For travel and procurement managers, a well-written travel policy is far more than a compliance document. It is a practical framework that ensures travel is appropriately approved, carefully monitored, and within budget — without restricting productivity or preventing travel altogether.
Whether you are developing a new policy or updating an existing one, the goal is to enable your people to travel effectively without compromising on duty of care, appropriate approval, and budget.
Governance, Approval & Oversight
A strong policy clearly outlines:
The right structure protects budgets without creating friction. And, you’ll find tiered approval aligned to seniority and spend levels often work best for larger firms.
Importantly, the approval processes should be efficient. Delays in sign-off can result in higher fares and reduced availability — hindering cost control.
C-Suite, VIPs & Senior Leadership
Executive travel requires thoughtful planning and discretion.
C-Suite leaders and senior executives often need:
Incidentally, it’s best to appoint a TMC that’s familiar with C-Suite and VIP travel, is willing to create bespoke trips, and offers 24/7 service with their direct contacts to support this type of travel. A single-faceted platform is not really suited to C-Suite travel and the nuances associated with it.
Employees and Senior Leaders Travelling Together
Another critical consideration is concentration risk.
Your policy should address:
For companies in sectors such as aviation, financial services, or manufacturing, limiting the number of key personnel on a single flight can be essential to business continuity planning.
Clear guidelines reduce ambiguity and protect both people and the organisation.
When the Lowest Fare Isn’t the Lowest Cost
The “lowest logical fare” approach requires consideration in our view.
Highly restrictive tickets may lead to:
Flexible fares may appear more expensive initially, but they often prove more cost-efficient when schedules shift — particularly in industries with changing operational demands.
Direct routes may also represent better value than cheaper indirect options when traveller time, disruption risk and productivity are factored in, which is why we always operate the ‘best journey, best price’ approach. There’s no point arranging a multi flight trip that’s more cost effective but ultimately leads to lost time and delays.
A sensible travel policy should cover this.
Hotel Policy & Ancillary Spend
It is standard practice to include rate thresholds for the cities staff travel to most and where demand is high for rooms. These should take into account the reality of hotel bed rates on the ground by location – for example: £350 STG for London room only or $550 US Dollars for NYC room only.
Accommodation policy should extend beyond room rate alone and this often gets forgotten.
You need to outline clearly what the company is willing to cover during hotel stays, particularly where these are extended for project work.
What is typically included:
What may require approval or reimbursement limits:
Clarity around ancillary spend avoids ambiguity and simplifies expense reconciliation.
Car Transfers
Private transfers (outside of C-Suite and VIP) are typically arranged for arrivals after 10pm, for travel within developing countries at any time, or for solo travellers where additional duty of care considerations apply. In all other circumstances, standard taxis or appropriate local transport are typically recommended line with cost-efficiency and policy guidelines.
Hiring a Car
We suggest including the following for employees hiring a car:
Being upfront and transparent about car hire options available to staff saves queries/issues at a later stage.
Extension of Business Travel for Personal Reasons
Adding personal travel to business trips is becoming increasingly common and can be accommodated within policy — provided clear parameters are defined.
Your policy should clarify:
A structured approach ensures fairness and compliance while supporting employee flexibility.
Loyalty Schemes & Reward Programmes
Frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programmes can deliver individual benefits, but policy clarity is essential.
Consider defining:
While loyalty schemes can enhance traveller experience, bookings should always prioritise commercial value and policy alignment.
Embedding Policy into Booking & Traveller Behaviour
A travel policy is only effective if consistently applied.
At Hannon Travel, we pride ourselves on our high rate of in-policy bookings (95% and above).
And here’s a little about how we do this:
This flexible online and offline travel model ensures flexibility while maintaining control.
Not just that – we help you develop and amend your policy as best practice changes, so that you are always in control and can maintain a high level of in-policy bookings.
Our Partner Approach
We partner with our clients to design practical, commercially sound travel policies that stand up to real-world demands.
We work closely with procurement, finance, HR, and leadership teams to:
Our experienced consultants ensure your travel programme remains commercially sound, operationally aligned, and responsive to your business needs.
Template Travel Policy
If you are reviewing your corporate travel framework, we have created a practical resource to support you.
If you would welcome a confidential discussion about your current travel policy and performance, our team would be pleased to assist.
Book a call with an expert today and we can help you develop your travel policy
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