There’s only so much you can innovate when it comes to rethinking travel management software. After all, it’s software or an app that handles travel-related stuff – flights, accommodation, and all that. What else can you do with them?
Globally, as of 2023, the travel and expense management software market was worth $3.75 billion. This market is set to cross the $10 billion mark in the next few years or so. However, a lack of modern features in these software products could hinder the market’s growth.
Not to mention, travel agencies or companies that actually use such software will no longer be willing to update to newer versions. After all, what’s so new about features that have been around for ages?
Hence, the travel management software market needs to grow, evolve, and welcome new, advanced features.
Why Modern Travel Management Software Needs Newer Features
Traveling, be it for business or recreational purposes, isn’t the same as it once used to be. At present, travelers expect everything to be seamless. At the same time, travel companies want to keep tabs on everything while making the most of customer data ethically.
That’s where modern travel management software comes in. It's not just about booking flights and hotels anymore. The best travel management tools out there work quietly in the background, smoothing out the wrinkles of traveling. At the same time, they have features that keep everyone, including travelers and travel company managers, on the same page.
All that being said, let’s check out some of the must-have features in modern travel management software.
1. Real-Time Travel Booking That Feels Effortless
Booking travel should be as easy as ordering a pizza. If you still need to send emails back and forth to secure a flight or hotel, you're using the wrong system. A good travel management software gives users direct access to flights, hotels, rental cars, trains—you name it. End users need not have to call people or open a bunch of tabs in a web browser to do the same.
More importantly, the system needs to update in real time. Prices fluctuate fast, especially for airfare. If your software isn't grabbing the most up-to-date prices and availability, you could end up paying more or booking a flight that’s sold out.
This is a vital feature, especially if you’re managing dozens of travelers simultaneously. Customers will want the best prices on bookings. But if your travel management software fails to keep up with real-time details, this won’t be possible, and you’ll be the one losing business.
2. Expense Tracking That Doesn’t Feel Like Homework
Nobody enjoys keeping track of receipts, let alone filling out spreadsheets after a long business trip. That’s why modern travel software absolutely needs integrated expense tracking. Not just for the finance team’s sake, but also for the travel agent who just wants to scan a receipt and move on.
What makes a system truly valuable is its ability to match travel bookings to expenses automatically. If someone booked a flight and hotel through the platform, those charges should already be linked to their trip itinerary.
Adding a mobile receipt capture feature to it is also vital. Just take a photo and it’s logged. The less manual input, the better.
And for companies with strict budgets or reimbursement policies, it helps to have customizable approval flows. That way, managers can see when the travel company is pushing the limits and finance can flag it early before it becomes a problem.
3. Easy Integration with the Tools You Already Use
If you’re managing a travel company, you probably already have a handful of platforms you rely on. Calendar tools, communication apps, HR systems, accounting software – they all play a role in how your business runs. So it only makes sense that your travel management system should play nicely with them too.
Basically, you’ll want the system to integrate easily with the various other tools you use on a daily basis.
Let’s say someone books a trip. It should automatically add the flight details to their Google or Outlook calendar as well as your company’s internal records. If someone is challenging a policy or violating one, that notification too should find its way to the manager. Not manually, but automatically.
The best systems act like pieces of the same puzzle. They connect together well enough to form the perfect picture.
4. It Should Keep Track of Car Accidents Too
A recent car accident in St. Louis is making headlines around the US. The crash saw an SUV drive into oncoming traffic, injuring 8 people. Will a St. Louis car accident lawyer be brought in to handle the legal side of things here? Most likely. After all, there’s a lot to deal with here including court cases, compensations, etc.
Car accident lawyers are skilled in handling all these matters. Hence, seeing them pop up at some point in this case won’t come as a surprise. But, imagine one of your travel groups getting into such an accident. Worse: Imagine frequent car accidents taking place during tours managed by your travel company or during your company’s business travels.
Modern travel management software should let users report accidents directly through the app. Whether it's uploading photos, entering insurance details, or filling out an incident report, the process should be fast and painless. Bonus points if it integrates with your company’s insurance provider or fleet management system.
The sooner your company knows about a car accident, the better prepared it is to respond. You never want to be in the dark when it comes to liability.
5. A Companion Mobile App for the Travel Management Software
Be it a business with employees frequently traveling out of the country, or a travel agency, travel management software is vital for them all. But here’s the thing: Nobody’s lugging around a laptop to manage or oversee their or their customers’ itineraries anymore. This is particularly true for business travels, where company personnel are constantly on the move.
If your team travels even semi-regularly, they need a mobile app that does more than just show a list of bookings.
A good app should send flight alerts, gate changes, or hotel check-in times. It should offer support options when something goes wrong.
Need to rebook a missed connection? The app should let you do that without sitting on hold with customer service for an hour. Rescheduling a flight? The app should let you do that too.
It’s all about convenience, and mobile apps are just that. If the software is too complicated to have a mobile app version, maybe make do with a trimmed-down version of it. This version need not have all the features; just the most used or important ones.
6. Smart Policy Enforcement Without Being Annoying
Nobody wants to feel like their boss or travel agency is watching their every move. But agencies and businesses have travel policies for a reason. The problem is, too many systems either don’t enforce those policies or enforce them so rigidly they become a pain.
Modern travel management software should offer a happy middle ground. When someone books outside of the company’s preferred airline or hotel, they should get a friendly reminder to not do so. Maybe even an explanation of why sticking to the approved option is better.
Remember that you’re not stopping employees or customers from breaking the rules. It’s more about nudging them in the right direction and making compliance easier than going rogue.
7. Built-In Duty of Care and Safety Features
This is one area that’s really evolved in recent years and for good reason. Whether it’s a natural disaster or a public health crisis, companies need to know where their travelers are and offer assistance if needed.
That’s why safety features are a must. Your software should let you track where your travelers are based on bookings. If something happens in a certain area, you should be able to ping them immediately and make sure they’re okay.
Some tools even integrate with global risk intelligence providers to offer alerts about potential disruptions. And if evacuation or emergency services are needed, the software should connect travelers with help quickly.
8. Reports and Analytics That are Easy to Digest
At the end of the day, someone’s going to want to know where the money went or how many travelers their agency helped.
How much was spent on flights last quarter? Which department is blowing past their budget on travel? Are your negotiated hotel rates actually saving your customers any money?
The answers to these questions shouldn’t require a PhD in Excel. Good travel software comes with built-in dashboards and reporting tools that give you the data in a digestible way. You should be able to filter by date, team, trip type, or whatever you need to make informed decisions.
And if you want to forecast future travel spend or see trends over time, the system should offer those insights automatically. This kind of data isn’t just helpful. It’s critical for building smarter travel policies and negotiating better deals with vendors down the line.
Choosing travel management software can feel overwhelming, especially with so many options on the market promising the moon. But once you cut through the buzzwords, it really comes down to how well the software takes care of the traveler or the team.
The best systems today don’t just make bookings easier. They handle the unglamorous side of travel too, from lost receipts to car accidents to late-night rebookings. They keep travelers safe, expenses under control, and companies fully in the loop.
So if you’re in the market for something better, don’t settle for clunky software that feels like it was built a decade ago. Look for something that’s fast, flexible, and, above all, designed for how people actually travel now.
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