Well the times sure are changing but luckily PC Housing is here to fill you in! As the world evolves and business travelers adjust to the economy being down, up, down, and then slightly back up again, budgeting and strategy for travel expenses seems to be becoming one of the most important concerns for companies so far this year.

Hugo Martin of the Los Angeles Times recently reported on the changes in planning and execution of business travel for 2012. The key takeaway from the article focuses on how a new era of business travel has begun, wherein road warriors are focused on doing more with less, including longer trips hitting multiple cities rather than single day excursions and spending extended time in cities in order to get more done.

“The estimated total number of trips in the U.S. dropped 22.7% from 2000 to 2011, but overall spending on business travel increased 3.3%, according to a study released last week by the Global Business Travel Assn., a trade group in Virginia. “This trend makes sense,” said Michael W. McCormick. “We’re seeing road warriors taking fewer trips but making the most of them, making more stops and spending more on the road.””

In addition to increased spending, there have been some other notable changes in 2012 that look to target the business traveler and offer a more streamlined, hassle-free experience. Imagine avoiding the sock, shoe, and belt removal that is mandatory in all airports in our post-9/11 world and making it a thing of the past. That’s exactly the aim of PreCheck.

“Travelers who have already submitted background information to participate in a frequent flier program with American and Delta may be invited by those airlines to participate in PreCheck. If passengers agree, the airlines would share the background data with the TSA.”

Skipping the long lines at security and avoiding the headache of showing up for flights hours before takeoff in order to ensure you make it in on time is definitely worth the small expense to participate in the program.

Have you been finding your company is focusing more on longer, more effective trips? One resource to consider to assist with cost-effectiveness might be a furnished apartment or a group corporate housing rental. Know of some other tips you would like to share with fellow travelers? Discuss them in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

Images: BusinessInsider, TravelAgentCentral,NewportJets