Managing corporate travel doesn’t have to be chaotic or costly. A well-designed travel management platform can simplify bookings, enforce travel policies, support your team on the go and ultimately save your company time and money.
But with dozens of tools out there, how do you pick the right one?
Here are the 10 essential features every smart travel manager should look for when choosing a corporate travel management solution:
Managing corporate travel doesn’t have to be chaotic or costly. A well-designed travel management platform can simplify bookings, enforce travel policies, support your team on the go and ultimately save your company time and money.
But with dozens of tools out there, how do you pick the right one?
Here are the 10 essential features every smart travel manager should look for when choosing a corporate travel management solution:
1. All-in-One Booking Platform
1. All-in-One Booking Platform
No more juggling multiple apps or vendors. Your travel tool should let employees book flights, hotels, transfers, and more—all in one place. This streamlines the process, reduces manual errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all bookings.
No more juggling multiple apps or vendors. Your travel tool should let employees book flights, hotels, transfers, and more—all in one place. This streamlines the process, reduces manual errors, and gives you a single source of truth for all bookings.
2. Policy Control and Compliance
2. Policy Control and Compliance
Control spend without slowing things down. Look for tools that let you:
- Set travel budgets
- Enforce approval workflows
- Highlight preferred vendors: This ensures travelers stay within company policy—automatically.
Control spend without slowing things down. Look for tools that let you:
- Set travel budgets
- Enforce approval workflows
- Highlight preferred vendors: This ensures travelers stay within company policy—automatically.
3. Real-Time Expense Tracking
3. Real-Time Expense Tracking
Say goodbye to messy spreadsheets. A good solution should:
- Track expenses as they happen
- Integrate with your finance or expense software
- Simplify reimbursements and reporting: This makes life easier for travelers and finance teams.
Say goodbye to messy spreadsheets. A good solution should:
- Track expenses as they happen
- Integrate with your finance or expense software
- Simplify reimbursements and reporting: This makes life easier for travelers and finance teams.
4. 24/7 Traveler Support
4. 24/7 Traveler Support
Delays and disruptions happen—your team should never be stranded.
Choose a solution with round-the-clock support via chat, phone, or email, so travelers can get help instantly—wherever they are in the world.
Delays and disruptions happen—your team should never be stranded.
Choose a solution with round-the-clock support via chat, phone, or email, so travelers can get help instantly—wherever they are in the world.
5. Smart Reporting & Analytics
5. Smart Reporting & Analytics
Get the insights you need to make better travel decisions.
Look for customizable dashboards that let you:
- Track travel spend
- Spot trends
- Improve vendor negotiations: Data is your best friend when managing cost and efficiency.
Get the insights you need to make better travel decisions.
Look for customizable dashboards that let you:
- Track travel spend
- Spot trends
- Improve vendor negotiations: Data is your best friend when managing cost and efficiency.
6. Seamless System Integrations
6. Seamless System Integrations
Your travel platform should work with what you already use—like your:
- HR software
- Finance tools
- CRM system: This eliminates duplicate data entry and keeps everything in sync.
Your travel platform should work with what you already use—like your:
- HR software
- Finance tools
- CRM system: This eliminates duplicate data entry and keeps everything in sync.
7. Mobile-Friendly Experience
7. Mobile-Friendly Experience
Your travelers are mobile—your travel platform should be too.
Look for a tool with an intuitive mobile app that lets employees:
- Book on the go
- Access itineraries
- Get real-time updates: Convenience matters, especially for frequent flyers.
Your travelers are mobile—your travel platform should be too.
Look for a tool with an intuitive mobile app that lets employees:
- Book on the go
- Access itineraries
- Get real-time updates: Convenience matters, especially for frequent flyers.
8. Personalized Travel Preferences
8. Personalized Travel Preferences
Boost traveler satisfaction and compliance by letting them:
- Choose preferred airlines or seats
- Save favorite hotels or locations
Personalization makes booking faster and more enjoyable.
