Corporate travel booking: The complete guide
Whether you’re supporting executives, arranging group bookings, or handling last-minute changes, you need tools, templates, and guidance that make life easier, not harder.
Booking business travel isn’t always in your job description, but it’s still on your plate. Travel easier with guidance from the pros, like a travel management company (TMC). Travel managers, executive assistants, office managers, and others can save time, gain insights, and minimise travel spend with a few quick steps.
This hub pulls together everything you need for your corporate travel programme. From step-by-step booking workflows to checklists and approval templates, it’s all here. Bookmark it, share it, and set a course for success.
The step-by-step process for booking business travel
Booking a corporate trip usually involves certain spending categories, whether it's across the world or just one province over. The overall booking plan should include flights, accommodation, and transportation methods like transfers or rental cars. There should also be guidelines for daily expenses, including meals, taxis, or supplies. For a specific approach, read about selecting corporate flights or booking hotels.
Here's how to plan for booking business travel in general:
Top concerns for travel bookers
Booking travel involves so many little details, and they're always changing. The hotel that was great six months ago? Well, it's fully booked or mid-renovation right now.
Then there are the non-negotiables that have to be maintained, such as policy compliance, budget management, and flexibility.
You want the flexibility to get the best deals and change when the schedule shifts, but keeping within the travel policy is a must. Start with sensible policy from the start, and take advantage of chances to gather stakeholder feedback and update it when needed.
Customisation and changes can cause chaos
Traveller preferences can throw a wrench in corporate bookings, like looking for extra legroom on a popular route or finding modern amenities in an older part of the city.
Set up an online booking tool (OBT) that stores traveller preferences and skips over suppliers that don't meet the brief.
You grabbed a great rate, but what happens when plans change at the last minute for a team that’s constantly travelling? Loyalty programmes and rates negotiated by your TMC can help travel managers protect against surprise costs. These programmes often waive change fees or keep them lower as a travel perk.
Top issues for business travellers
Business travellers value calm, consistency, and convenience. That's why these are some of the top headaches for frequent flyers:
Business travellers need reliable support and the room to pivot if the client's plans change. If you're not getting the right match from your travel providers, it’s time to upgrade.
Tools and platforms for corporate travel management
Corporate travel doesn’t have to be a complex puzzle. Advanced tools have the ability to turn a messy mix of emails, spreadsheets, and last-minute bookings into a smooth, streamlined plan. Travel platforms are your behind-the-scenes assistants, pulling everything into one place so you’re not chasing confirmations or wondering who approved what.
For travel approvals, modern workflows are way better than endless email chains. With a few clicks, requests can be reviewed, assigned, and answered without a lot of waiting around. Smart booking tools help to keep travel on policy and on budget.
Intuitive online tools, like Corporate Traveller's all-in-one travel technology suite makes booking easier on every trip. Booking time can be drastically reduced and business travellers will have instant access to their online itinerary. Enjoy full visibility of traveller profiles, custom policy controls, advanced reporting, and risk alerts.
Tips for optimising business travel management
Want to save time booking and make your business trips more streamlined? Start with this pro tip: preferred suppliers. Sticking with a trusted list of airlines, hotels, and travel suppliers means fewer decisions, faster bookings, and can lead to better rates. Plus, you’re also avoiding rogue bookings at overpriced hotels on the company card.
Take a look at templates. Don’t start from scratch every time for travel itineraries, approval requests, and traveller checklists. A few well-designed templates can simplify booking and make sure nothing essential gets missed, whether it’s a visa reminder or airport pickup services.
Choose clear and concise communication. Little systems like shared calendars, scheduled check-ins, and pre-trip emails go a long way in avoiding issues later. Use planning tricks like quick reminders or even a preparation list for first-time travellers. You’ll get fewer surprises and way smoother trips all around.
Automate as much as you can, including approvals, policy controls, confirmations, and alerts. Did the gate change, or did the departure move two hours earlier for the flight? Make sure simple updates go straight to the traveller so travel bookers don't have to be involved in every aspect of the trip. Think about including a streamlined process with set alternatives (not an open-ended one) for out-of-policy approvals.
How a TMC can help you save on business travel
What about after-hours support? For travel disruptions, a travel tool is often not enough. With Corporate Traveller, you have the benefit of a 24/7 emergency assistance team, not just a faceless call center. For flight delays, last-minute changes, or an urgent emergency, we're ready to help and find solutions fast.
Now that you’ve got an overview for booking business travel, how can you get started? The trip planning process can be broken down into several categories, like flights and accommodation, and we’ve created checklists and templates for all the important parts.
Booking travel is just the beginning
Travel management is more than just booking. It's setting up policies and procedures and then refining them with feedback from real-life travel situations. The design of your travel programme depends on your travellers and your top destinations, and change is part of the game.
Knowing the right steps for success and having a clear picture of travel patterns can help you manage all the details and decisions. Download one of our travel booking checklists or talk to an expert to start booking smarter today.
It's time for better business travel management
With the perfect balance of modern travel technology and dedicated experts, you really can have the best of both worlds.
- Dedicated travel manager
- Intuitive all-in-one travel platform
- Search, book, and report in minutes
- 24/7 emergency support & live-chat
- Exclusive deals, negotiated rates, and more!