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How to manage corporate travel: A complete guide for businesses
An actionable guide on how to manage corporate travel.
Corporate travel plays an important role in business growth, but without a clear and structured approach, it can lead to unnecessary administrative effort, mixed employee experiences, and higher costs.
In fact, some finance teams report spending over 120 hours per month on manual reconciliation tasks alone.
This guide explains how to manage corporate travel effectively, from establishing clear policies to utilizing the right tools for booking, managing expenses, and ongoing optimization.
Business travel made easy
Get a Holafly for your business and enjoy mobile internet as soon as your employees step off the plane.
Why businesses need to manage corporate travel
As travel volume increases, managing business travel without transparent processes can lead to higher costs and increased operational strain.
- Cost control and visibility: In the absence of a structured travel process, companies can face rising expenses caused by last-minute bookings and unauthorized upgrades. At the same time, a lack of centralized travel data makes it harder to identify spending patterns, plan effectively, and negotiate better rates from vendors.
- Administrative efficiency and policy compliance: Manual tasks (e.g., collecting receipts, approving trips, and reconciling expenses) are time-consuming for finance and operations teams, and without travel guidelines, employees may book inconsistently, making it difficult to control spending or forecast expenses.
- Duty of care: Businesses must know where employees are traveling and be able to support them in case of disruptions or emergencies.
Key components of corporate travel management
An effective corporate travel business plan is built on several key components that work together to manage costs, enhance compliance, and minimize administrative effort.
Corporate travel policy
A corporate travel policy defines which expenses are covered, how trips should be booked, approval steps, preferred vendors, and employee responsibilities.
Booking and reservation system
A centralized booking system allows employees to reserve flights, hotels, and transportation while automatically enforcing travel policy rules.
Expense management and tracking
Expense management tools create a consistent process for submitting receipts, approving expenses, and issuing reimbursements on time.
Travel risk management and duty of care
Duty of care processes allow companies to track where employees are traveling and provide timely support during emergencies or disruptions.
Vendor relationships and negotiations
Working closely with selected airlines and accommodation providers enables companies to benefit from corporate pricing and standardized service terms.
Reporting and analytics
Reporting tools offer visibility into travel spending, identify opportunities for cost-saving, and measure the return on investment (ROI) for corporate travel programs.
How to manage corporate travel: Step-by-step process
Managing corporate travel requires a structured approach that aligns policy, tools, and oversight. The six steps below explain how to build and maintain this system.
1. Create a corporate travel policy
Define who can authorize travel, how trips should be booked, acceptable expense limits, preferred vendors, and approval workflows.
The policy should answer practical questions such as who approves travel at different cost thresholds, what expenses are reimbursable, how last-minute bookings are handled, and when exceptions apply. Document the policy in a single, easily accessible location, such as an internal knowledge base, and make it accessible to all employees.
2. Choose booking and management tools
Select booking platforms, expense management software, or travel management companies that match your travel volume, budget, and resources.
When evaluating options, focus on policy enforcement, cost transparency, user experience (UX), duty of care and support, system integrations, reporting depth, and scalability.
Ask vendors who will manage your account, how 24/7 support and emergency assistance are delivered, whether response times are defined in Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and what onboarding and training are included. Clarify how the platform enforces travel policy, integrates with existing finance and expense systems, and supports traveler safety during disruptions.
3. Negotiate corporate rates
Work with airlines, hotels, and car rentals to secure discounted rates and standardized terms based on expected travel volume. Review these agreements regularly to ensure they remain competitive.
4. Set up approval workflows
Implement pre-trip approval processes that explain who can approve travel at different cost levels. Set timelines to avoid delays that lead to higher booking costs.
5. Implement expense tracking
Utilize expense management tools that automate receipt capture, verify expenses against company policy, and streamline reimbursements.
6. Monitor and optimize
Analyze travel reports regularly to identify trends and inefficiencies. Update policies, refine processes, and renegotiate vendor contracts based on actual usage and performance.
Corporate travel management best practices
Applying consistent best practices helps businesses control costs, improve compliance, and reduce administrative workload.
| Best practice | Description |
|---|---|
| Establish clear policies | Define acceptable expenses, booking windows, upgrade rules, and approval requirements in a centralized travel handbook |
| Automate where possible | Use booking and expense tools that enforce policy, automate approvals, and integrate with accounting systems |
| Negotiate corporate rates | Leverage travel volume to secure discounted rates with airlines, hotels, and car rental companies |
| Book in advance | Require employees to book trips 14–21 days ahead when possible to reduce costs and improve availability |
| Track traveler locations | Implement systems that track employee travel to support the duty of care and emergency response |
| Consolidate vendors | Limit the number of travel providers to increase negotiating power and simplify management |
| Review regularly | Analyze travel spending quarterly, identify inefficiencies, and update policies to address recurring issues |
Common corporate travel management challenges
Even well-designed travel programs can face challenges as travel volume increases. Understanding these issues makes it easier to address them.
