Travel policies ignored for convenience, cost and comfort: research unveiled at GBTA Convention highlights where corporate travelers break booking rules

My way: travel policies ignored for convenience, cost and comfort 

Research unveiled at GBTA Convention highlights where corporate travelers break booking rules

23 July 2025, Denver, USA: Half of business travelers admit they do not check their company’s travel policy and instead book to save time, cost and boost comfort according to new research from the global chauffeur service Blacklane. 

Unveiled today at the 2025 GBTA Convention in Denver, the insights study ‘Cracking the Code to Boost Policy Compliance’ found that while detailed travel policies are commonplace, just 54 per cent consult the policy often or always. 

When asked to outline the most important factors influencing travel decision making, an overwhelming 86 per cent highlight direct routes, with 81 per cent ranking cost as important and 79 per cent looking for attractive flexibility and cancellation policies. A significant two-thirds (64 per cent) state access to premium services as an important factor, underlining the need for policies to meet traveler preferences for options such as airport lounges and chauffeur services that allow them to be productive and efficient, alongside budget metrics. 

Dr Sascha Meskendahl, Chief Revenue Officer at Blacklane, explains:

“Blacklane’s research reveals the strong relationship between limited disruption and business travel policy compliance. Travellers justify booking outside the rules to reduce the number of journey legs, save costs and enhance comfort in order to make efficient use of their time. Policy makers need to take on-board traveler demand for options that make a journey faster and more pleasant in order to boost compliance.” 

For those deviating from the travel policy, a third (36 per cent) do so because of the cost, and a further third (32 per cent) are non-compliant due to inconvenient travel times or routes. When it comes to business travel budgets, almost half (47 per cent) of business travellers believe that going outside the policy in fact saves the company money. A further third (31 per cent) state their rule breaking makes no financial difference. 

Behavioral psychologist, Dr Mel Campbell, who shared insights with GBTA Convention attendees, adds: 

“The travel policy is alive and well, however traveler engagement and buy-in to the policy is lost and missing. The ‘Cracking the Code to Boost Policy Compliance’ research from Blacklane reinforces that without recognizing the valued preferences of travelers, they will continue to be disengaged. Corporate travel guidelines need a refresh to be fit-for-purpose for today’s travelers, such as adding rewards and unlocking benefits when booking within company policy.”

Blacklane conducted the research in partnership with YouGov amongst over 1,000 international business travelers across the UK and US who travel internationally for work at least twice a year, across a diverse mix of industries and company sizes.