
Travel management 101: Back to the basics
Business travel is more than just booking flights. It takes planning, precision and the right support to keep things running smoothly. As corporate travel evolves, having a solid travel management partner matters more than ever.
That’s why we at Corporate Traveller created this guide.
We’re sharing practical tips and must-know insights - from the basics of managing business travel to the benefits of using the right travel tech.
Whether you're an aspiring travel manager or a seasoned business professional looking to enhance an existing travel program, this guide serves as your compass through the labyrinth that is corporate travel management.
What is corporate travel management?
Corporate travel management is all about planning, organising and overseeing everything to do with business trips. While every company does it a little differently, the goal is always the same - making sure employees travel safely, efficiently and in line with company policies.
It covers a lot, from managing travel spend and reducing risk to making sure bookings follow the travel policy.
Businesses usually manage travel in a few different ways, including:
- Travel management companies (TMC)
- In-house travel manager(s)
- External travel agents
What is a corporate travel manager?
A corporate travel manager is usually an in-house employee who oversees the company’s travel program and coordinates business trips across the organisation. They help shape the travel policy, manage duty of care and risk, and support the business in navigating the world of corporate travel.
(Side note: When the expertise comes from someone outside the organisation, we call them corporate travel agents)
Depending on the scale of the company, there might be a full-fledged team of travel managers, or the responsibility might rest with a solo office manager or HR representative.
Their daily duties? Well, it’s quite the to-do list:
- Booking trips for employees across various roles within the company
- Tracking departmental travel expenses to ensure adherence to budgets
- Offering travel support to employees throughout all stages of their journey
- Managing travel vendors or tools used by the company
- Negotiating corporate rates with frequently used hotels
- Arranging group travel and ground transportation, like rental cars or trains
- Tracking company travel spend and providing reports for analysis
What is a travel management company (TMC)?
At the most basic level: a TMC is a specialised travel agency that assists businesses in managing their corporate travel needs.
Just like travel managers, TMCs handle all the details of business travel, from booking flights and hotels to providing great support and tracking travel spend.
So, what makes them different? Working with a TMC like Corporate Traveller means getting end-to-end travel management that's built to simplify processes, manage costs and make business travel easier for your team.
Is your company literally jetting off? An increase in employee travel comes with an increased need for travel and expense management.
With Corporate Traveller, you can access negotiated rates, analyse your spend, and save across the board – all from anywhere, on any device.
Managed vs. unmanaged travel
Managed travel refers to any business travel that is supported by the services and expertise of a TMC. Travel bookings are either made with a dedicated travel manager or via the travel company’s online booking tool (OBT), all of which are consolidated into a single, easy-to-digest report.
Unmanaged travel, on the other hand, is where an organisation handles its own business travel arrangements. In some cases, travel tasks and responsibilities may be delegated to a travel arranger or assistant. In others, businesses leave employees to book for themselves directly on InsertAirlineHere.com.
For some businesses, unmanaged travel a highly attractive option. But things aren’t always as they seem.
Is your travel program unmanaged? Check out our article on managed vs. unmanaged corporate travel to see some key benefits to a managed program that you might not know you’re missing out on.
What is corporate travel technology?
Travel management software is a smart tool companies use to take control of their travel. It’s designed to simplify and automate every part of the process, including:
- Travel booking
- Travel supplier management
- Approval workflows
- Corporate travel policy enforcement
- Expense management
- Reporting and analytics
These travel management solutions don’t just stop at desktops! They are also offered as user-friendly mobile apps, allowing employees to book and manage their business trips without a travel agent or manager.
In a nutshell, this tech is the control tower – a centralised platform steering travel bookings, policies, expenses, and reporting. It hands companies the reins, granting them stellar control, efficiency, and a crystal-clear view of their corporate travel management playground.
But don’t just opt for any OBT. Choose a tech solution that knows how to play together.
What is a corporate travel management system?
This is a well-connected travel tech stack that brings all your travel tools together, working as one to manage everything from bookings to approvals and compliance. It helps you stay connected with travelling employees, streamline processes and keep things running smoothly.
By combining tools like online booking, expense management and risk tracking, businesses can build a travel program that’s efficient, cost-effective and traveller-friendly.
With the right tech in place, you’ll also get clearer insights into travel spend, spot trends and make smarter, data-backed decisions.
5 key components of an effective corporate travel management program
No matter the size of the organisation, number of stakeholders, or software employed, an effective corporate travel management program typically consists of several key components.
1. Inclusive corporate travel policies
This one might seem obvious, but we can’t stress it enough. Your travel policy is an extension of your travel program and company culture. A travel policy is the glue that holds your travel program together – from approvals, expenses, booking processes, and emergency contacts.
