JOHANNESBURG – Reports that travelers have been denied entry to US ports of entry have sparked international concerns. For South African businesses, they sparked new debates over the years of blind spots.
So far, no known cases have been involved in South African travelers. However, travel experts say the risks exposed by incidents abroad are easily applied here too.
“These stories brought some unpleasant realities to the surface,” says Mummy Mafojane, GM at FCM. “They remind businesses how vulnerable they are when they don't know where their people are traveling or how to do that.”
That vulnerability is often created by one simple decision. It is a traveler who chooses to book a flight or hotel on his own outside of an approved corporate travel channel. The action, known in the industry as a travel leak or “fraud booking,” is once again in the spotlight thanks to an increasingly unpredictable increase in international mobility regulations.
Increased risk for businesses
For most corporate travelers, stepping outside the system is driven by convenience. They feel they can move faster by finding better fares online, using loyalty points or skipping the company portal. But what you lose in this process – visibility, control and access to support – can become important within hours if something goes wrong.
“If employees can't enter the US and they don't even know which flights their travel teams have been on or which hotels booked, there's very little they can help,” says Mafojane.
The managed travel platform offers more than flights. Integrate visa requirements, real-time alerts, and document reviews. It also offers a duty-of-care function that helps businesses fulfill their obligations to travel employees. Without system monitoring, these safeguards will fall out.
It's not just the US issue
The US may be a headline, but Mafojane warns that security, complex visa applications, or fraudulent bookings across destinations with unstable mobility frameworks are vulnerable.
“Country that requires support documents, clear proof of purpose, or multiple admission documents is at a higher risk,” she says.
Once travel to these destinations are placed in fragments, half through the consumer app, half the loyalty portal, and the itinerary is not on the file, but it becomes impossible for businesses to intervene in the case of flight cancellations, delays in immigration, or emergency relocations.
Why employees still book off-channels
Despite these risks, leaks persist across businesses of all sizes. Some employees simply don't recognize the policy, while others are unhappy with delayed approval and limited content.
“That's not necessarily malicious,” says Maphojan. “The experiences travelers want may not be available with the tools they are given,” which is why she encourages them to concentrate as much on the traveler's experience as businesses do in enforcement.
“Modernizing your booking system is one of the most effective ways to reduce leaks,” she says. “Like the consumer tools people trust, they need to feel mobile-first, personalized, efficient and familiar.”
Production policy shift
With new scrutiny on border issues, organizations can turn to powerful solutions that require off-platform bookings to be unrefundable. That's understandable, says Maphojan. “This is no longer a policy compliance issue,” she says. “It's a reputation, legal and duty concern.”
Mafojane instead recommends a proactive approach to encouraging compliant bookings.
Make sure your approved booking tool or TMC platform is intuitive, fast, mobile-friendly and offers a wide range of flights and accommodations. If it's clunky or limited, travelers will see other places. Educate travelers about why policies exist. Explain not only the travel policy, but also the real reasons behind the travel policy. Once employees understand how compliance protects them personally, they are more likely to follow the guidelines. Include frequent travelers in the platform feedback loop. Ask business travelers for feedback on things that are not working in the system. Having them involved in decisions builds ownership and loyalty. Shorten your approval cycle and streamline your processes. A complex approval chain or manual procedure causes delays that irritate travelers. Automate locations that can be done, allowing travelers to book faster within their policy. View real-time availability and pricing in your booking tool. When travelers see different airfares elsewhere, they lose their trust in the system. Working with TMC, we will ensure content parity with key aggregators and online platforms.
