When you’re supporting busy clients, travel booking often becomes one of the most valuable (and stressful) tasks on your to-do list. Whether it’s coordinating flights, hotels, rental cars, or even dining reservations, getting the details right makes a massive difference in your client’s day—and their trust in you as their Virtual Assistant.
Over the years, I’ve learned that travel booking is about more than just clicking “purchase” on a flight. It’s about organization, attention to detail, and a knack for anticipating your client’s needs before they even think to ask. Below, I’ve broken down four key strategies to help you become a master travel scheduler:
1. Know Your Client Inside and Out
Before you ever book a ticket, you need a solid foundation of what your client likes—and what they don’t. Think of yourself as building a personal travel profile that you can refer back to again and again.
Some key details to collect and keep secure in an organized, encrypted file:
- Preferred airlines and frequent flyer numbers (including their Known Traveler Number for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry)
- Hotel loyalty programs (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Hyatt, etc.)
- Rental car preferences (company, size of car, insurance requirements)
- Passport and driver’s license information (expiration dates matter here)
- Credit card details (which card they prefer to use for travel points)
- Dietary restrictions and food allergies (critical when booking conferences, group meals, or restaurants)
- Favorite restaurants and cuisines (this is a bonus touch that can make you stand out as a VA)
- Seating preferences (window vs. aisle, bulkhead vs. exit row)
- Schedule preferences (do they like red-eyes, mid-morning flights, or late departures?)
The more you know, the less back-and-forth is needed when you’re booking. Over time, you’ll anticipate their needs and start booking exactly what they want without them even asking.
2. Leverage Technology to Stay Organized
Technology is your best friend when it comes to coordinating multiple bookings across multiple clients. Here are some tools worth mastering:
- TripIt – TripIt organizes all your travel details in one place. Forward your booking emails to TripIt, and it automatically builds a detailed itinerary that you (and your client) can access on the app. Bonus: It integrates with calendars for real-time updates.
- Kayak Trips – Similar to TripIt, Kayak Trips keeps itineraries centralized. You can track flights, receive alerts, and compare rental cars or hotels all in one app.
- Google Travel – If your client uses Google Workspace, Google Travel auto-syncs flight, hotel, and car bookings directly from Gmail. It also makes rebooking easier if something changes.
- TripAdvisor – Perfect for researching hotels and restaurants with reliable reviews. Great when your client asks, “What’s the best place for dinner within walking distance of my hotel?”
- Hopper – Excellent for flight price tracking. Hopper analyzes billions of fares and predicts the best time to book. If your client is budget-conscious, this app can save them money.
Pro tip: Don’t just know these tools—know which one is best for each type of client. The tech-savvy business traveler may love TripIt’s integration, while a family traveling for leisure may care more about Hopper’s cost-savings.
3. Master Time Zones Like a Pro
One of the biggest challenges as a Virtual Assistant is juggling clients who live (and travel) across multiple time zones. If you’re not careful, you could end up booking a flight for the wrong day—or scheduling a call that happens in the middle of the night for your client.
Here’s how to stay on top of it:
- Calendar Settings: Most major calendar apps (Google Calendar, Outlook, Apple Calendar) allow you to add a second time zone. For heavy travelers, you can toggle between time zones or even show multiple at once.
- World Time Buddy: This is a VA lifesaver. It lets you line up multiple time zones side-by-side so you can instantly see when your client in New York, their colleague in London, and their supplier in Sydney are all available.
- Booking Awareness: Always confirm whether your client prefers to fly into a new city early in the morning or late at night. Time zone math can throw you off, especially with red-eye flights.
A simple slip can cause big headaches, so make time zones part of your booking checklist every single time.
4. Keep Every Receipt and Confirmation
Here’s the thing: not every hotel, airline, or car rental counter runs as smoothly as we’d like. I’ve had times where a hotel couldn’t “find” the booking, or a rental car desk said the reservation didn’t exist. But because I had the confirmation number and receipt ready, the issue was quickly resolved.
Here’s how to make sure you never lose track:
- Expensify – Great for snapping photos of receipts, automatically categorizing expenses, and exporting reports for clients.
- QuickBooks – If you’re already using QuickBooks for your VA business, create a folder specifically for client travel. Store all receipts and confirmations here.
- Google Drive or Dropbox – Create shared folders for each client labeled “Travel Receipts” where you upload every booking confirmation. This makes it easy for them to find what they need too.
Always forward a copy of the receipt or itinerary to the client immediately after booking, and store a second copy in your organized system.
Bonus Tips to Really Stand Out
- Build Templates: Create reusable checklists for flights, hotels, and car rentals. This prevents mistakes and makes you faster.
- Emergency Prep: Always have the airline or hotel’s customer service number handy. If something goes wrong mid-trip, you’ll be the first one they call.
- Stay Updated on Travel News: Things like strikes, weather delays, and new airline policies can affect bookings. Even sending a quick heads-up email to your client about potential disruptions shows proactivity.
- Think Beyond the Basics: Offer to book airport transfers, dining reservations, or even local experiences. Many clients will be delighted when you go the extra mile.
Final Thoughts
Becoming a master travel scheduler as a Virtual Assistant isn’t about being a travel agent—it’s about being an organized, detail-oriented partner who makes life easier for your client. By understanding their preferences, leveraging technology, navigating time zones, and keeping airtight records, you’ll position yourself as the go-to person for smooth, stress-free travel.
Your client should feel like all they need to do is show up at the airport, and everything else is handled. That’s the level of confidence and peace of mind you want to deliver.
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