Purpose
This article explains the steps for users to request approval for travel plans in the TravelBank platform.
Audience
This article is directed toward travelers with a paid TravelBank travel management account. (If you’re a manager with a paid TravelBank travel management account, review our documentation on approving travel requests.)
Travel booking process
Review our Corporate travel user guide for information on the travel booking process.
Request travel approval
Depending on your company’s travel policy settings, your booking may require manager approval prior to being booked. Take the following steps to request approval:
Once you have selected your flight or hotel, select Request Flight Approval/Request Hotel Approval, respectively (Figure 1 and Figure 2). This notifies your manager that they need to approve your request.
This brings up a dialog (Figure 3 and Figure 4) where you can provide information about your trip. If your trip is out of policy, the dialog also provides details on why the booking is out of policy.
After you submit your trip for approval, TravelBank notifies you that the request has been sent to your manager.
Figure 1. Request flight approval
Figure 2. Request Hotel Approval button
Figure 3. This Flight Is Out of Policy dialog
Figure 4. This Hotel Is Out of Policy dialog
Learn about approval/denial of travel requests
Once you’ve submitted a travel request that requires approval, your manager has a defined amount of time to approve or deny the request (Figure 5). At this point, your trip is listed in the Pending tab of the Trips page, and you can still cancel your trip.
If your manager approves the request, the trip booking is confirmed and it moves to the Upcoming tab.
If your manager declines the request, TravelBank sends you a notification about the decline, including the reason for the decline if the manager provided a reason (Figure 6).
Figure 5. Pending flight booking showing the request expiration date and time
Figure 6. Hotel Approval Request Declined email showing the manager notes
Cancel your trip while it’s pending approval
To cancel your trip while it’s still pending approval, go to the Travel page > Trips > Pending tab. Select the menu icon (that is, the three vertical dots) in the pending trip image and then Cancel (Figure 7). Select Yes to confirm your selection.
Figure 7. Cancel option for a pending booking
If your flight request expires before your manager can take action on it, TravelBank notifies you of the expiration. In this case, you will need to book a new flight request. The expired request appears in your Past trips tab, Requests section (Figure 8), and you can close the request if you’d like.
Figure 8. Flight request expired
Note about flight holds*
*Note: Flight holds are available for select airlines (that is, United, American Airlines, and Lufthansa Group).
Get help with your trip
You can modify or cancel your hotel through the TravelBank web app or modify or cancel your flight through the TravelBank mobile app.
If you have a complex/group booking you need help with, reach out to the travel team for support:
Email reservations@travelbank.com for help with hotel booking.
Call 866-682-8785, available 24/7/365.
From the mobile app:
Select the hamburger menu in the top-left of the screen and then Chat With Us.
From the Travel page, select the chat icon at the top-right of your screen.
From the web app:
Select the question icon (that is, the Help & Support button) at the top-right of the page and then Chat With Us.
From the Travel page, select the chat link beneath the booking section of the page.
Questions?
You can chat with TravelBank support in the app or by email at support@travelbank.com.
Publish date: May 24, 2024
Last update: May 21, 2025