Boost traveler satisfaction and compliance by letting them:
- Choose preferred airlines or seats
- Save favorite hotels or locations
Personalization makes booking faster and more enjoyable.
9. Built-In Risk Management
9. Built-In Risk Management
Safety is non-negotiable.
A strong platform should support your duty of care with:
- Real-time alerts
- Emergency contact tools
- Traveler location tracking
This helps you respond quickly if a crisis hits.
Safety is non-negotiable.
A strong platform should support your duty of care with:
- Real-time alerts
- Emergency contact tools
- Traveler location tracking
This helps you respond quickly if a crisis hits.
10. Scalability and Flexibility
10. Scalability and Flexibility
As your business grows, your travel needs will change.
Choose a solution that can scale with you—whether you’re:
- Hiring more employees
- Expanding to new markets
- Updating your travel policy
Flexibility ensures you won’t outgrow your platform.
Why GCC Businesses Need Extra Features?
When choosing a corporate travel tool in the UAE & GCC, a few features matter even more:
Regional Airlines & LCCs – Access carriers like Flyadeal, Air Arabia for cheaper inter-GCC fares.
Multi-Currency – Handle AED, SAR, QAR, and avoid hidden FX or payment fees.
Holiday Surge Alerts – Plan ahead for Eid, National Days, and peak travel seasons.
Visa & Compliance Support – Tools to track travelers, manage duty of care, and handle local rules.
Local 24/7 Support – Fast response with reliable uptime to keep business travel smooth.
When choosing a corporate travel tool in the UAE & GCC, a few features matter even more:
Regional Airlines & LCCs – Access carriers like Flyadeal, Air Arabia for cheaper inter-GCC fares.
Multi-Currency – Handle AED, SAR, QAR, and avoid hidden FX or payment fees.
Holiday Surge Alerts – Plan ahead for Eid, National Days, and peak travel seasons.
Visa & Compliance Support – Tools to track travelers, manage duty of care, and handle local rules.
Local 24/7 Support – Fast response with reliable uptime to keep business travel smooth.
As your business grows, your travel needs will change.
Choose a solution that can scale with you—whether you’re:
- Hiring more employees
- Expanding to new markets
- Updating your travel policy
Flexibility ensures you won’t outgrow your platform.
Meet OBT7: The Smarter Way to Manage Corporate Travel
Meet OBT7: The Smarter Way to Manage Corporate Travel
Say goodbye to the chaos of business travel.
OBT7 is your all-in-one corporate booking tool—built for modern teams that want smarter travel, not more stress.
With:
- Seamless flight, hotel, and transfer bookings
- Advanced policy controls
- Real-time expense tracking
- 24/7 support
OBT7 helps your company save time, cut costs, and support your travelers at every step.
Say goodbye to the chaos of business travel.
OBT7 is your all-in-one corporate booking tool—built for modern teams that want smarter travel, not more stress.
With:
Seamless flight, hotel, and transfer bookings
Advanced policy controls
Real-time expense tracking
24/7 support
OBT7 helps your company save time, cut costs, and support your travelers at every step.
FAQ
Start by identifying your biggest pain points — whether it's uncontrolled costs, frequent disruptions, policy non-compliance, or traveler satisfaction. Then look for a tool that aligns with solving that top issue first (e.g., built-in risk management if safety is a concern, or advanced analytics if cost control is key).
Not necessarily. Many platforms are modular — you can pick essential features to begin with and add others as your needs grow. Also, implementing these features often leads to savings (via fewer out-of-policy spends, better negotiated rates, fewer disruptions) which can offset initial costs.
Yes — a scalable, flexible tool should be able to handle growth in employee numbers, new routes, new suppliers (including regional airlines), multi-currency, and policy updates. When evaluating, look for evidence of this flexibility (e.g., case studies, feature roadmap).
Look for 24/7 support (chat, phone, email), emergency contact tools, real-time alerts, traveler tracking, and clear SLA or response time guarantees. Good support ensures minimal disruptions when things go wrong.
