Business Travel Connections Agents FAQs
Here you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive. But if your query is not addressed below just give us a call and we’ll be most happy to discuss it with you.
WHY CHOOSE OUR BUSINESS TRAVEL AGENCY – BUSINESS TRAVEL CONNECTIONS ?
Our company and agency was established in 1989 and remains as ever dedicated to offering a high quality, high value, business travel service. Our agents are a friendly team who are knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with the needs and demands of the busy business traveller. They provide excellent customer care on a one-to-one basis combined with great fares. See our full range of business travel services, including business class flights, multi stop flights, marine fares and business group travel.
WHAT FINANCIAL PROTECTION DO I HAVE BOOKING WITH BUSINESS TRAVEL CONNECTIONS ?
We are IATA approved Agents.Our IATA Number is 91254763. And we are ATOL compliant. Our ATOL Number is 5829. Many of the flights on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see a copy of our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate
HOW DO WE MAKE AN ENQUIRY AND BOOKING ?
Just call us on 023 6084 7747 or email us at [email protected] to advise us of your business travel requirements. Wherever possible we offer a choice of airlines, routings and fares and send these by email to you for consideration. We can often hold seats on flights on a 24-48 hour option depending on the airline. Once you have confirmed your booking we ticket the reservation and send you the full itinerary with all the confirmed e-ticket, reservation and itinerary details. You must be particularly careful to advise us, at the time of reservation, of the exact spelling of names for bookings which must be recorded exactly as on your passport for the surname and FIRST given name.
WE SOMETIMES HAVE COMPLICATED ITINERARIES WITH MORE THAN ONE STOP OR CITY. CAN YOUR AGENCY HELP WITH THESE ?
Yes, we are expert agents for multi stop flights and can help and advise with your itinerary ensuring you obtain the best airfare and routing to maximise on the cost efficiency of your business trip.
WHAT DOES THE AIRFARE INCLUDE ?
The fares we quote include service fees, taxes and air passenger duty, etc. unless advised otherwise. However, no fare can be guaranteed until the actual time of ticketing. Many of the low cost airlines charge for extras including hold luggage but if this is the case we will advise you at the time of quotation.
WILL I PAY A CREDIT CARD CHARGE ?
We endeavour to ensure all the fares we quote are inclusive of all charges. However, if we have obtained a specially discounted flight fare it may be that a credit card fee is charged on certain occasions. If this is the case we will advise you of this at the time of quotation.
CAN I SET UP A CREDIT ACCOUNT ?
We normally ask for the initial transactions to be settled by credit card. If a credit facility is required this can be discussed and would be after a period of trading, based on the volume of business and subject to the normal written credit references.
DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE ?
We consider adequate travel insurance an absolute necessity. Most business travellers arrange their insurance themselves or through their company. However, if you do require cover we can suggest insurance companies to contact.
CAN YOU OFFER VISA ADVICE ?
As experts in business travel you can rely on our experience and knowledge to ensure that you are advised of any visa requirements and that any applications are handled quickly, accurately and professionally. With our agency contacts we can have your visa application lodged in the minimum time, its progress monitored and your passport and visa despatched back to you direct
DO I NEED A VISA TO TRAVEL TO AMERICA ?
Holders of full 10-year British passports who are “British Citizens” may travel visa-free to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program providing the duration does not exceed 90 days. Travellers wishing to travel under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorisation under the E.S.T.A. process. This can be done electronically and online. Approval must be authorised at least 72 hours prior to travel. All travellers will need to be in possession of their own 10 year machine-readable passport.
ESTA will verify an individual’s eligibility to travel to the US without a visa and determine if an individual poses a security risk. Unless revoked, travel authorisations are valid for two years from the date of authorisation, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. The “Authorisation Approval” screen displays the travel authorisation expiration date.
A link to the official ESTA application form and website can be found at the top of our Useful Links page
WHAT IS APIS ?
US Customs and Border Protection require data from the traveller prior to arrival in the US through a method called the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). Airlines are required to provide certain details of passport, citizenship and the address of the first nights stay for non US travellers prior to arrival in America. Many airlines now require this information at the time of reservation to avoid delays at check-in. Therefore we may ask you for these details at the time of booking.
WHAT IS MY BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE ?
Hold and hand baggage allowances vary considerably depending on the airline and the class of travel. If you are unsure please ask and we can advise you of these at the time of reservation and ticket confirmation. Please note many airlines now charge for hold luggage. Where this is the case it is often cheaper to pay at the time of reservation as the cost increases if you pay at the airport. If requested we can include this cost in your quotation.
CAN I CHECK IN ONLINE ?
Many airlines now offer an online check-in facility. We will advise you if this is the case when we send through your travel itinerary and confirmations. Whenever possible we recommend online check-in as it enables you to choose your seat and save time at the airport. A list of airline check-in links can be found on our website under “Check-In Online”.
WILL MY AIRLINE FREQUENT FLYER NUMBER AND SPECIAL DIETARY REQUEST BE INCLUDED IN MY RESERVATION ?
Please advise us at the time of reservation of any airline loyalty cards you may have and we will be happy to insert the details in all future reservations. Similarly with any special dietary requests – although we are unable to guarantee that the airline will be able to offer these on all flights.
DO YOU BOOK ON LOW COST AIRLINES ?
Yes, we regularly book flights on the low cost airlines as they can offer lower fares. However, we are often unable to hold options with these airlines and normally once booked no refunds are permitted. The flight prices we quote are based on fares and availability at the time of enquiry and are likely to increase up until the time of confirmed reservation.
IF YOU MAKE MY RESERVATIONS CAN YOUR AGENCY PAY MY HOTEL AND CAR HIRE COSTS AND BILL ME FOR THEM ?
Yes, if you are an account client and advise us at the time of reservation we can arrange payment for your hotel and car hire and subsequently send you the invoice for the totals.
WE HAVE COMPANY STAFF BASED OVERSEAS. CAN YOUR AGENTS ARRANGE FOR THEIR BUSINESS TRAVEL TOO ?
With modern technology it is a simple process for us to make booking for flights for travellers who commence their journeys outside the UK and send them all their flight confirmations by email.
CAN YOU ORGANISE FLIGHTS FOR A GROUP OF COMPANY PERSONNEL ATTENDING AN EXHIBITION OR CONFERENCE OVERSEAS ?
We would be pleased to offer a quotation for group flights to any worldwide destination. Just contact us to discuss your requirements.