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 might not be on your job description, but it’s definitely part of your day-to-day. Whether you’re coordinating travel for your boss, executives, managing group bookings, or juggling last-minute changes, you need tools, templates, and guidance that make your life easier, not more complicated.
Make travel easier with guidance from the experts, like a travel management company (TMC). With Corporate Traveller, business travel is a breeze. Our combination of expert support and intuitive tech is designed to save you time, reduce costs, and keep you in control, every step of the way.
This hub pulls together everything you need for your corporate travel programme. From step-by-step booking workflows to policy templates, approval guides, and best practices, we’ve got it all. Bookmark it, share it, and set your business travel up for success.
The step-by-step process for booking business travel
Booking business travel can quickly become a complex puzzle, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Whether it’s a train ride from London to Manchester or a long-haul flight from Heathrow to JFK, the process can feel overwhelming without the right tools. Balancing cost vs comfort, managing last-minute changes, and staying compliant with company policies: it’s all part of the challenge.
The overall booking plan should include flights, accommodation, and transportation methods like rail tickets, rental cars, or airport transfers. There should also be guidelines for daily expenses, such as meals, taxis, or office supplies. For a more tailored approach, read about selecting corporate flights or booking hotels.
Here’s how we recommend you plan and book smarter:
Top concerns for travel bookers
Booking business travel isn’t just about picking flights and hotels — it’s about managing all the little details that can change at the last minute. The hotel that was perfect six months ago? Well, it’s now fully booked or mid-renovation. It’s frustrating, but we’ve all been there.
And then there’s the usual balancing act: policy compliance, budget management, and of course, flexibility. You need to be able to move quickly and get the best deals, but it’s important to stay within your company’s travel policies.
Start with a clear travel policy that works for your business, and take feedback from key stakeholders to ensure it stays relevant. Flexibility is essential, but compliance always comes first.
Customisation and last-minute changes can cause chaos
Traveller preferences can make things tricky — like needing extra legroom on a busy flight or looking for a hotel wth modern amenities in an older part of the city. But when you’ve got a tool that stores traveller preferences, you can easily skip over suppliers that don’t meet the brief, making the whole process a whole lot quicker and smoother.
That’s where a TMC like Corporate Traveller comes in. Loyalty programmes and rates negotiated by your TMC help protect travel bookers from surprise costs. These programmes often waive or reduce change fees, offering flexibility as a travel perk.
Travel managers who work with Corporate Traveller can rely on these programmes to minimise surprise costs, even when plans shift unexpectedly. Often, our expert consultants can get change fees waived or kept to a minimum, making last-minute adjustments much easier.
Top headaches for business travellers
Business travellers value calm, consistency, and convenience (which aren’t always easy to tick!). But here are some of the top headaches they face:
Business travellers need reliable support and the flexibility to adjust when plans change. If your current travel providers aren’t hitting the mark, it’s time to upgrade.
Tools and platforms for corporate travel management
Corporate travel doesn’t have to be a complex puzzle. With the right tools, you can turn a mix of emails, spreadsheets, and last-minute bookings into a smooth, streamlined process. Travel platforms act as your behind-the-scenes assistant, bringing everything into one place so you’re not chasing confirmations or wondering who approved what.
When it comes to travel approvals, modern workflows are far more efficient than endless email chains. With just a few clicks, requests can be reviewed, assigned, and answered without having to wait around. Smart booking tools also help ensure travel stays within policy and budget, so you can focus on the bigger picture.
Intuitive tools, like Corporate Traveller’s travel platform, Melon, make booking travel easier every time. With Melon, business travellers can access their itineraries instantly, saving valuable time. You'll also get full visibility of traveller profiles, custom policy controls, advanced reporting, and risk alerts. You can even book rail, air and hotels - everything in one place... Isn’t that refreshing?
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 to a trusted list of airlines, hotels, and travel suppliers means fewer decisions, faster bookings, and often better rates. Plus, you’re avoiding rogue bookings at overpriced hotels on the company card.
Use templates. Don’t start from scratch every time for travel itineraries , approval requests, and traveller checklists. A few well-designed templates can simplify the process and make sure you don’t miss anything essential, whether it’s a visa reminder or airport pickup services.
Clear communication is key. Little systems like shared calendars, scheduled check-ins, and pre-trip emails go a long way in avoiding issues later. Consider using planing tricks like calendar reminders or a preparation list for first-time travellers. These small steps make for much smoother trips with fewer surprises.
Automate what you can. Streamline approvals, policy controls, confirmations, and alerts. Did the gate change, or did the departure move earlier for the flight? Make sure updates go straight to the traveller so bookers don’t have to handle every detail. For out-of-policy approvals, streampline the prcess by setting alternatives to make the process more efficient.
How a TMC can help you save on business travel
A TMC is your skilled partner, helping you navigate the complexities of your travel programme instead of just repeating the same steps trip after trip.
Save more time and money with Corporate Traveller, gaining access to negotiated rates right from day one. We track all your savings, so you can clearly see the impact on your programme.
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 centre. Whether it's flight delays, last-minute changes, or an urgent emergency, we’re always ready to help and find fast solutions.
Want a personalised approach? Talk to one of our travel experts about how we can help you set up a tailored travel programme and get access to Melon, our easy-to-use platform that puts all your travel management needs in one place.
Now that you have an overview of booking business travel, how can you get started? The trip planning process can be broken down into several categories like flights, accommodation, and transportation, and we’ve created checklists and templates for all the important parts to help you get moving quickly.
Booking travel is just the start
Travel management is more than just booking flights, trains and hotels. It's about setting up policies and procedures, then refining them with feedback from real-life travel experiences. Your travel programme should be shaped by your travellers and top destinations, and it’s important to keep evolving as business and traveller needs change.
Understanding the right steps for success and having a clear picture of travel patterns can help you manage all the details and decisions. Whether it's creating a policy, tracking expenses, or ensuring duty of care, we’ve got the tools and expertise to support you.
Download one of our travel booking checklists, or talk to an expert to start managing your business travel smarter today.
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It's time for better business travel management
With the right balance of modern travel technology and dedicated experts, you really can have the best of both worlds. At Corporate Traveller, we provide:
- Dedicated travel manager for expert advice and support
- Melon, our intuitive all-in-one travel platform to manage bookings, expenses, and reports in one place
- Search, book, and report in minutes for maximum efficiency
- 24/7 emergency support & live-chat to handle last-minute changes or disruptions
- Traveller tracking & duty of care dashboard for peace of mind
- Melon exclusive deals, negotiated rates, and much more!