Corporate Travel Policy: What to Include in 2027 (Plus Rules for Company Events)

A corporate travel policy tells employees how to book, what the company will pay for and who approves what. Most companies write one for everyday business trips, then discover it doesn't cover the moment the whole team travels at once: the company offsite, the sales kickoff or the annual retreat.

This guide covers what to include in a corporate travel policy for 2027, with current per diem rates and cost benchmarks, plus the extra rules you need for group travel to corporate retreats and company events. You'll also find a template you can adapt.

Key Takeaways

• A corporate travel policy should cover booking, airfare, hotels, ground transport, meals, expenses, approvals and traveler safety.
• Set clear caps. Many companies use GSA per diem rates as a benchmark: $113 a night for lodging and $68 a day for meals in standard US locations for FY2027.
• Plan for 2027 costs to rise about 1.5–2% for hotels, airfare and meetings.
• Company events need their own section: group bookings, arrival windows, room blocks, guests and extending trips.
• Keep the policy short, publish it where people book, and review it every year.

What a corporate travel policy should include

Strong policies are short, specific and easy to follow. These are the sections most companies need.

1. Who the policy covers

State which employees, contractors and guests it applies to, and whether it covers candidates or board members traveling at the company's expense.

2. Booking rules

• Which booking tool or travel agency to use.
• How far in advance to book. Fourteen days is a common rule for flights.
• What to do when booking outside the tool is cheaper.

3. Airfare

• Cabin class: economy for most flights, with a clear rule for when premium economy or business is allowed, such as flights over six or eight hours.
• Whether employees may choose a preferred airline if it costs more.
• How to handle bag fees, seat selection and change fees.

4. Hotels

• A nightly cap, either a flat amount or a per-city rate.
• Preferred hotels or chains, if you have negotiated rates.
• Rules for longer stays and for booking through the company tool.

5. Ground transportation

• When to use rideshare, taxis, rental cars or public transit.
• Rental car class and insurance rules.
• Mileage reimbursement for personal cars.

6. Meals and per diems

Many companies use the GSA per diem rates as a benchmark. For FY2027, which runs from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, the standard US rate is $113 a night for lodging and $68 a day for meals and incidentals. About 295 higher-cost locations have their own, higher rates, and many cities change rates by season.

7. Expenses and reimbursement

• What receipts are required and how fast expenses must be submitted.
• What's not reimbursable, such as minibar charges, upgrades or personal entertainment.
• How corporate cards are used.

8. Approvals

• Who approves trips, and at what cost threshold.
• Approval rules for international travel.

9. Safety and duty of care

• How to reach travelers in an emergency.
• Travel insurance and medical support.
• Rules for higher-risk destinations.

2027 travel cost benchmarks

If you're setting or updating caps, plan around 2027 forecasts. GBTA expects:

Category2027 forecastChange vs 2026Global average hotel rate$171/night+1.8%Average airfare (all fares)~$767+1.5%Meeting cost per attendee per day$267+1.5%Car rental per day$46.10-0.9%US standard per diem (GSA)$113 lodging + $68 meals+$3 lodging

City rates vary much more than the average. Review your hotel caps for your most-visited cities each year, rather than raising every cap by the same amount.

Travel policy rules for company events and offsites

When dozens or hundreds of employees travel to the same event, everyday rules break down. Add a short section that covers:

• Booking window and deadline. Open booking as soon as dates are set, and set a firm deadline so fares don't climb.
• Arrival and departure windows. Tell travelers when to land and when they can leave, so airport transfers can be grouped.
• Approved airports. Point travelers to the airports with the best nonstop options. Our guide to the most connected airports can help you choose.
• The room block. Require attendees to book inside the company's room block so the group rate holds and you avoid attrition penalties.
• Ground transport. Say whether the company provides shuttles or employees should expense rides.
• Meals. Clarify which meals the event covers, so per diems apply only to travel days.
• Extending the trip. Set rules for staying extra days at personal expense, and who pays for any fare difference.
• Guests. State whether partners can join and which costs they pay.
• Cabin class exceptions. Decide in advance whether long-haul attendees can fly premium, so the budget doesn't change mid-booking.

Corporate travel policy template

Copy this outline and fill in the brackets.

1. Scope: Applies to [employees, contractors, guests] traveling on company business.
2. Booking: Book through [tool or agency] at least [14] days before travel.
3. Airfare: Economy class; [premium economy or business] allowed on flights over [6/8] hours.
4. Hotels: Up to [$ amount or GSA rate] per night; use [preferred hotels] where available.
5. Ground transport: [Rideshare, taxi, transit]; rental cars [class] with company insurance.
6. Meals: Up to [GSA M&IE rate or $ amount] per day on travel days.
7. Expenses: Submit within [30] days with itemized receipts; not reimbursable: [list].
8. Approvals: Manager approval for trips over [$ amount]; [executive] approval for international travel.
9. Safety: Register trips in [tool]; emergency contact [details].
10. Company events: Book by [deadline]; arrive between [times]; stay in the room block; [shuttles provided or expense rides]; guests [allowed or not] at [their or company] expense.

How to roll out your travel policy

• Keep it short. Two to three pages is plenty. Put details in an FAQ.
• Publish it where people book, inside the booking tool or expense system.
• Explain the why. Employees follow rules they understand, such as booking early because it lowers fares for everyone.
• Review it every year when new per diem rates and cost forecasts come out.
• Brief event attendees separately. Send event-specific travel rules with the invitation, not buried in the main policy.

Conclusion

A good corporate travel policy is clear, short and built for how your company actually travels, including the times everyone travels together. Cover booking, airfare, hotels, ground transport, meals, expenses, approvals and safety, set caps using 2027 benchmarks and GSA rates, and add a dedicated section for company events. For group logistics like shuttles and arrivals, see our guide to corporate retreat transportation. Offsite can handle group travel and room blocks for your next company event, so your policy only has to cover the basics.

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