How do I set up an online booking tool for a travel program that needs approvals before booking?

To set up an online booking tool with approvals before booking, you’ll want a workflow that separates:

1. Traveler request
2. Approver review
3. Booking issuance only after approval

Here’s a practical setup approach.

1) Define your approval policy

Decide which trips need approval and by whom.

Common rules:

• All trips require approval
• Domestic trips approved by manager
• International trips approved by manager + finance
• Trips over a certain cost require higher approval
• Certain departments or traveler groups have different rules

Document:

• Who can request travel
• Who approves
• What happens if the approver is unavailable
• Approval turnaround time expectations

2) Choose a booking platform that supports workflow

Use a tool that has:

• Pre-trip request forms
• Approval routing
• Policy controls
• Booking integration
• Audit trail
• Traveler notifications

Examples of capabilities to look for:

• Multi-level approvals
• Cost threshold triggers
• Department-based routing
• Mobile approval
• Integration with travel inventory or agency services

3) Configure the request process

Set up a form where travelers submit:

• Trip purpose
• Dates and destination
• Estimated cost
• Preferred flights/hotels/cars
• Cost center/project code
• Business justification
• Traveler details

The request should create a pending approval record, not an actual booking.

4) Build approval routing rules

Create rules such as:

• If traveler is in Sales → route to Sales Manager
• If trip cost > $2,000 → route to Director
• If international → route to Legal or Risk
• If policy exception requested → route to Travel Admin

Keep the routing logic simple at first, then expand as needed.

5) Prevent booking until approval is granted

This is critical.

Your tool should:

• Hold the request in “Pending Approval”
• Block ticketing/confirmation until approval is complete
• Release booking only after approval
• Notify the traveler automatically after decision

If using an agent or travel desk, ensure they can only finalize after an approved request is received.

6) Set policy controls in the booking tool

Configure travel policy rules such as:

• Allowed cabin class
• Hotel nightly rate caps
• Preferred suppliers
• Advance purchase requirements
• Car rental limits
• Rail vs air preferences

The system can:

• Flag out-of-policy options
• Require justification
• Trigger additional approval for exceptions

7) Add notifications and reminders

Automate:

• Approval request sent to approver
• Reminder after 24/48 hours
• Escalation if overdue
• Traveler notified of approval/denial
• Booking confirmation after approval

8) Decide what happens after approval

After approval, the request should either:

• Automatically convert into a booking, or
• Route to a travel agent/booking team to complete

If you want tighter control, use manual final booking by a travel coordinator.
If you want speed, enable auto-booking for approved, policy-compliant trips.

9) Track compliance and reporting

Make sure you can report on:

• Approval times
• Out-of-policy requests
• Booking spend by department
• Approver bottlenecks
• Unused approvals
• Trip volume and savings

This helps improve the process over time.

10) Test the workflow before rollout

Run test cases such as:

• Simple domestic trip
• International trip
• Expensive trip
• Out-of-policy hotel
• Approver out of office

Validate that:

• Requests route correctly
• No booking happens before approval
• Travelers and approvers get the right notifications

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Simple recommended workflow

A good baseline design is:

Traveler submits request → Manager approves → Travel desk/books trip → Confirmation sent

For a more automated setup:

Traveler submits request → System checks policy → Manager approves → Tool books automatically

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Best practices

• Keep approval tiers minimal
• Use clear thresholds for exceptions
• Make approvals mobile-friendly
• Add delegated approvers
• Maintain an audit trail
• Train travelers on how to request trips correctly

If you want, I can also help you design:

• a sample approval workflow
• a policy matrix
• or a step-by-step setup in a specific tool like Concur, Navan, Egencia, or a custom system.