Open booking

Open booking is a practice in corporate travel where employees book travel services, like flights or hotels, outside of the company’s official travel management system (TMS) or provider. Instead of using approved platforms or travel agents, employees are free to make reservations and bookings as they please, whether directly with providers, through online travel agencies (OTAs), etc.

While open booking gives employees greater flexibility, it can create challenges for businesses. Without centralized records, companies may lose visibility over travel spending, struggle with expense reporting, or face issues with duty of care.

To balance flexibility and control, many organizations use travel booking tools that can capture external bookings or integrate with solutions like global distribution systems (GDS) and expense management software. Some businesses also use virtual or lodge cards to manage open booking, as these corporate cards make it easier to track independently booked trips.