So, it’s time to choose a travel booking platform and you’re not sure where to start? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered. We’ll take a look at the top characteristics you should look for when it comes to your online travel booking platform, including: ease of booking, comprehensive search and filtering options, customization and flexibility for automating travel policy, cost considerations, security and compliance, customer support and reliability.
We’ll look at some tips for making the choice easy and ensuring that you choose the right corporate travel booking platform. The online travel booking platform market is vast, so be sure to research and analyze user reviews and ask for recommendations from your industry peers. Learning from other’s experiences with different platforms will help you understand if it’s really right for you or not.
Understanding corporate travel needs
Not all companies are created equal in terms of their needs. Depending on the industry, some companies might not need employees to travel as frequently as others, while others might have to travel weekly. For this reason, every company must also have a different travel policy that may have certain allowances or others.
One thing all companies have in common is that they are looking to save money and time, and be sure that everyone within the company adheres to company policies and guidelines. Being sure that rules are laid out clearly and that they’re easy to follow is key to compliance.
Making smart decisions for your travel program
Successful travel programs start with business goals, not technology features. Travel leaders evaluating new booking tools are often tempted to compare long lists of features, integrations and capabilities. However, industry experts agree that the best solution isn’t necessarily the one with the most functionality. It’s the one that aligns with your company’s travel volume, traveler expectations, internal resources and growth plans.
Organizations today can choose from traditional online booking tools, integrated travel and expense platforms, or hybrid solutions that combine multiple technologies. The right choice depends on how well the solution supports the entire travel program, from booking and approvals to reporting, traveler support and policy compliance.
Before making a decision, ask yourself:
- Will this platform support our travel program as we grow?
- Does it simplify compliance with our travel policy?
- How well does it integrate with our existing processes?
- Will travelers actually use it?
- What level of support is available when issues arise?
Technology should reduce complexity, not create more of it. The most effective travel platforms combine intuitive booking experiences, travel policy controls, reporting capabilities and reliable support to help travel managers and travelers alike.Travel leaders evaluating new booking tools are often tempted to compare long lists of features, integrations and capabilities. However, industry experts agree that the best solution isn’t necessarily the one with the most functionality. It’s the one that aligns with your company’s travel volume, traveler expectations, internal resources and growth plans.
Organizations today can choose from traditional online booking tools, integrated travel and expense platforms, or hybrid solutions that combine multiple technologies. The right choice depends on how well the solution supports the entire travel program, from booking and approvals to reporting, traveler support and policy compliance..
Industry insight
At a recent GBTA education session focused on travel technology decisions for SMEs, one theme stood out: don’t evaluate booking platforms based on the booking experience alone. Consider the full ecosystem, including policy management, reporting, traveler support, expense integration and scalability for future growth.
The session brought together Melinda Kirkham, Vice President of Corporate Sales at Adelman Travel; Jeff Ochaita, Vice President of Sales & Customer Success at GetGoing; Shauna Reker, Vice President of Sales at Acendas Travel; and Logan Smith, Director of Program Management at World Travel Service to discuss how organizations can make more strategic travel technology decisions.
Want to learn more? Watch the GBTA Education Session, “The SME Escape Room: Solving Travel Tech Decisions That Work”, for insights on how growing organizations can evaluate travel technology with greater clarity and confidence.
Key features in a travel booking platform
There are many features you should look for when choosing a travel booking platform. Let’s take a look in more detail.
User-friendliness
User-friendliness is all about how easy it is to navigate the booking platform both on your desktop, while at work and also from your mobile device when you’re on the go. Whether it’s a web app that can be easily usable from your phone or tablet and desktop or an actual application that you have to download to your smartphone, the key is to be able to smoothly and easily carry out a booking on any travel platform.
Comprehensive filtering and search options
There is nothing like wanting to make a booking with certain requirements and not being able to because you can’t find what you’re looking for. This is why having a travel booking platform that has comprehensive filtering and search capabilities is essential. Whether you are trying to find a hotel close to your meeting spot or event venue, or close to the airport, filtering options are fundamental. Having the right hotel app is essential to do this shopping and filtering.
Customization and flexible company policies
We’ve already mentioned the importance of a corporate travel policy. Whether it’s automated on your platform, or you create a digital copy that your employees can consult when needed. Flexible company policies that can be adapted to the kind of trip, or the person traveling, are key to fully take advantage of your business trip in the way you want it. Your needs also change year to year so a flexible policy is key to ensure travel approvals are streamlined no matter what the season.
Integration with travel policies
Assess whether the platform can align with your company’s travel policy, including customization options for easy implementation and ensure seamless integration with your booking platform so that travelers know when their trips are approved and when they need to be re-imagined. The more you can rely on travel policy automation within the platform and easily integrate with travel policies, the more productive and less work for everyone involved.
Cost effective
Hidden fees and high prices are exactly what you want to avoid when it comes to choosing a corporate travel booking platform. This means you should look for transparent pricing structures, and evaluate whether there are added per-booking fees. Some travel platforms may charge a booking fee or charge when you contact an agent for support. Knowing all the costs upfront will help you better budget for it without finding any surprises.
Reliability and customer support
You need a platform that is reliable, as you have enough on your plate, you don’t also want to be handling technical issues on top of it all. If you are in a pickle, being able to get some offline support is critical rather than relying on a chatbot or an email to get a hold of your support is key.
Security and compliance
Security of your travelers is an important part of living up to your company’s duty of care. This is why it’s a good idea to work with a travel platform that has built in security and safety features, like the ability to track your travelers. This is why working with a designated travel platform rather than a simple booking app is a great idea. Make sure your platform also has fully compliant invoices.
Still looking for a platform that checks all the boxes? GetGoing could be your answer. Book a demo to find out what GetGoing can do for you.