Travel Policies - A Quick "Go-To" Guide

Rules, rules, rules. Love them or hate them, sometimes there’s no getting away from them. But let’s be honest - when it comes to SME business travel, having a simple and solid set of rules in place is not only smart, it’s essential. Without them you could be unnecessarily costing your business money or jeopardising traveller safety. And that’s where a good Travel Policy comes in.  

KEEP YOUR TRAVEL POLICY SHORT, SIMPLE AND VISUAL 

If we have to have rules, at least we can make them a little interesting. Keeping your travel policy short and visual is one proven way to boost engagement. Punchy, informal language can help take the sting out of the document, as can graphic icons designed to help illustrate your points.  

Here’s the essentials of a good travel policy. Remember, try and be a succinct as possible to ensure clarity and compliance.  

Policy Benefits: a short summary of the importance of the travel policy for your business. For example, you could mention cost control, better traveller safety, traveller fairness, streamlined process, more perks etc.  
 
Policy Summary: outline what the travel policy covers. For example, approval and booking processes, travel rules by category, expenses and safety. 

Approval and Booking Process: provide a short explanation of the steps required to get travel approved and the how to book the travel. You could mention how travel must be approved by a team leader, and then booked through your partner TMC such as Flight Centre Business Travel.  

Travel Rules: break this section down by relevant category, such as domestic flights, international flights, accommodation and car hire. For each category, outline your key rules for: 

• fare class 
• preferred suppliers 
• days in advance to book 
• budgetary limits or maximum fare caps 
• room types 
• vehicle types 
• necessary insurance 

Expenses: consider a simple table showing items that will be re-imbursed, and to what value. This could include meals, extra baggage, tips, laundry, tolls, currency conversion charges and more. 

Expense Reporting: a short summary of how to prepare and submit expense reports, including documentation required. 

Travel Safety: emphasise the key points in your Duty of Care policy, such as what to do in extreme weather events. Mention any after-hours support you may have such as the 24/7 service we provide at FCBT.  

Policy Compliance: without sounding heavy handed, mention how important it is that travellers keep to the travel policy. Try not to beg or offer bribes, no matter how tempting this might be! 

Contact Information: provide contact details for support or questions related to the travel policy.