Employee policy non-compliance
Employees may book outside approved channels, choose non-preferred vendors, or request unauthorized upgrades, which increases costs and reduces control. Policy-enforced booking tools, clear communication of travel rules, and structured approval workflows help prevent these issues.
Tracking and reconciling expenses
Manual receipt collection and expense reporting often lead to delays, errors, and frustration. Automated expense management software, featuring receipt scanning and policy checks, enhances accuracy and streamlines reimbursement.
Last-minute bookings and high costs
Urgent travel needs can result in expensive flights and limited accommodation options. Transparent approval processes and established vendor relationships can reduce the financial impact of unavoidable last-minute trips.
Duty of care and traveler safety
Without proper systems, companies may not know where employees are traveling or how to support them during disruptions or emergencies. Travel management platforms with location tracking and 24/7 support help maintain travelers’ safety.
Lack of spending visibility
When employees book travel independently, spending data becomes fragmented and challenging to analyze. Centralized booking and regular reporting provide the insight needed to identify trends and negotiate better rates.
Tools for managing corporate travel
Companies rely on a combination of tools to manage business travel efficiently and at scale.
- Corporate booking tools. Online platforms (e.g., SAP Concur, Navan, TravelPerk, and Egencia) that allow employees to book flights, hotels, and rental cars while automatically enforcing travel policy.
- Travel Management Companies (TMCs). Third-party providers that handle bookings, provide support for travelers, and negotiate rates with airlines, hotels, and other vendors. Major examples of TMCs include American Express Global Business Travel, BCD Travel, CWT, and FCM Travel.
- Expense management software. Systems for submitting, approving, and reimbursing travel expenses with built-in policy checks. Key platforms are SAP Concur, Expensify, Navan, Ramp, and Zoho Expense.
- Travel risk management platforms. Tools that track traveler locations, monitor disruptions, and support duty of care obligations. Specialized providers in this category include International SOS and Crisis24.
- Reporting and analytics tools. Dashboards that consolidate travel data, analyze spending patterns, and flag cost-saving opportunities. Leading reporting and analytics tools are often integral components of larger TMCs, such as SAP Concur, Navan, BCD Travel’s Advito, and FCM Travel.
Measuring corporate travel management success
Metrics help businesses evaluate whether their corporate travel program is delivering control, efficiency, and value.
| Category | What to measure |
|---|---|
| Cost metrics | Total travel spend vs. budget, average cost per trip, and savings from negotiated corporate rates |
| Efficiency metrics | Time spent on expense processing, booking-to-approval turnaround, and reimbursement speed |
| Compliance metrics | Policy adherence rate and percentage of bookings made through approved channels |
| Traveler satisfaction | Employee feedback on the booking experience, support quality, and reimbursement timelines |
Is formal travel management right for your organization?
Not every business needs a fully developed corporate travel plan. The indicators below can help you determine whether it’s a good fit for your organization.
You likely need a corporate travel plan if:
- Employees take 20 or more business trips per year.
- Annual travel expenses exceed $50,000.
- You lack clear visibility into travel spending.
- Expense processing requires significant administrative time.
- You must ensure traveler safety and compliance with policies.
You may NOT need a corporate travel plan yet if:
- Business travel is infrequent, with fewer than ten trips per year.
- An informal process currently works without delays or cost issues.
- Travel spending is low, stable, and easy to forecast.
Getting started with corporate travel management
This section outlines the practical first steps businesses can take to transition to a structured and manageable process.
- Audit current travel spending and identify recurring issues or inefficiencies.
- Draft a corporate travel policy that covers booking rules, expense limits, and approval processes.
- Research booking platforms or travel management companies that fit your travel volume and budget.
- Negotiate corporate rates with airlines, hotels, and other frequently used vendors.
- Implement selected tools and communicate the policy to employees.
- Monitor performance, collect feedback, and adjust processes as your travel needs evolve.
Simplify corporate travel with Holafly for Business
One often-overlooked corporate travel cost is how to keep your team connected as they are on the move.
Holafly for Business solves this with unlimited data plans and centralized eSIM management through the Holafly Business Center. Eliminate surprise roaming charges, reduce admin time spent reconciling mobile expenses, and manage everything from one simple dashboard.
With Holafly for Business, your traveling employees get reliable 4G/5G coverage in 160+ destinations with instant business eSIM deployment, while you get transparent billing that integrates with your existing expense management workflow.
Whether you’re managing a small team or frequent corporate travelers across multiple departments, Holafly Business Plans offer scalable solutions tailored to your business needs. Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel without long-term contracts or restrictions.
Contact Holafly to request a demo of the Business Center and discuss how our eSIM can help reduce connectivity costs and administrative workload for your company.
Business travel made easy
Get a Holafly for your business and enjoy mobile internet as soon as your employees step off the plane.
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I am a Liverpool-based SEO content specialist with years of experience crafting content that connects. I combine my love for clear communication with a passion for travel and languages (currently diving into Japanese!). At Holafly, I'm here to help you understand everything about staying connected abroad, turning technical jargon into straightforward advice you can actually use.
