NEW YORK
New research by American Express Global Business Travel outlines gaps and opportunities for companies to strengthen managed travel programs by focusing on their travel and expense policies. Analyzing nearly 100 travel policies of global, multinational, and mid-sized companies, the research shows less than one third of these companies have updated their travel policies within the last year.
“It’s a new year and with any good business practice, corporate travel departments are setting goals, including bringing their programs in line with the competition,” said Christa Degnan Manning, director of EXPERT INSIGHTS research, American Express Global Business Travel. “A healthy travel policy can support business-critical goals such as risk mitigation and employee engagement, as they touch on issues from traveler safety and security to corporate social responsibility.”
Highlights of the policy gaps exposed in this report, based on 100 corporate policies reviewed, include:only 12 percent addressed traveler security; 80 percent did not address reimbursement of ancillary fees such as checked bags, reservation change fees, or other for-purchase services offered at hotels and car rental establishments; only 35 percent of smaller companies and large international organizations require an agency to book hotels, compared to 85 percent of global companies; none of the travel policies addressed the use of mobile applications or referenced tools they may have available for travelers to use when working remotely; and 70 percent of companies do not provide specific guidelines to travelers on when it makes sense to book airfares through a non-preferred supplier.
Learn more at www.americanexpress.com/businesstravel, and interact with peers on www.businesstravelconnexion.com.
