Practice file Travel Travel clubs

Before you read

1. Answer these questions.

Do you make your own travel arrangements?

Do you ever have any problems when you make travel arrangements?

What are the most important things for you when you book a trip?

2. Reading

Read this article adapted from the Financial Times and answer the questions.

Travel clubs: a service that takes the strain

Business travellers who work for big companies usually have a company travel department to book their trips. But independent businesspeople, or those who work for small and medium-sized companies, do not have experts to make the bookings. Travel clubs have developed to help these people. Globetrotters Club (www.globe trotters.co.uk) has been looking after leisure travellers for decades. It has 450 to 500 company members worldwide, and the club's newsletter is sent to all members six times a year. Its eNewsletter is e-mailed to more than 11,000 people monthly. Discounts are available to members' as well as information and advice.

Another club, Wexas (www. wexas.com), can get big discounts for its members, because it is a large organisation. Annual corporate membership costs ₤170. Wexas negotiates discounted rates with 70 of the world's leading airlines; it checks air fares daily and makes special deals and rates available to members. It also books flights with no-frills carriers.

It has special business rates with 34 partner hotel chains, covering more than 20,000 hotels in 190 countries. It also has direct contracts with hundreds of selected hotels at further discounts. Perhaps one of its most useful and popular benefits is its airport lounge programme, which, for a small entry charge, gives access to more than 100 lounges worldwide.

Financial Times

3. Find words in the article to complete these sentences.

If you have your own business, you are an …. business person.

If you know a lot about something, you are an e …. t.

c) A m …. у newsletter is one that arrives every month.

d) Membership for a year is called an a …. l membership.

e)If you do something every day, you do it d …. y.

f) Before you agree a price, you usually n …. e with a company.

g) A cheap airline is also called a n ….- f …. s с …. r.

h) A b …. t is something good or an advantage.

4. Decide whether these sentences are true or false.

1. Large companies usually have a special department to make travel bookings.

2. Travel clubs help business travellers make bookings.

3. Globetrotters Club send eNewsletters six times a year.

4. Globetrotters Club members live in many different countries.

5. Wexas can offer good prices on scheduled airlines.

6. Wexas cannot book flights on cheap airlines.

7. Wexas has partner hotels in many countries.

Discussion

Would you like to use a travel club? Why (not)?

Do you think people need to travel for business these days?

Some people believe that traveling is bad for the environment. What do you think?

Free business lunches

Before you read

1. Answer these questions.

Do you think business lunches are a good idea? Why (not)?

Are business lunches popular in your country?

2. Complete the sentences below with the following words. Use a dictionary to help you if necessary.

chief free gourmet millionaire networking successful

If something is …. you do not have to pay for it.

A …. is someone who has more than one million pounds or dollars.

А …. meal is high quality, delicious and usually expensive.

If you meet many people for business, you are …. .

If something is … , it is popular and working well.

The top manager of a company is often called the …. executive.