The Last Minute, On-Demand Business Trip Finds New Acceptance in Corp Travel

Employees used to get a slap on the wrist for booking at the last-minute, but that could be about to change. As companies plot their return to travel, policies that stated bookings had to be made 14 days before or longer — primarily to keep costs down — may be ripped up due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreaks. While most organizations keep their generic travel bans in place, which increasingly look likely to last for the rest of the year, travel managers and other players in the sector want to make life easier for those taking “essential” trips. “One minute a country can be open, a week later it could close its borders again,” said Ann Dery, director, global travel and meetings at market intelligence firm S&P Global. “We have situations where people are working virtually, in different countries and different states. They may have to make those decisions at short notice.” Dery also said the new mindset was a significant change for her company: a discipli