The problem with short-term corporate travel edicts, is not the policy, it is the immediate skills and volition of the people required to implement it, at the operational level in businesses. Think relationship first, then money saved.

How much sympathy would you have, as a client, for a business partner, who turns up late, flustered and cuts short your meeting because they thought they were “doing the right thing”, by choosing a cheaper travel alternative that offered zero flexibility for delays? This happens daily, in cities across the globe. The biggest culprits reside at the middle manager and junior levels of large companies, who “lean” on their brand’s goodwill until they fall over.

The underlying message is obvious: you are not the priority of the person sitting in front of you, and in all probability, they lack the means and authority to improve your condition. Why would you deal with them next time?