The pressure to reduce carbon emission levels means businesses are faced with either travelling less or leaving no ecological footprint. But when politicians suggest additional taxes, it is the traveller who pays and this is a direct tax on the business community that needs to travel to communicate with customers and suppliers.

Modern technology can reduce the need for face-to-face meetings but smaller companies know the real value of personal contact in a world dominated by global brands. There may be less need to travel but the truth is that more of us are doing it more frequently.

The real definition of effective travel will be down to the individual. There will always be someone who can solve Fermat’s Last Theorem, put an end to global poverty and offset his or her carbon footprint on a short hop over to Paris. For the rest of us, effective use may just be rest, a rare chance to relax, recharge and enjoy some valuable personal time.

Perhaps an alternative approach is how smart travel can best prepare you for business:

• Get as close to your final destination as possible

• Ensure that travel has the minimum time impact on your schedule

• Ensure you arrive prepared to work

• Pay a fair price

The major network carriers have had to compete with new entrants, which, in part at least, have changed the price perception of customers. Fares are reduced on the high traffic, leisure routes but what about the businessman who needs to travel to Eastern Europe or the Middle East?

While economy fares are pared to the bone, business-class and first-class travel can still be expensive. Austrian Airlines, meanwhile, offers a free upgrade to business class on all short and medium-haul flights (to Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East) if you pay full-fare economy prices. Just select our SilverTicket fare.

We also offer other elements that will allow you to arrive at your destination refreshed and ready for your business meeting:

• Wherever you travel, whatever class, you will always receive a complementary meal service, even on the shortest flights

• Experience a unique taste of Viennese café culture while you fly, from the soothing classical music through to the charm of our crew or the unique Vienna Coffee House service. You select from a menu of 11 specialist coffees to complement your six-course gourmet meal, which has been professionally finished by our onboard ’flying chef‘

• Fly with us to Bangkok, Beijing, Delhi, Mumbai and Tokyo and experience our best ever business class. The newly restyled cabins feature luxurious lie-flat sleeper seats that stretch out to almost 2m with an expansive 1.5m space between seats. There is even a massage function to ensure full relaxation. Your aircraft seat is also your first-class restaurant, private office, personal cinema and sleep zone

• On flights to China, India and Japan, tailored meal choices are available, reflecting the best of local cuisine alongside delicious Western menu choices. Most specialist dietary requirements can be catered for if they are ordered in advance

• Whether you work, rest or play, we can offer you choice and comfort. The video selection has 18 channels but that is as nothing to the online options. You can shop and play computer games or opt for the ’flying casino‘ where black jack, roulette and poker are on offer

Austrian flies to 45 destinations in 23 countries within Central and Eastern Europe and is the only Western airline operating services to Iraq. For more information please see www.austrian.com and sign up for your monthly newsletter

One of the clear winners of the internet and ecommerce has been the travel industry. Who hasn‘t booked a flight via the internet? Which one of us hasn‘t researched a holiday destination? But what‘s the easiest way to ensure you‘ve got the best price for your flight or the hotel that‘s in the best location for you?

Flights
Good general price comparison flight sites include www.cheapflights.co.uk and www.skyscanner.net depending on where you want to go. Once you‘ve surfed these, it‘s always worth going direct to your preferred airline‘s website to see if you can get a cheaper deal before you book. It‘s always worth booking a fully flexible flight if you think there‘s a chance your meeting may be rescheduled. These are more expensive but could end up saving you money in the long run as non-transferable flights generally mean you‘ll lose the cost of that flight and have to rebook all over again, effectively meaning you‘ll pay twice.

Hotels
Finding the right hotel for your needs, in the right location and at the right price can be tricky. Generalist travel sites aren’t set up to offer the level of detail many business travellers require so the best bet is to log on to specialist hotel sites such as www.hrs.com. Frequently the best hotels are independently owned and won’t be offered by generalist sites. In addition, specialist sites often offer businesses exclusive rates not available elsewhere and a great deal of flexibility. By booking a hotel through www.hrs.com, you can amend or cancel your reservation for free up to 6pm on the day you were supposed to check in.

