Group Travel & Meeting Planning FAQs

How We Do What We Do

Isn’t it ironic how technology meant to make meetings and group travel planning easier actually makes it more confusing? Searching hours for flights, comparing fares, mapping hotel proximities, nailing down the necessary business amenities and hoping someone, somewhere along the way will throw in a few extra perks. All that time spent arranging meetings and group travel is time not spent on taking care of business. Leave the logistics and perks to CIRE Travel agents.

If I already qualify for group rates, how does CIRE Travel save more on group travel & meeting planning expenses?
Group size matters. So, regardless of if you have a couple dozen or hundred of people in your group, CIRE Travel agents secure airfares and accommodations at lower group rates that we negotiate through First in Service Travel's sheer buying power.

We can’t promise a specific group travel discount across the board. No one can. Thanks to our First in Service Travel affiliation and close ties to our connections and friends in the industry, what we CAN do and do every day for our meeting and group travel clients, to name a few:

Waive change fees saving you hundreds when traveler names or plans change, which you can’t do on your own by calling the airlines.

Book advance purchase fares even after the advance purchase date has passed, scoring you lower 7-, 14- or 21-day advance purchase fares for those last-minute attendees.

Waive preferred seat upcharges so group travelers can relax comfortably and focus on fun, business, or a little of both.

Book room upgrades at lower or standard room rate prices for savings of up to 53% on standard corporate travel rates and 74% on rack rates.

Include amenities and services complementary or at a fraction of the standard cost to make your group travelers feel like VIPs or ensure they receive the treatment to which they are accustomed.

How does CIRE Travel handle the hiccups that might occur while my group is traveling?
There is an undeniable link between CIRE’s concierge-level of service and your travelers’ satisfaction with the whole event. Never underestimate the return on service.

From closing a deal, a book signing, media tour and celebrity appearances to rewarding a hard-working corporate team and every possibility in between, your reputation depends on your people being where they need to be on time, smoothly, no matter what.

Our meetings and group travel planners micromanage every detail of each attendee’s itinerary. We’ve ensured travelers arrive at their destinations when volcano eruptions have halted all air traffic, when snowstorms shut down airports and when attendees have overslept. Just one call to CIRE, and it’s handled. That’s all you want to hear.

Under Duty of Care, CIRE Travel runs reports for all your travelers in the event of advance or immediate warnings of world events or weather that could force travel delays or cancellations. In the event of a possible or impending delay, our team goes into a proactive contingency mode rerouting and rescheduling as necessary.

CIRE Travel’s group travel planners are not 9-to-5 employees. They are career agents who love what they do and genuinely care about your guests. Reach out to them or CIRE Travel’s owner, Eric Hrubant, any time, even at 3:00 am in case of an emergency.

When 60+ clients’ flights were cancelled one winter day, we rebooked all of them – none in the middle seat – within minutes, some even before the airlines announced cancellations.

Can CIRE Travel help with the final expense reporting?
Anyone can promise savings on your meeting or group travel event. It’s another to see those savings monetized in a spreadsheet. Receive an easy-to-read detailed travel report with an in-depth look at your company’s travel expenditures, savings (gross and net) and how they were achieved (i.e., First in Service Travel exclusive rate, waiver/favor, suggesting another route). It beats sifting through piles of invoices.

Contact CIRE Travel to discuss the value of putting our network to use for your group’s benefit.

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Wherever You Travel. Whatever You Do. CIRE Travel’s Got It Handled.
"Eric is wonderful! He helped me organize a week-long conference in New Delhi and he managed each piece seamlessly—from the flights to the hotels to the ground transportation. He knew all about our various options within New Delhi and helped weigh in thoughtfully as we finalized our contracts with each vendor. He was a genuine pleasure to work along every step of the process!”

–Preeti B, Fashion – New York

"We got a solicitation voicemail yesterday from some corporate travel agency down the street, and I made a point of calling them back just to tell them that we were so happy with our travel guru, CIRE Travel. We didn’t need to hear about their corporate travel planning services because we were not looking to change. Shortest solicitation call of my life.”

– Emilian P, Cyber Security – Washington, DC

"Eric is truly the best travel planner. He goes above and beyond every time, without fault. He seizes absolutely every opportunity to improve and enhance your travel experience. As a client, I know I benefit each trip from the relationships he has established, and the credibility and outstanding reputation he has earned in the industry. His disposition, ease, and professionalism qualitatively set him apart. Regardless of the request, the urgency, the challenge, he handles each issue and transaction with a calm and efficient attitude. Above all, he is just a great person and simply such a pleasure to work with. I have and will continue to recommend Eric, without hesitation and unconditionally, to anyone who needs a corporate travel agent. And if you think you don’t need one, after working with Eric for a couple of times, you’ll wonder how you lived without him.”

– Kiersten C, Cyber Security – Virginia

"Eric is so great that he takes care of problems before you even know there is a problem, especially with weather delays and other travel snafus. I cannot say enough good things about Eric and his team and highly recommend them for both personal travel and corporate travel planning needs!” 

– Benjamin, Media – New York

"I was spending countless hours on travel booking and airline websites. What was taking me a ridiculous amount of time to do, CIRE Travel handled in minutes. And with a trip involving three airlines and four airports, I’m relieved knowing that if something goes wrong, I just call CIRE.” 

– Brenda H, Advertising – Kansas City