General Policies
The General section defines core approval and companion travel settings that apply across all travel types. These rules control who can approve travel requests and how to manage companions and shoulder nights.
Approval Policy
Controls who reviews and approves travel requests:
Invite Coordinator
The person who created the travel invitation reviews requests. This default works well when coordinators oversee specific events or departments.
Best for:
- Departmental travel management
- Event-specific coordinators
- Distributed approval workflows
Specified User
A designated organization member reviews all requests regardless of who created the invitation. This enables centralized control.
Best for:
- Centralized travel management
- Consistent approval standards
- Organizations with dedicated travel coordinators
Companion Policy
Manage additional travelers on the same trip. Companion policies help control costs while accommodating legitimate business needs.
Policy Types
Never
Companions are not allowed under any circumstances. This is the most restrictive option and ensures only the primary invitee travels.
Use cases:
- Cost-sensitive organizations
- Standard employee travel
- Training or conference attendance
Always
Allow up to a specified number of companions without additional approval. This provides flexibility when travelers need assistance or collaboration.
Configuration:
- Allowed Companion Count - Maximum number of companions (1-10)
- Coordinator Override - Whether coordinators can override companion limits
Use cases:
- Executive travel
- Disability accommodations
- Team collaboration requirements
With Conditions
Allow companions based on custom field conditions (e.g., executive level, event type, travel purpose) for nuanced control.
Configuration:
- Allowed Companion Count - Maximum number of companions (1-10)
- Coordinator Override - Whether coordinators can override companion limits
- Conditions - Custom field logic determining when companions are allowed
Use cases:
- Executive-only spouse travel
- International trip companions
- Incentive or celebration trips with significant others
Coordinator Override
When enabled, coordinators can override companion count limits case-by-case for exceptional circumstances while maintaining control.
Companion policies support complex conditional logic using your organization’s custom fields. For example, allow companions only for executives or for international travel longer than 5 days.
Shoulder Nights Policy
By default, Juno determines required nights by comparing event dates and times with flight availability. Optionally allow additional shoulder nights for more flexibility.
Policy Types
Never
No additional nights are allowed. Travelers can only book accommodations and flights for the required dates.
Best for:
- Strict cost control
- Short local trips
- Day meetings or conferences
Always
Up to a specified number of shoulder nights are always allowed without additional approval. This accommodates travel logistics and potential cost savings.
Configuration:
- Allowed Shoulder Night Count - Maximum additional nights
- Coordinator Override - Whether coordinators can override shoulder night limits
Best for:
- International travel (to reduce jet lag)
- Locations with limited flight schedules
- Opportunities for additional business meetings
With Conditions
Shoulder nights are allowed based on custom field conditions.
Configuration:
- Allowed Shoulder Night Count - Maximum additional nights
- Coordinator Override - Whether coordinators can override shoulder night limits
- Conditions - Custom field logic determining when shoulder nights are allowed
Best for:
- Different rules for domestic vs. international travel
- Executive travel flexibility
- Event-specific accommodations
Coordinator Override
When enabled, travel coordinators can override shoulder night limits for exceptional circumstances such as:
- Significant flight cost savings
- Important business opportunities
- Weather or schedule disruptions
Consider the cost implications of shoulder nights policies. While additional nights may increase accommodation costs, they can often result in significant flight savings or improved traveler experience.
Split Payment Policy
Split payments allow guests to pay for portions of their hotel booking that exceed what your organization’s policy covers. When enabled, guests can choose to pay the difference themselves rather than requesting approval for out-of-policy bookings.
Policy Types
Never
Split payments are disabled. Guests cannot pay for policy violations themselves and must request approval for any out-of-policy hotel bookings.
Best for:
- Organizations that want full control over all hotel costs
- Situations where you prefer to review all policy exceptions
- When you want to discourage guests from selecting out-of-policy options
Always
Split payments are offered when guests select hotel options that exceed policy limits. Guests can choose to pay the difference or request approval.
Best for:
- Organizations that want to give guests flexibility
- Reducing approval workload for minor policy violations
- Allowing guests to personalize their travel experience
How Split Payments Work
Split payments apply to two scenarios:
Extra Nights (Shoulder Nights)
When a guest wants to stay beyond the organization’s covered period—arriving early or staying late—they pay the full nightly rate for the extra nights.
- Guest pays: 100% of extra nights (base rate + taxes/fees)
- Organization pays: $0 for nights outside the covered period
Example: Your policy covers 3 nights for an event. A guest arrives a day early. You pay for nights 2-4; the guest pays for night 1.
Room Upgrade (Out-of-Policy Rate)
When a guest selects a room that exceeds your maximum price per night, they pay the per-night difference between the room rate and your policy limit.
- Guest pays: The difference above your max rate (per night)
- Organization pays: Up to your policy maximum per night
Example: Your policy allows $150/night maximum. A guest selects a $200/night room. You pay $150/night; the guest pays $50/night.
Combined Scenarios
Both can occur on the same booking. For example, a guest might arrive early (paying full rate for the extra night) AND select an upgraded room (paying the rate difference for covered nights).
When guests choose split payment, they select a personal payment method and are charged immediately upon booking. A 2.9% processing fee is added to cover card processing costs.
Requirements and Limitations
- USD only: Split payments are currently only available for hotel bookings in USD
- Organization responsibility: If a guest’s split payment fails to process, your organization is responsible for the remaining charges
- Automatic processing: Split payment charges and refunds are processed automatically—no coordinator action required
Before enabling split payments, ensure your organization is comfortable with the potential liability if guest payment collection fails. While rare, your organization would be responsible for any uncollected guest portions.
Configuration Best Practices
Approval Policy
- Start with Invite Coordinator - Most organizations benefit from distributed approval
- Use Specified User for Compliance - When consistent approval standards are critical
- Ensure Backup Coverage - Designated approvers should have backup coverage
Companion Policy
- Begin with “Never” - Establish baseline cost control
- Use Conditions for Flexibility - Allow companions based on role or trip type
- Monitor Utilization - Track companion usage to optimize policies
Test general policy settings with various traveler scenarios before deploying organization-wide. Consider creating separate policies for different traveler segments rather than complex conditional rules.