If you work as a secretary or an administrative assistant you will know how annoying it can get just before your boss is getting ready for that business trip of his. You know how tiring it can get when he keeps asking you questions like “When do I have to be there?”, “What time do I have to be there?” “What’s the guy’s name I’ll be meeting at the airport?” etc., etc. You can avoid this however if you sit down and make him a business travel itinerary that has all the answers to all of the questions he wants answered.
Before you create the itinerary make sure that you sit down with your boss and try discussing the plans with him. You will need to find out from him where he is going to travel to and if he is going to be staying overnight anywhere. Make sure that you find out who he will be having the meeting or meetings with and what time the meetings are said to start. With this information you can then go a head and book his flight, reserve him a room at the hotel of his choice.
Once you have done all of this make sure that you open up your Word program and then begin recording all of the information that your boss is going to need to have with him. Your headings should include who is doing the traveling, the dates they will be traveling and where they will be traveling to.
Next you will start the actual itinerary by starting with the very first day of the business trip. Under that first day you should list the transportation the boss will use to get to the airport when leaving for the trip. Make sure you list the times that the service will be available for him to pick up. The next part of the itinerary should contain the information for his flight which should include the name of the airline, the airport, the time of departure, where it will land and what time it should arrive at it’s destination. Include the seat number if one is assigned and if there are any layovers or changing of planes during the flight. If there is going to be someone meeting the boss at his destination make sure to include that if not make sure all the information for his transportation to get to his hotel is also included in the first day.
Now you should list the name of the hotel under the first day, make sure you include the address as well as the phone number and confirmation number of the reservation for his room.
Under the rest of the days you have listed for his time gone make sure that you list all of the different meetings he wants to attend and list them under the appropriate days they are taking place on making sure to include the start times and the business name, address and their main number and contact name in case he needs to use this information for anything. Make sure that you include the title of the meeting as well and if there is an agenda make sure that this is given to him as well. Continue doing this until everything that is scheduled is on the itinerary.
Take a folder and place the itinerary, agendas, receipts, tickets and directions needed into this folder. It’s a good idea if the cover of the folder has a see through cover that you can put the itinerary in so your boss can see it immediately. You might also want to try to find a folder that is sealed on two sides so that things won’t slip out.
Warning though, your boss might think you are such a marvel that he might end up having you do this for everyone!
