Business ticket purchases

[bennorthyork]

Does anyone have any views on which train ticket retailing options are best for a business spending a significant amount each year on train tickets and wanting to be able to produce management information on journeys made and their costs? Thetrainline seems popular with businesses but has booking fees and credit card fees. Maybe it offers better management information. What do other online retailers offer businesses? Does anyone have any views or experiences?

 

[firespire]

No experience myself but if you wanted to use the Thetrainline system I presume you can go via a train company without the fees
eg. http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Train-times-and-tickets/Business-direct

Redspottedhanky also has a business section
http://www.redspottedhanky.com/business-travel/

 

[OwlMan]

There are also a number of Travel Agents that offer this kind of service. Do a google search for "business rail travel" or similar

 

[route:oxford]

Does anyone have any views on which train ticket retailing options are best for a business spending a significant amount each year on train tickets and wanting to be able to produce management information on journeys made and their costs? Thetrainline seems popular with businesses but has booking fees and credit card fees. Maybe it offers better management information. What do other online retailers offer businesses? Does anyone have any views or experiences?

All depends on how much you are talking about by "significant".

My old firm used BTI Hogg Robinson (who in turn used the trainline) for rail travel. Provided pretty good MI.

Journeys under £30 were bought by individuals at the station (or on-line) though as it wasn't cost effective to book via the agent - so excluded from MI.

What I would say though is, if your firm is making regular journeys on the same core routes - contact the TOC directly and identify if they have any special deals for you. BA/BMI certainly do for domestic air travellers.

 

[Ascot]

Could try Redfern? It's an all in one shop though so you tend to have to book and buy through them.

 

[pdq]

My organisation uses Redfern as well. Interface isn't pretty but it works. I think it needs configuring by them to set up all your office locations, cost centres etc.

 

[34D]

Does anyone have any views on which train ticket retailing options are best for a business spending a significant amount each year on train tickets and wanting to be able to produce management information on journeys made and their costs?

Would you be able to advise approximately how many travelling employees you are talking about here please?

 

[bennorthyork]

Rather than give an idea of spend I'll give an idea of scale. Among other routes journeys would include in excess of 5000 longer distance East Coast journeys per year.

A total of close to 50,000 total journeys per year spread around the country.

 

[wintonian]

I always used to be quite fond of travel warrants

Like all things they have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

[magalie2011]

I tried www.raileurope.com.au I went to one of the planned trips they offer... all in all it was good and cheap, check it

 

[Ascot]

If it's only a 1,000 (roughly 4 staff a day) then just get your staff to buy tickets the cheapest public way and claim back instead through admin. You won't benefit that much with a corporate booker.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[island]

I always used to be quite fond of travel warrants

Like all things they have their advantages and disadvantages.

Disadvantages including that they are an incredible liability if stolen and you have to buy the actual book of warrants?