apartments and suite hotels
4. Check individual night prices
5. Day trips and red-eyes
6. Avoid conventions and peak travel periods
7. Laundry

On the ground

1. Public transit from the airport
2. Optimizing car rentals
3. Off-hotel parking
4. Skip the airplane