Corporate travel arrangements are the procedures that an organization or company uses to plan and execute other employee journeys. These could be international or domestic, and may include hotels, flights, cabs, meal costs, conference fees, meeting rooms, and other logistics. Some companies have dedicated teams or individuals who oversee and manage this responsibility. Others rely on third party agencies and software to handle them. To ensure a successful business trip, it is crucial to have clearly defined guidelines and be accountable.

Clear policies and guidelines cut down on risk, optimize bookings, costs, and guarantee regulatory compliance. They also ease the approval process, so employees can be confident in submitting requests.

In addition to setting policies, a trip management system (TMS) aids businesses to book and track business-related travel which include flight, train and hotel reservations as well as car rental and on-site meetings arrangements. It typically provides real-time data and analytics, which can be useful in analyzing and optimizing travel spending and strategies.

Another aspect of a business travel policy is defining whether or not employees are allowed to make bookings in business class since they are substantially cheaper than economy travel once the cost of other expenses such as baggage and meals are considered. Certain companies stipulate that frequent flyer points earned during business trips are the company’s property, while others permit employees to keep the points. It’s important to carefully consider the requirements of each business when making these choices.