Manchester is the first ever industrialised city. It’s home to the first working canal in the UK, and the first railway line in the world—running from Stockton to Darlington. From Bolton to Bury, the Tameside to Trafford—Manchester’s reputation as a Northern powerhouse is well-deserved. The ten metropolitan boroughs represent the largest city region economy outside of London; it’s no surprise that 80 of the FTSE 100 have a presence in Manchester.This all means that business is booming in Manchester, and, by extension, so is business travel. A major hub for international travel, Manchester-based businesses can quickly jet off to all corners of the world. So, how do they manage this travel? With a business travel management company (TMC), of course. Here are the six best TMCs for companies based in Manchester, or looking to head to the city, and looking to help their to help worker bees get jobs done.
The 6 best travel management companies in Manchester
1. TravelPerk
TravelPerk is a corporate travel management company that offers an all-in-one digital platform. Our state-of-the-art travel management solution helps you organise all aspects of your company’s business trips. Using the platform, employees can book and manage their own corporate travel. You’ll have access to an enormous travel inventory for flights and accommodation, and a huge catalogue of integrations with third-party software at your fingertips. Trains, planes, cars, or anything else you might fancy—we offer more booking options than any other agency.Our corporate travel solution comes with many useful features, such as: You can rely on the TravelPerk platform to streamline your travel management programmes for you, your team, and your finance department.
- The GreenPerk carbon offsetting programmemakes it easy for your company to report on carbon control initiatives.
- The FlexiPerkfunctionality lets your employees cancel their business trip arrangements up to two hours before departure, with a guaranteed refund of 80%.
- 24/7 dedicated human business travel assistancewith a target 15-second response rate.
- Peace of mind with TravelCare, a safety and travel alert systemthat is comprehensive and up-to-date.
- Built-in automated travel policiesand an in-app approval system that includes approval workflows. You can save trip details for later, and customise the level of strictness for each workflow.
- Extensive reporting capabilitiesand expense dashboards to help you manage a simplified travel expense process. Your account manager will help you optimise your travel spending with suggestions.
- G2 rating: 4.6 / 5 stars, based on 1,533 reviews
- Capterra rating: 4.8 / 5 stars, based on 403 reviews
2. Clarity
Clarity is a corporate travel management company with offices located across the UK, and a main hub in Manchester. Over the past 60+ years, Clarity has been providing corporate travel management services to enterprise businesses across the UK and Europe. It combines the corporate travel expertise of its long-serving travel agents with modern technology that facilitates seamless travel management.Clarity offers:These offerings are crucial for successful corporate travel management, which is why we also offer them at TravelPerk.
- Dedicated apps for different stages of the process, including an app for booking and an app for traveller tracking
- 24/7 support from experienced travel agents
- High profile concierge services
- Sustainable travel initiatives
Reasons why Clarity customers have switched to TravelPerk in the past year:
- Unmatched customer support with a target response time of 15 seconds
- Dedicated account management for every business
- An intuitive app travellers love and understand
3. Business Travel Desk
Located in the centre of Manchester and supporting businesses across the UK, Business Travel Desk focuses on facilitating sustainable corporate travel for businesses. The company’s philosophy revolves around corporate travel being fun, friendly, and fuel-efficient. Built by corporate travellers for corporate travellers—it’s a strong presence in the Manchester TMC scene.Business Travel Desk provides:It’s a strong option for businesses, but TravelPerk still triumphs overall.
- Eco-focussed travel that prioritises sustainability and sustainable travel options
- Dedicated travel counsellors who are experts in your chosen destination
- 24/7 support that aims to respond within 30 minutes
Why TravelPerk is better than Business Travel Desk:
- Self-booking travel management platform with automated approvalsand automatic travel policy compliance
- Offset your business travel carbon footprint with the dedicated, transparent solution: GreenPerk
- FlexiPerkenables travellers to cancel anytime up until two hours before they travel and get 80% of the trip refunded
4. Diversity Travel
The final travel management company in Manchester is Diversity Travel—a TMC that focusses on providing travel management services to the charity, academic, and non-profit sectors. They’re experts in organising travel programmes across the globe, including to the more obscure areas that these sectors need to visit. Diversity Travel offers:Diversity Travel is the ideal solution for charity, academic, and non-profit organisations looking to send employees on business trips. Their experience with these types of travel requirements makes them a standout option, but other businesses may prefer to work with a more comprehensive travel management company.
- Personalised account manager from day one
- Online booking platform for flights, hotels, and planes
- Global passport and visa services with real-time tracking
- Travel risk management and customised travel insurance
Reasons why Diversity Travel customers have switched to TravelPerk in the past year:
- Travel services for every industry and business need
- Competitive rates with budget and luxury travel providers
- Unmatched customer support with a target 15-second response time
5. Amex GBT
Amex Global Business Travel is a business travel management company that you’ve more than likely heard of before. The travel management branch of American Express provides businesses with solutions for travel management policies, expense reporting, business consulting, events and more. Amex GBT offers business travellers:It’s a comprehensive solution for corporate travel and comes with the trusted reputation that American Express has spent years building. However, it’s this traditional approach to business that might not work for modern companies—which is often why customers choose other solutions, like TravelPerk.
- A single, centralised way to book and manage travel expenses via the app
- Solutions for meetings and event management
- Pre-negotiated travel rates and discounts
- 24/7 support and AI chatbot assistance
Reasons why AMEX GBT customers have switched to TravelPerk in the past year:
- TravelPerk has an extensive inventory with negotiated rates on budget and luxury travel
- TravelPerk’s easy-to-use platform that users find intuitive from day dot
- No hidden fees or unexpected costs, what you see is what you get
6. Trailfinders
Trailfinders is a travel agency that offers travel management services to individuals and businesses alike. With over 53 years of experience, this global travel agency aims to provide a personalised approach to every client. The TMC offers comprehensive travel options, innovative travel technology and experienced support to businesses looking to send employees on business trips.Trailfinders offers:Trailfinders are more than equipped to help your business travellers get from A to B, but what if you need to go to C, D and Z? Other TMCs could be a better option, especially those that are able to offer more than Trailfinders.
- Negotiated rates on over 100 airlines
- In-house visa and immunisation services
- Personalised service and instant client recognition
- Financial protection and security against supplier bankruptcy
Why TravelPerk is better than Trailfinders:
- Massive inventory, including negotiated rates on air, hotels, rail, car rental and more
- Customer care that operates at a guaranteed rapid response time, no matter your location
- Book any type of travel and cancel at any time with FlexiPerk—no questions asked. Get 80% back on your spend.
From Manchester to Manhattan, TravelPerk’s got you covered
Whether you’re travelling to or from Manchester, TravelPerk is your best option for business travel. The easy-to-navigate app, alongside a 24/7 human support team and some incredible features and plug-and-play integrations are converting more businesses every day to travel with TravelPerk. Try taking TravelPerk for a spin today, and see where it can take your business tomorrow.