Large hotel and car rental chains, as well as many airlines, all give corporate discounts for employees of large companies that most anyone can take advantage. Hotels, airlines, and other players in the travel industry typically give these discounts to entice the huge business a corporate partner can give them.
Since sales staff will rarely verify your employment by a corporate partner you can often get a corporate discount just by saying your work for (some specific) Fortune 100 company.
In addition to discounts, a corporate connection (or just by saying you have one) can get you bumped to the front of the line when there’s a shortage of rental cars or you’re a few behind first in the standby line. While I won’t debate the ethics of doing so, the best way to maximize your corporate discounts is to research ahead and not be shy to ask.
Pick Your Company
You’ll need a company that you’re an employee of but generally anyone on the Fortune 100 is a good bet.
Call Ahead
Prior to booking any hotel, rental car, or airline reservation give the specific branch a call directly and ask if they have a corporate discount. Don’t be shy and call around to see what’s available and which companies have agreements with which chains. No need to go into details of exaggerate (you’re just an employee, not the CEO).
- Don’t forget to check for conferences in and around town the dates you’ll be there. Hotels usually have discounted rooms for those attending corporate and private conferences (like Comic-Con). Do a simple Google search to find conferences of all sizes.
Head Of The Line
We’ve all seen chaos at ticket counters and hotel lobbies when things are overbooked. People go up to the clerk and fall back to the crowd in a rotating line of frustration. Using your corporate connection you can go up to the counter and get yourself bumped to the head of the line and maybe even get a better deal while you’re at it. Your ‘corporate discount’ may entitle you to an upgrade, so while all of the rooms are booked there might be a presidential suite you can afford.
- You’ll be more likely to get your way in any situation if you use Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to win battles at the ticket counter.
Sorry, We’re Out
A busy weekend where there are no rental cars, rooms, or flights available usually means not available for the general public. Companies usually set aside a certain number of cars, rooms, seats, etc. for valued members, which generally includes those with corporate connections. All you have to do is say you’re traveling for (insert Fortune 100 company here) and ask if there’s anything available for preferred customers.
- Don’t panic if you’re asked to show some proof of your employment. Just say you don’t have any – if that costs you a discount then so be it.
Keep A List
It’s best to be organized and keep track of which places gave you which discounts so you’ll have less reconnaissance to do next time you book. You can also try changing companies to see if perhaps some get better discounts than others.
Things To Remember:
- You don’t necessarily need to be wearing a business suit when you ask or when you show up.
- While large chains are usually a safe bet ask for corporate discounts and smaller hotels which may not advertise their corporate partnerships.
All You Have To Do Is Ask
You don’t have to wear makeup, change your voice over the phone, or come up with an elaborate story about how you became the most powerful person since Steve Jobs. It’s as simple as coming up with a company big you work for (whether you do or not) and asking if that hotel, rental car company, or airline offer a corporate discount. The worst that can happen is they don’t or won’t give you one which is where you’ll be if you never ask anyway.
[photo by: thinkpanama, Warder Jack, koalazymonkey]
Good point. I can’t believe I have never asked for one before. Dave and I have an incorporated business for film. We deserve a corporate discount because we actually run one. We may not make the big money of the corporations, but we should definitely take advantage of the savings. I have to ad inc. To my business credit card. Going to get on that soon. Don’t know why we never thought of that is beyond me.
The extent of the discounts some places offer is really impressive but you’d never know it since they’re not really advertised. You bring up a good point – many small business owners forget about or don’t ask for these deals. (It’s easy to forget about the ‘little guy’, even for us little guys!) A business card can go a long way for savings.
Hi Anil
I wondered if I could get a similar discount by playing the journalist card – even though I can’t truthfully say I’m a journalist, only an avid travel blogger – but wondered if it might make a difference – what do you think?
Hi Heather,
You may be able to get a discount by saying you’re a journalist but unlikely without a name drop of a big organization. I suppose it depends on the company but can’t hurt to try. Let me know if you give it a try and what the results are.
Hi Anil,
Aren’t corporate discounts just from the ‘retail’ price the hotel offers? Wouldn’t you get better deals if you looked for a discount online and booked in advance?
Hi John,
Some companies have special agreements that are often below the retail price. It’s like a game of mix and match but if you line the right ones up you can find a good deal. It’s a lot of effort but can come in handy at the last minute. That said with some time and bending of the truth you can uncover some great deals.
I’ve been ruminating over this post for a couple of days and I’m still uncertain. I don’t think I can pull the poker face to make it work!
Try over the phone ๐ Granted, it’s not for everyone!
Great suggestions. I’d never thought to think like this … always just assumed I was a little guy without any clout. ๐ If I can work up the guts, I’ll give this a go. Thanks!
The worst that can happen is you’ll get a no…let me know how it goes when you give it a shot!
This is such a good idea. My colleague and I work for a University in London and have just managed to arrange a Corporate Discount with a nearby gym and Thai restaurant just by asking. It’s addictive. Now we’re going to try some more places…
Might even work for some airlines, BA perhaps?
Great reminder for me! I used to work at big Fortune 100 companies for 14 years…I can certainly give those a try! Plus – the discounts are normally better than the discount websites as I recall.
So Anil…who do you WORK for?!
I work for myself now, most of my money comes through my websites with the occasional programming project here and there. When I was working as a consultant most of my clients were large companies and name dropping when booking (still) can go a long way in terms of discounts ๐
How you present yourself is everything! This post tells me that sometimes the image is really more important than the reality. Say you are corporate connected, and it changes perception right away.