I work with EAs and PAs daily and if I were asked to describe their world in one word, it would be relentless. They are the steady hand behind the scenes, anticipating needs, juggling diaries, managing crises and where we're concerned, organising business travel.
Yet beneath the constant professionalism and composure, as Emily Partridge (Director of eavole) expertly explains in a recent article featured in PA Life, it’s never been more challenging for EAs and PAs as job expectation and demands go up and up.
Emily commented: “The reality of being an EA or PA is that much of your value lies in what doesn’t happen. You stop issues before they escalate, smooth tensions before they surface, and make sure the wheels never come off.”
EAs & PAs and Business Travel
Many of the EAs and PAs I speak to believe critical contributions go unnoticed and that often an expanding scope of responsibilities isn’t matched in terms of recognition. Throw in limited time for training, demanding bosses, and busy scheduling and it’s no surprise they can feel undervalued. Even as their roles become increasingly strategic and increasingly vital towards business growth.
So where does business travel management come into this picture? As someone responsible for client success at YTC, let me make the case: when an EA or PA is supported by a strong corporate travel expert, the relief is tangible. I’ve seen this not just be the case for the individual EA, but for the entire executive support team in question.
The Benefits of a Good Business Travel Agent
As previously covered in our YTC article on The Benefits of a Good Business Travel Agent, a top travel management company delivers:
- Time savings. EAs and PAs shouldn’t have to scour countless flight and hotel options; business travel experts can handle that.
- Cost efficiency and preferential access. With powerful partnerships networks travel management companies can unlock exclusive rates and deals that individuals rarely can.
- 24/7 support and agility. Disruptions happen, but a dependable partner is always on call to rebook, troubleshoot, or support your travellers.
- Policy compliance, risk management, and strategic insight. Monitor evolving regulations, safety landscapes, and compliance needs all with the latest tech and online booking tools.
By offloading the operational burden of travel, EAs and PAs are granted valuable headspace. They no longer must sweat the logistics, battle outdated booking engines, or rush to fix trip disruptions at midnight.
That relief lets them shift from being reactive to being proactive. Allowing them to perform purely within a mindset where they can advocate, plan, and ultimately deliver excellent support.
Building Strong Relationships
The business travel industry can feel deeply cross-functional with different company policies, stakeholder management, travel risks, compliance and tech integration. At YTC, we are a travel partner who understands all those ins and outs and more importantly can support EAs and PAs in a meaningful partnership, one that is not just a vendor relationship.
EAs or PAs carry an invisible weight and deserve partners who are behind them and reinforce their value, free them from noise, and let them step more fully into the strategic, visible, high-impact role they are meant to hold.
Let’s chat. Experience effortless business travel with YTC and speak to our travel experts today. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at hello@ytc.co.uk, call on 020 3805 4599 or schedule a call with Jay today.
