Business Travel & Roaming Expenses and how to avoid them
The U.S. Travel Association recently estimated that U.S. businesses spent more than $307 billion on business travel (plus roaming expenses) in 2016. Last year, more than 514 million business trips were taken, with a total economic impact of $424 billion.
It’s a necessary and often beneficial expense, however, with the U.S. Travel Association also calculating that for every dollar a company spent on travel, that business saw a $9.50 increase in revenue and $2.90 in new profits.
Business Travel and Roaming Expenses
Last September, corporate travel technology firm Amadeus published new research on business travel expenses, finding that 80 percent of survey respondents said they don’t have access to enough T&E (travel and expenses) spending data to make more strategic decisions on the matter.
Here are a few of the most important facts:
1. Roaming charges can be significant. Even with the advent of Roam Like at Home (RLAH) regulations in the European Union, roaming charges can still be expensive outside of your home country. This is especially true if you travel frequently or make heavy use of data while abroad.
2. There are ways to reduce roaming costs. There are a number of things you can do to reduce your roaming costs, such as using Wi-Fi whenever possible, purchasing a local SIM card, or using a roaming plan from your mobile carrier.
3. Business travelers are often unaware of roaming costs. Many business travelers are unaware of the potential costs of roaming, which can lead to unexpected charges on their mobile bills.
4. Companies can take steps to manage roaming costs. There are a number of things that companies can do to manage their employees’ roaming costs, such as providing them with roaming plans, educating them about roaming charges, and using mobile device management (MDM) software to track and control data usage.
5. The cost of roaming varies by country. The cost of roaming can vary significantly from country to country. It is important to research the roaming rates in your destination country before you travel.
Would you like to save up to 70% of roaming data costs when you travel abroad?