Groundwork
The meeting has been finalised, you’ve booked your travel arrangements and organised the right hotel but is there anything else you could be doing to broaden your business opportunities in this market in the future? Why not try to combine it with at least one other prospective new business client? If you do enough groundwork at home before setting off, there are many other avenues that could potentially open up for you. Most countries have a chamber of commerce which has links to the UK. It’s always worth checking these out to see what potential opportunities there are and which companies are affiliated. Valuable introductions can be made and facilitated through the chambers of commerce or commercial departments of embassies.

For more information on how HRS can make your budget travel further, please visit www.hrs.com/corporate

For business travellers, a comfortable journey is vital. It‘s all about arriving at your destination on time and in a good condition for that all-important business meeting. That means a good business class offering; one that provides a superior standard of comfort and service.

As someone who has worked in Hong Kong for many years, I know how important it is to keep in contact with your business partners – not just by phone, but face-to-face – especially in Asia. In fact, I represented a number of organisations in Asia to ensure they had presence here for that very reason. Part of my role for one of the parties I represented involved studying passenger traffic patterns, and that is where I found that many business travellers would take one (sometimes even two) stops to get here.

Why? Well, the price was one factor, the other was comfort, because they were travelling in business class but didn‘t want to pay the higher fares for the privilege of flying direct or non-stop, something which was especially difficult for SMEs expanding their operations abroad. It was then I realised there was a need to provide affordable business-class travel without compromising on the standard of comfort, service and safety you'd expect on a long-haul flight.

A business-class service should give passengers the smoothest journey to their destination. Priority check-ins minimise waiting times, lounge access aids relaxation and on-board facilities maximise the opportunity for work or rest, something businessOasis is proud to offer. With both inbound and outbound flights flying through the night, comfortable business-class seats with up to a 60' pitch allow for sleep to reduce the effects of jet-lag. And with landing times that permit a full working day in the UK and afternoon appointments in Hong Kong, business people can step straight off the plane and into meetings, maximising their time in their destination.

Another very important factor for business travellers is the regularity and reliability of service. Picking an airline that offers both a frequent service and has a solid on-time performance record helps remove the stress of business travel and allows you to relax en-route safe in the knowledge that an important meeting will not be missed. Oasis does not have a perfect record of on-time performance, but we did clock in 91% average for the last three months on the London Hong Kong route, which I am led to believe is the best. (Average is 75%).

To help SMEs travel effectively and hit the ground running, Oasis is offering a two for one business-class offer entitling passengers to two business class seats for just £1,595 return including taxes and charges. To take advantage of affordable business travel visit www.oasishongkong.com to book before 15th June for travel until 29th March 2008

The key is to plan every aspect of the journey in advance and leave nothing to chance. While flights and accommodation are usually booked well in advance, transfers are often forgotten. However, after an exhausting flight, the last thing you need before an important business meeting is a long taxi queue or delayed public transport. Whether it is a limousine, a helicopter or even a shuttle bus, a pre-booked transfer provides peace of mind and a guarantee that your journey will be taken care of from door-to-door.

Negotiating a hire-car on unfamiliar roads can be a nightmare and you cannot rely on public transport being easily available in every destination. A pre-booked transfer will be ready and waiting for you in unsociable hours, even if your flight is delayed or your bag is last off the carousel.

Pre-booking will also save you money in the long-run. Confirmed pricing with a reputable transfer company mean that you won‘t be stung with a hefty taxi charge when you get stuck in traffic or the risk of the driver taking you on the scenic route.

Pre-booking also provides peace of mind for the travel manager, even more so if bookings are made against a preferred supplier agreement. With costs at an all-time premium and budgets tighter than ever, my advice would be to line up suppliers and negotiate preferred rates for smiles all round.

For more information visit www.cityhoppa.com