The 8 best business travel management tools in 2024

According to new research, business travel is booming—but so is the cost. 

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A report published by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) earlier this year revealed that 59% of travel buyers expect their companies to take more business trips this year than they did in 2023.* But with inflation and remote work increasing the cost of business travel, 67% of respondents believe their company’s business travel spend will increase in 2024 as well. 

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To make the most of their travel budgets, companies must make smarter choices in how they use those funds. This is where corporate travel management software can help. 

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Here, we’ll look at 8 tools businesses can use to book travel (and save some money in the process), plus what features to look for in your platform of choice.

What is travel management software?

Companies use travel management software to manage corporate travel, book transportation and lodging for business trips, and monitor all travel-related expenses. They streamline the travel booking process, rein in out-of-policy spend, and enable organizations to provide a better travel experience for their employees.

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Some of the best travel management tools also come with powerful expense management features, like advanced reporting capabilities and automated approval workflows to keep spending compliant with your corporate travel policy.

8 travel management tools to manage business trips more efficiently

Business travel management software

Many business travelers prefer to book their trips themselves, and it’s easy to see why: This option allows them to build their travel plans around their lifestyle, values, habits, and preferences. In the best-case scenarios, self-booking also helps employees feel satisfied and more in control of their jobs. 

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On the other hand, employees who are forced to manage their own travel often spend their time stressing over itinerary details instead of completing work. Finance teams that allow employees to self-book must also deal with out-of-policy spending and a lack of control over their travel and expense (T&E) budgets. 

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Keep your employees happy and protect your bottom line with business travel management software with top picks for booking plus enterprise-grade controls for managing corporate travel spending.

Ramp

• G2 rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (based on 1,927+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars (based on 180+ reviews)
• Pricing:
  • Ramp Plus plan: $12 per user per month (billed annually)
  • Ramp Enterprise: Contact for details
• Free trial available? The Ramp base plan is free to use, with a 30-day trial available for the Plus plan

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Ramp Travel is an all-in-one finance operations platform with a broad range of features to help small businesses and enterprises alike with their travel and expense management needs.

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Sure, we may be a little biased about giving our platform the top spot in this article, but our G2 and Capterra ratings speak for themselves. And if you need any more reasons to give it a try, here are a few.

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For starters, we make it easy for employees to see what flights and hotels are within policy. Our travel management solution pulls together a wide inventory of hotel accommodations and flights—including deals not available elsewhere, thanks to our partnership with Priceline—for employees to review and book. 

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When used in tandem with Ramp’s expense management automation, finance teams can set granular controls on how employees are allowed to use company funds for business trips. Our real-time reporting capabilities also allow you to actively manage your T&E budget and prevent out-of-policy spend before it happens. 

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After travelers return to the workplace, there’s no need to play catch-up with their expenses. Ramp prompts employees to submit receipts for transactions made with a corporate card throughout their trip so they can get back to work sooner. Our AI-powered software then automatically reviews and categorizes each transaction, saving finance teams even more time on the back end. 

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The free Ramp plan comes with our signature travel booking tool, but companies don’t have to use both to benefit from the platform. If you already have a travel management system you’re happy with, you can still use Ramp’s financial tools on their own for easier expense management.

TravelPerk

• G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (based on 1,533+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (based on 404+ reviews)
• Pricing:
  • Premium plan: $99 per month, plus 3% per booking
  • Pro plan: $299 per month, plus 3% per booking
  • Enterprise: Contact for details
• Free trial available? The Starter plan comes with 5 free bookings each month

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‍TravelPerk simplifies corporate travel for mid-market and enterprise businesses by bringing the largest travel inventory in the world onto their platform. In doing so, it reduces the hassle and the headaches that often come with booking business travel under strict company guidelines.

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Employees can compare various booking options from all over the internet in real time to find a suitable choice within company policy and budget. Need help booking flights, car rentals, accommodations, or meeting rooms? Users have access to 24/7 customer support and concierge services to assist with every travel need.

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TravelPerk offers companies unprecedented flexibility in travel bookings too: With FlexiPerk, you can receive an 80% refund on any travel plans booked through the software—no matter the reason for cancellation.

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And if your company already uses Ramp in its tech stack, you can connect the two platforms for seamless expense tracking and greater savings on business travel.

Navan

• G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (based on 7,575+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (based on 176+ reviews)
• Pricing: Contact for details 
• Free trial available? Yes

Formerly known as TripActions, Navan is another corporate travel booking tool that helps mid-market companies and enterprises manage their corporate travel plans in one place.

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Fire up Navan’s online booking tool to book trips for employees, guests, or groups of up to 50 people. Then, use the software’s finance features (like automatic receipt capture and advanced data reporting) for easy expense management and visibility into your company’s travel spending. 

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Whether your employees prefer DIY or personalized assistance, Navan offers self-serve tools and 24/7 customer support so they can easily manage their itinerary, even while on the go.

Expense management software

Not all businesses will need a travel management company with all the bells and whistles. Sometimes, a good expense management tool will suffice. 

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According to a 2023 survey from the Harvard Business Review, 84% of business leaders see tangible business benefits from trips to meet with clients, customers, and prospects in person. However, 52% of respondents also report that limited funds for travel remains one of their organization’s biggest challenges.

