8 Tips to Business Travel on a Budget

When business travelers are on-the-go, there are three distinct expenses: transportation, dining, and accommodations. Here are tips to reduce costs in each of those three categories during business travel.

Saving on Transportation

Your business traveler is probably used to luxury and carefree cars. However, in this economy he or she can be expected to take a more cost-effective route to meetings and conferences.

Buy a Metro Card

Rather than splurge on a rental car for the week of travel, consider getting your business person a metro or subway card. If the city is safe like DC, then there is no reason not to take public transit. You can save hundreds of dollars by choosing metro and bus passes, and that's before insurance costs!

Carpool With Co-Workers

Consider sharing the cost of a rental van with another company. Both companies could save money, and the team would get better acquainted on the way.

Accrue Those Flyer Miles

Sign up to earn frequent flyer miles on every single credit card purchase. Here are some of the things your company could earn:

• Cheap Flights to Italy
• Free hotel stays 
• Rental Car Discounts 
• Dining Woes Become Wins

Everyone needs to eat, but it doesn't have to be a negative expense. Rather than stipend all meals for your traveler, make those occasions count.

Lunch Meetings

Your traveler should schedule a lunch meeting every day of his or her trip. This can be written-off, and is substantially less expensive than dinner meetings. Also, this saves on the amount companies have to stipend to travelers, too.

Team Meals

Rather than giving the team a company credit card you could arrange an open buffet for them at their hotel. Many hotels like the Stratosphere in Las Vegas are doing this for business travelers, so that they can eat all day for a reduced cost.

Accommodations Savings for Businesses

Accommodations are the biggest budgetary black hole for travelers. However, there are a few savings tips to leverage.

Make a Deal With Management

When you book a hotel call and ask for the manager. Explain to him or her how often your company will be in town, and ask for a frequent visitor discount. Be loyal to the hotel that offers you the best 'frequent flyer' deal. You could save a hundred dollars a week or more if the hotel values your business.

Examine Hidden Fees

While one hotel might seem cheaper at first blush, you should always Google their hidden fees. Some hotels charge $25 a night for parking, while others charge $10 a day for Internet service. Find out which hotel is really cheapest with a little research, and you could save hundreds each visit.

Continental Breakfast FTW!

Your traveling team can meet every morning over the free hotel continental breakfast and save as much as $20 a person on that meal. Many hotels offer this option if you call and ask for it, even if it's not advertised.

Take the time to save money on your next business trip. It could amount to more than a thousand dollars if you are visiting an expensive city like London or New York City.

The Top 3 Airline Miles Credit Cards of 2013

English: American Airlines Boeing 757 on final approach at St Maarten Juliana International Airport (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It seems like, as you get older, each year goes by more quickly than the year before. For me, this has had the consequence of encouraging me to make - and hold myself to - New Year’s resolutions each year. One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2013 is to travel more. Since my goal is to travel more without breaking the bank, I thought I’d apply for a good airline miles credit card in order to rack up some miles to aid my travel expenses. Through researching these cards, I found the following cards to be the best airline miles credit cards currently available. 

Here are my picks for the top three airline miles credit cards on the market: 

1. Capital One Venture Rewards – The Capital One Venture Rewards credit card is my pick for the best airline miles card on the market. With the Capital One Venture Rewards card, cardholders earn 2 miles for every dollar spent on any purchase. In addition cardholders receive 10,000 bonus miles when they spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months that they have the card. This is the equivalent of $100 towards travel expenses just by spending $1,000. The miles can be redeemed for any sort of travel expense or any airline, they don’t expire, and the $59 annual fee is waived in the first year. 

2. The Platinum Card from American Express – The American Express Platinum card also makes my list of the best travel rewards credit cards. With The Platinum Card from American Express, cardholders can earn 25,000 Membership Rewards points when they spend $2,000 in the first 3 months of owning the card. The Platinum Card from American Express also offers access to over 600 airport lounges around the globe, advance ticket sales to concerts and shows, and 24/7 Platinum Concierge service. The Platinum Card gives customers 1 Membership Rewards point for each dollar they spend. If the card didn’t carry a $450 annual fee, it would be #1 on this list. 

3. Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage Visa Signature – With the Citi Platinum Select card, cardholders earn 30,000 American Airline AAdvantage bonus miles after they spend $1,000 using the card in the first 3 months that they have the card. In addition, the card grants cardholders a free checked bag on each American Airlines flight, Priority Boarding, 25% off select in-flight purchases, and a $100 American Airlines Flight Discount each year, as well as double miles on all eligible American Airlines purchases. If you don’t mind flying American Airlines, the Citi Platinum Select card could be the right choice for you. 

This article was written by Logan Abbott. Logan is the editor of the credit cards section of MyRatePlan.com.