Booking Modes

Booking modes control the overall booking behavior for a policy, determining whether users can book directly or must submit requests for approval.

The Three Modes

Mode	Description	Best For
Direct Booking	Users can book directly (within policy limits)	Most companies
Request Only	All bookings require approval	Strict control
Hybrid	Direct if in-policy, request if out-of-policy	Balanced approach

Direct Booking

Users can complete bookings immediately without approval, as long as they're within policy limits.

Behavior:

In-policy bookings → Complete immediately
Out-of-policy bookings → Depends on policy action:
- Allow/Warn → Complete immediately
- Require Approval → Submit request
- Block → Cannot book

Use when:

You trust employees to make good decisions
You want minimal friction for compliant bookings
Your policy rules are well-defined

Example flow:

Search → Select flight → Review → Confirm Booking → Done

Request Only

All bookings, regardless of policy compliance, must be submitted as requests for approval.

Behavior:

Every booking becomes a request
Admin/manager must approve before booking completes
Even in-policy bookings require approval

Use when:

Very strict travel control is required
All travel must be pre-approved
Budget is tightly managed
Small team where approval overhead is acceptable

Example flow:

Search → Select flight → Review → Submit Request → Wait for Approval → Booking confirmed

Request Only mode shows "Submit Request" button regardless of policy compliance.

Hybrid

The most flexible mode. Users can book directly when in-policy, but must submit requests when out-of-policy.

Behavior:

In-policy bookings → Complete immediately (like Direct Booking)
Out-of-policy bookings → Based on policy action:
- Require Approval → Submit request
- Block → Cannot book
- Allow/Warn → Complete immediately

Use when:

You want to encourage in-policy bookings
Out-of-policy bookings need oversight
Balance between flexibility and control

Example flows:

In-policy:

Search → Select in-policy flight → Review → Confirm Booking → Done

Out-of-policy:

Search → Select out-of-policy flight → Review → Submit Request → Wait for Approval

Comparing Modes

Aspect	Direct Booking	Request Only	Hybrid
In-policy bookings	Direct	Request	Direct
Out-of-policy bookings	Per action	Request	Per action
Admin workload	Low	High	Medium
Employee friction	Low	High	Low for in-policy
Control level	Policy-based	Maximum	Balanced

Choosing the Right Mode

Use Direct Booking if:

Your policy rules are comprehensive
You have clear budget limits
Employees are trusted to follow policy
You want minimal booking friction

Use Request Only if:

All travel must be pre-approved
You have very strict budget control
Your team is small (approval overhead is manageable)
Travel is infrequent

Use Hybrid if:

You want to reward compliant bookings with convenience
Out-of-policy bookings need review
You want to balance control and flexibility
Most bookings should be in-policy

Recommendation: Most companies should start with Hybrid mode. It provides control over exceptions while keeping compliant bookings frictionless.

Mode and Action Interaction

The booking mode works together with policy actions:

Mode	Action	Result
Direct	Allow	Direct booking
Direct	Warn	Direct booking (with warning)
Direct	Require Approval	Submit request
Direct	Block	Cannot book
Request Only	Any	Submit request
Hybrid	Allow	Direct booking
Hybrid	Warn	Direct booking (with warning)
Hybrid	Require Approval	Submit request
Hybrid	Block	Cannot book

Booking Modes

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