Leakage

Leakage in the context of corporate travel and expense management occurs when employees book travel — such as flights, hotels, or car rentals — outside of the company's approved systems or preferred vendors. These out-of-policy bookings often bypass negotiated rates, compliance checks, and duty-of-care protocols, causing financial and operational inefficiencies.

For companies managing large-scale business travel, leakage can undermine efforts to track spend accurately, enforce travel policies, and leverage volume discounts. It also creates gaps in data analytics, making it harder to evaluate travel behavior, supplier performance, or sustainability metrics. Additionally, off-channel bookings can impact traveler safety if they’re not captured in duty-of-care systems.

By using a centralized travel platform like TripGain, businesses can reduce leakage through real-time policy enforcement, preferred supplier integrations, and clear traveler communication. Encouraging in-policy behavior not only helps save money but also improves traveler safety and reporting accuracy.