Many business travelers find it's not always convenient to frequent the same hotel chain. There are other considerations, he said. If I'm renting a car I look for self-parking, which is less expensive than valet parking. I'm spending my own money. Most business travelers say the day of the big spender who lives lavishly on an expense account is long past.
Many today are independent consultants or part owners of the company.
Many such small or mid-sized companies rely on giant agencies, such as American Express, to furnish the negotiating clout they lack. She said the agency offers online booking for these companies, gaining as much as 60 percent off the corporate rate. She said the agency negotiates such conveniences as transportation to and from the airport, breakfast, free parking, health club access, late checkout and a waiver of the fee many hotels now charge for telephone access even though the guest is using a toll-free number or the Internet. Produced by Newsday Electronic Publishing.