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 (see Figures 1 and 2). This notifies your manager that they need to approve your request.
Figure 1. Request flight approval
Figure 2. Request Hotel Approval button
This brings up a pop-up window (see Figures 3 and 4), where you can provide information about your trip. If your trip is out of policy, the window also provides details on why the booking is out of policy.
Figure 3. This Flight Is Out of Policy pop-up window
Figure 4. This Hotel Is Out of Policy pop-up window
After you submit your trip for approval, TravelBank notifies you that the request has been sent to your manager.
Learn about flight holds* and approval/denial of travel requests
*Note: Flight holds are available for select airlines (that is, United, American Airlines, and Lufthansa Group).
Once you’ve submitted a flight request that requires approval, your manager has a defined amount of time to approve or deny the request (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Pending flight bookings showing the request expiration date and time
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 6. Hotel Approval Request Declined email showing the manager notes
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 7), and you can close the request if you’d like.
Figure 7. Flight request expired
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 8). Select “Yes” to confirm your selection.
Figure 8. Cancel option for a pending booking
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 TravelBank left navigation menu and then “Chat with us” at the bottom-left of the screen.
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: NA