Having a travel policy helps you:
- Control travel costs
- Determine how reimbursement works
- Compile a list of trusted and approved travel vendors
- Manage an employee’s travel experience and safety
- Cut rogue bookings – and simplify approvals
- Budget, report on travel expenses and activity and reconcile bookings
As a company though, your travel policy helps centralise your travel program, makes data and tracking more accurate and easier to navigate, and it saves time and money (including on expense management). Plus, if you take the time to craft your policy in an intentional and inclusive way, you’ll have a policy your travellers are happier to follow.
2. The “right” corporate travel booking tool
Not all online booking tools are created equal.
Look for a travel platform that helps you develop processes that simplify:
Travel policy compliance – You've gone through the trouble of building a policy that meets all your travellers' needs. How can you make sure your travellers follow it? A corporate travel management platform, like Your.CT, allows you to outline your travel policy in the platform and alerts bookers when they are selecting options outside the company guidelines to help them stay on track.
- Centralised booking – Booking across different websites and compiling it into one organised itinerary is tricky. Your.CT brings all the available booking options, including flights, hotels, and transportation, into one platform. Say goodbye to that browser full of open tabs
- Preferred vendor integration – Have a preferred airline? Like a specific hotel bed the most? Collecting rental car loyalty points? Our travel platform, Your.CT, delivers your preferred vendors first so you always find what you're looking for. You'll rest easy knowing your travellers are choosing from the negotiated rates and exclusive deals that save your bottom line.
- Approval workflows – Jump off the approvals merry-go-round. With Your.CT, you can set up a custom approval workflow to make sure that travel requests are routed to the appropriate managers for review. Once approved, Your.CT takes care of booking the rest.
3. Consolidated reporting and expense management
Your travel program looks blurry when you're looking for your travel spend data among different sources. This is where consolidating your travel data with a single travel management company proves its worth:
- Centralised data management: The sheer volume of travel data can be overwhelming to say the least. You can spot trends and opportunities to cut travel costs and enhance your travel program from one dashboard.
- Leveraging the right tools: TMCs offer a range of tools for various aspects of travel management. With a TMC, you can consolidate the tools you need for reporting and quickly view everything from travel expenses to carbon emissions tracking.
- Nothing gets past you: A common challenge companies face with their travel programs is booking leakage, where employees make bookings outside the approved channels. With consolidated travel data, you can more effectively identify and target booking, supplier, or channel leakage.
4. Corporate travel discounts & rates
Business travel isn’t cheap. And if it is not managed effectively, it can be a black hole for your company’s budget.
Corporate travel rates are special deals that are offered to companies by travel service providers. These rates are specifically designed to cater to the travel needs of individual businesses, giving them access to more economical options and perks that might not be available to the average solo traveller.
Why? Essentially, travel services providers want to give businesses like yours a more attractive rate so that they can gain your loyalty and secure a high volume of business.
This includes air travel, hotels, car rentals, and rideshare accounts.
So how can you benefit? That’s easy – invest in a full travel management package.
Here at Corporate Traveller, you can expect greater choices without missing out on business travel savings. With a network spanning 90+ countries and counting, we can hook you up with ALL the rates.
5. Proactive duty of care
Duty of care is a company’s moral and legal obligation to monitor its employees' safety and security. And when your employees venture beyond the borders of their familiar workspace, their health and safety take centre stage.
Most incidents that occur on business trips are not a matter of life-or-death…but they’re still pretty inconvenient. From a stolen phone to food poisoning, small incidents may add up to lost workdays, wasted business trips, and unhappy employees.
To keep your travellers safe, they need support and assistance - anytime, anywhere. This not only ensures that they are safe, but also that they feel safe. The safer your team members feel on their travels the more relaxed and productive they’ll be, improving staff retention and streamlining the travel experience.
The best way to ensure your traveller’s safety? Preparation. Put a plan in place to reassure your travellers and give them a game plan for every situation. With the right prep, you’ll know exactly where all your travellers are and how to reach them at any point of their journey.
Your business travel matters. Make it count.
With corporate travel, success hinges on effective management, nuanced strategies, and unwavering support. And if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that precision and dedicated guidance pave the way for efficient business travel.
We get it — managing business travel can be a juggling act. That’s why we’re here with smart solutions and expert know-how to help you level up your travel program, without the stress.
Travel expertise? Anytime. We get you and your travellers where they need to go. You can depend on a team of real people to support you, 24/7.
Latest tech? Always ahead. Innovative booking solutions, real-time updates, and on-demand reporting to take visibility to the next level.
The best fares and rates? Of course. The widest range of travel options with the most perks. Superior value, choice, and savings that add up quickly.
More savings? Yes, please! Access all the available content from negotiated fares, exclusive deals and perks, and Your.CT exclusive deals.
Business travel is an investment, and it should feel simple. Take your business travel to the next level with exceptional service every step of the way.
With a blend of knowledgeable travel experts and seamless digital experiences, we’ve got you covered from door to door.