Gain the upper hand during corporate travel supplier negotiations. Here’s how to better your chances of securing discounts for your Travelers and your organization.
It’s no secret that business travel can be pricey and it’s seemingly only becoming more expensive every year. However, there are steps you can take to better your position during corporate travel supplier negotiations. Give yourself a better chance of getting the best deals possible on your Traveler’s hotel stays, airfare, rail travel and rental cars.
Key Takeaways
- Negotiating with travel suppliers can result in not only monetary discounts, but also extra perks for Travelers.
- Come to the negotiating table knowing what you can give to suppliers (i.e., a certain volume of travel per annum).
- Analyze existing supplier relationships on a regular basis.
- Look at smaller brands that may be more willing to negotiate.
- Plan negotiations for during travel off-times, when suppliers are seeking to increase sales and cultivate relationships beforehand.
What Kinds of Corporate Travel Discounts and Perks are Possible
If you’re new to travel management, don’t just assume that you have to pay a travel provider’s fixed price. During corporate travel supplier negotiations, you can negotiate rates, secure custom rates for your Travelers and get extra perks for your Travelers, too.
When working with airlines, you can not only negotiate corporate flight discounts. You may also be able to secure perks such as access to corporate loyalty programs, upgraded seating, lounge access and more. The 2025 annual Air Travelers in America study found that Travelers rank the following as some of the perks that would most positively impact their air travel experiences: more comfortable seating, faster experiences at security and better WiFi. These are all things you can secure for your Travelers.
At hotels, go beyond hotel stay discounts. You could also score some of the hotel amenities that matter most to Travelers, like later check-out times, free WiFi and similar perks. Maybe you can get your Travelers access to amenities that may normally only be available to suite guests or guests with a certain status within the hotel’s loyalty program.
With rental car providers, you may be able to get free vehicle upgrades, guaranteed vehicles or free rental days.
However, gaining these types of perks and discounts requires careful planning and strategizing during corporate travel supplier negotiations.
Prove Your Worth to Your Travel Providers
Come into corporate travel supplier negotiations ready to prove your worth. What’s in it for the travel supplier, if they choose to give you a discount or perks?
This means gathering data regarding your company’s Traveler habits. For airlines, you’ll want to know your volume of air travel. Be able to show the airline that giving your company a discount will result in even more air travel.
Look at All the Ways You Can Save
During corporate travel supplier negotiations, look at all the different ways you can save via discounts. Don’t just focus on discounts on room rates or airfare. For example, for car rental providers, you may ask for discounts on refueling charges or insurance, rather than discounts on the actual day rate. For airfare, you might ask for discounts on upgrades or lounge access (if the airline won’t throw in those perks for free).
Consider Going After Smaller Brands
If you’re an SME, you may not have enough travel volume to be attractive to some of the major chains that work with corporations with thousands of Travelers. However, that doesn’t mean you’re totally out of luck when it comes to corporate travel supplier negotiations. You may have more success with securing discounts for your Travelers by negotiating with smaller chains/brands or independent providers.
However, make sure that, while you’re choosing travel suppliers to negotiate with, you’re not sacrificing the quality of the business travel experience for the sake of saving a bit of money. Travelers should still reliably experience a productive, enjoyable business trip.
Cultivate Relationships
It’s best to attempt corporate travel supplier negotiations with brands that you already have an existing relationship with. If you currently do not have existing relationships with any travel suppliers, begin making them via referrals, trade shows, etc., rather than simply reaching out to a representative out of the blue and making an ask.
Negotiate During Low Season
Is there a time of year when your preferred travel suppliers may be experiencing low sales? If so, this is the time you’ll have a better chance of securing a negotiation in the first place, as well as a better chance of getting discounts. So, whether you’re trying to decide the right time to make that first move and reach out to a supplier, or you’re ready to come to the negotiating table, plan your ask strategically. Negotiate when the supplier is actively thinking of ways to boost their sales.
Know When to Walk Away
Lastly, know when you can walk away from corporate travel supplier negotiations. This means not pinning all of your travel budget on the potential of securing discounts with a singular travel supplier. It means having backup plans and knowing what value you can bring to a brand. When you know your worth, you’ll have more confidence going into negotiations. You’ll be able to walk away when negotiations aren’t serving your needs.
Continue to Analyze Corporate Travel Suppliers on a Regular Basis
Even after you’ve negotiated and secured discounts for your Travelers, continue to analyze corporate travel supplier relationships on a regular basis. Consider if the supplier is continuing to meet your Travelers’ needs and whether or not your Travelers are satisfied. If the supplier is failing to hold up their end of the bargain, or if they’re not delivering a superior travel experience, then it might be time to take your negotiating skills elsewhere.
Enlisting a Travel Management Company for Your Corporate Travel Supplier Negotiations
The easiest way, though, to get corporate travel discounts is by working with a Travel Management Company (TMC). TMCs use their greater leverage and extensive client bases with potentially thousands of Travelers to sway travel suppliers in their favor. The volume of consistent travel spending that TMCs represent is highly attractive to travel suppliers. This means travel suppliers are more likely to come to the table ready to negotiate.
Learn more about how a TMC could help you gain the upper hand with corporate travel suppliers, when you explore JTB Business Travel’s array of related services.