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Without an efficient system to monitor and control travel spend, your company may be getting less of a return on its travel budget than you think. Expense management solutions like Ramp and the ones below help businesses track, control, and report on their travel expenses and reduce unnecessary spend.

Spendesk

• G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (based on 399+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (based on 215+ reviews)
• Pricing: Contact for details
• Free trial available? Yes

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‍Spendesk’s expense management software is ideal for businesses of all sizes looking to monitor and control their spending.

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Its 7-in-1 solution includes company credit cards, expenses, invoices, approvals, accounting automation, budgets, and reports. Together, these offerings give finance teams visibility into their company’s spending while giving employees the flexibility they need to do their jobs.

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You can also set up budgets and spending policies for Spendesk’s company cards beforehand, so all employee travel expenses are controlled and tracked in real time.

BILL Spend & Expense

• G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (based on 1,270+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (based on 413+ reviews)
• Pricing: Free
• Free trial available? The tool is free for all businesses

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‍BILL Spend & Expense (formerly Divvy) is another popular expense management platform used by small and mid-market businesses.

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Finance teams can use BILL (as well as the software’s mobile app) to monitor employee travel expenses and automate their financial operations, with help from features like customizable spend controls and automatic transaction categorization.

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If employees make eligible purchases with BILL corporate cards, your company can also collect rewards points and redeem them for cashback, gift cards, statement credit, or travel. 

Circula

• G2 rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (based on 533+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars (based on 443+ reviews)
• Pricing: 
  • Starter plan: Starts at €8.00 per license per month (billed annually)
  • Professional plan: Starts at €13.00 per license per month (billed annually)
  • Professional Plus plan: Contact for details 
• Free trial available? Yes

Rounding out the expense management category is Circula, a solution used primarily outside the US. The platform’s user base ranges from professional service providers and tech startups to large corporations.

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Circula’s streamlined, user-friendly platform is made with business travelers in mind. Employees can take advantage of features like mobile-first UX, AI-powered receipt scanning, and Offline mode (to submit expenses without an internet connection). Alternatively, travelers can use Assistant mode to allow others in their organization to submit expenses on their behalf.

Other helpful travel planning tools for businesses

Managing business travel can be a headache, but it doesn’t have to be. Use the following tools as a supplement to your travel management system to make traveling more cost-effective for your company and more convenient for employees.

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Rocketrip

• G2 rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (based on 10+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: Not available
• Pricing: Contact for details
• Free trial available? No

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Businesses use Rocketrip alongside their corporate travel platform to reduce travel spend and reward employees who save the company money when booking trips.

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The software’s algorithm uses the details of your travel program to create a “Price to Beat” and a list of cost-saving options for employees booking travel plans. Travelers who choose these alternatives receive 50% of the money saved for their personal use in Rocketrip’s Rewards Store or your company’s existing incentive program.

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TripIt

• G2 rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars (based on 43+ reviews)
• Capterra rating: Not available
• Pricing: $49 per year for TripIt Pro plan
• Free trial available? Free plan available

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Think of TripIt as your company’s digital travel assistant. When employees send their trip confirmation emails to the platform’s designated email address, the app creates an itinerary based on the booking details. Travelers can also store PDFs, photos, QR codes, and other files on their accounts for safekeeping or easy access during business trips.

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And while the free plan already makes travel planning easier for employees on the go, the paid Pro plan comes with even more convenient features, like country-specific travel tools, real-time flight alerts, terminal and gate reminders, and interactive airport maps.

What features should businesses look for in their travel management software?

Since every business is different, your organization’s travel management needs will look different from those of your competitors. However, most companies should look for the following features in the tools they choose:

1. Centralized finance workflows: A platform that handles travel booking, expense management, accounting, accounts payable, and more simplifies the finance operations for the entire organization. Employees can use a single app to manage T&E expenses, while finance teams gain greater control and visibility over the company’s spending. 
2. Easy-to-use interface: The ideal software should make it easy for administrators and business travelers to book and manage trips, with an intuitive interface and access to a wide range of transportation and accommodation options. Platforms with expense management automation features also reduce busywork for employees and finance teams alike. 
3. Travel policy compliance: Ideally, your travel expense management software should include customizable corporate travel policies and automated approval workflows to cut out-of-policy spending.
4. Granular travel expense reporting: To reduce unnecessary spending, you need to know where to look. Software with powerful reporting and analytic capabilities helps you identify new ways to save money.
5. Integrations with your tech stack: A connected ecosystem can reveal new insights and opportunities you wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. So, look for software that integrates with your accounting provider, vendor management, HRIS, and more for better performance and greater efficiency.
6. 24/7 support for travelers: Tools with round-the-clock support help reduce the stress involved with business travel planning and booking. This feature also gives travelers and their employers peace of mind if travel plans are disrupted. 

Choose Ramp for stress-free travel booking and expense reporting

Most travel management tools focus on streamlining travel booking or controlling travel spend. With Ramp’s end-to-end travel and expense management software, you no longer have to choose one over the other.

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Because Ramp’s travel booking and expense reporting capabilities are fully integrated into one platform, managers and finance teams can easily monitor employee bookings and on-the-road expenses without switching between tools.

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‍Request a demo today to see how your company can manage travel business expenses and bookings more efficiently on the Ramp platform.