Top 5 Compliance Issues in Business Travel and How to Fix Them

A corporate travel policy is the foundation of a well-managed travel program. But a policy is only as good as its enforcement. Non-compliance can lead to budget overruns, lost savings, and even risks to traveler safety.

Understanding the most common compliance issues is the first step toward fixing them. Here are the top five problems travel managers face and how to solve them with a combination of smart policy and modern technology.

1. Last-Minute Bookings

This is the number one driver of excess travel spend. Employees who wait until the last minute to book flights and hotels pay a significant premium.

The Problem: Lack of planning, or a culture where last-minute trips are the norm.
The Fix: Your policy must mandate an advance booking window (e.g., 14 days for flights). More importantly, your travel management platform must enforce it. Configure your system to require a higher level of approval for any booking made inside this window. This creates a natural incentive for employees to plan ahead.

2. Rogue Bookings (Booking Off-Platform)

When employees book directly on consumer travel websites, you lose all visibility and control. You can't enforce policy, track their location for duty of care, or capture their spending data for analysis.

The Problem: Employees may think they're finding a better deal, or they find the corporate booking tool difficult to use.
The Fix: First, ensure your official booking platform is user-friendly and has a comprehensive inventory. Second, your policy must be unequivocal all travel must be booked through the approved platform. Communicate the "why" behind this rule—it's about safety and data, not just control. Finally, a "no receipt, no reimbursement" policy for off-platform bookings can be a powerful deterrent.

3. Overspending on Hotels and Airfare

Without clear guardrails, employees may book more expensive options than necessary, such as business class for short flights or luxury hotels.

The Problem: Vague guidelines and a lack of real-time oversight.
The Fix: Your policy needs specific, data-driven limits. For hotels, use dynamic price caps that vary by city. For flights, mandate booking the "lowest logical fare." Then, build these rules directly into your booking tool. The platform should clearly flag in-policy vs. out-of-policy options, guiding employees toward compliant choices at the moment of booking.

4. Failure to Submit Expense Reports on Time

Delayed expense reports create a nightmare for finance teams, making it impossible to close the books on time and get an accurate picture of the company's financial health.

The Problem: Manual, cumbersome expense management processes that employees dread.
The Fix: Automate as much as possible. An integrated travel and expense platform eliminates the need for manual reports for pre-booked travel. For on-trip expenses, a mobile app with receipt-scanning technology makes submission effortless. Combine this with a clear policy (e.g., "all expense reports must be submitted within 15 days of trip completion") and automated reminders.

5. Ignoring Preferred Suppliers

You've negotiated hard for corporate discounts with specific airlines and hotel chains. Every booking made outside of these preferred partners is a missed savings opportunity.

The Problem: Employees are unaware of the preferred partners or don't see the value in using them.
The Fix: Your booking platform should be configured to prominently display and prioritize your preferred suppliers in search results. Communicate the benefits of these partnerships to your team—they often come with perks like free Wi-Fi or upgrades that benefit the traveler directly.

By addressing these common compliance issues with a clear policy and the right technology, you can significantly reduce costs, improve efficiency, and build a more effective travel program.

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