Setting Travel Preferences
Set your personal travel preferences for flights, hotels, cars, and trains so that your bookings reflect your needs and comfort choices every time.
How to access the travel tool
- In New Expensify: Click the green + button in the bottom-left corner of your screen, then select Book travel.
- In Classic Expensify: Click Travel in the left-hand menu, then select Book or manage travel.
Need to enable travel still? Reach out to your Account Manager or Concierge to schedule a travel demo and get it enabled for your account.
Why set travel preferences?
Setting preferences in advance saves time and ensures more personalized bookings. Your saved preferences will automatically apply to your reservations, whether you’re booking for yourself or someone else is booking on your behalf.
This is especially helpful for frequent travelers and busy teams using assistants or travel arrangers.
How to set your travel preferences
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner of the travel portal.
- Select My Profile.
- Go to the Preferences tab on the left side of the screen.
- Choose a travel type: Air, Hotel, Car, or Rail.
- Fill in your preferences as needed.
- Click Save to confirm your selections.
Air travel preferences
Travel preference notes
Add custom notes about your travel needs (e.g., “I prefer window seats” or “Book seats together when flying with family”). You can create multiple notes and assign each to a specific travel type.
Preferred airports
List your frequently used airports and label each one as Home, Work, or Other.
Flight types
Choose your preferred number of stops:
- Non-stop
- One stop or fewer
- Two stops or fewer
- No preference
Preferred airline alliance
Select one or more alliances such as:
- One World
- SkyTeam
- Value Alliance
Preferred airlines
Click airline icons or use the search box to add your favorite airlines.
Cabin and seat preferences
Set preferences by flight duration:
- Up to 3 hours
- Up to 6 hours
- Over 6 hours
Options include cabin class (e.g., Economy, Business), aisle/window, and a toggle for Bulkhead seating.
Seat amenities
Toggle preferences for:
- In-seat power
- Flatbed seats
- Wi-Fi
Meal preferences
Select your meal type from a dropdown (e.g., Vegetarian, Kosher, Child Meal, Low Salt, or No preference).
Fare attributes
Choose whether you prefer:
- Changeable fares
- Refundable fares
Hotel preferences
Travel preference notes
Add custom notes about your travel needs (e.g., “I prefer window seats” or “Book seats together when traveling with family”). You can create multiple notes and assign each to a specific travel type.
Preferred parent chains
Select from many hotel chains using icon buttons or the search field.
Preferred hotel brands
Use brand logos or search to add specific hotel brands to your profile.
Hotel facilities
Select preferred amenities such as:
- Parking
- Wi-Fi
- Pool
- Pet-friendly
- Family friendly
- Room service
Room options and stay preferences
Customize your room setup with:
- Accessibility toggle for mobility-friendly tubs and showers
- Number of beds: 1, 2, or no preference
- Room location: High floor, low floor, near elevator, or no preference
- Room type: Smoking, non-smoking, or no preference
- Pillow type: Foam, extra foam, extra feather, or no preference
- Most important: Room type, number of beds, location, or no preference
- Room amenities: Feather-free room, refrigerator, extra towels
Conditional rates
Toggle preferences for:
- AAA/CAA
- Military
- Government
Car preferences
Travel preference notes
Add custom notes about your travel needs (e.g., “I prefer window seats” or “Book seats together when traveling with family”). You can create multiple notes and assign each to a specific travel type.
Car supplier brand
Choose rental car brands using logos or the search field.
Car preferences
Select your ideal options for:
- Car category (e.g., Compact, SUV, Van)
- Engine type
- Transmission type
Conditional rates
Indicate eligibility for:
- AAA/CAA
- Military
- Government
Rail preferences
Travel preference notes
Add custom notes about your travel needs (e.g., “I prefer window seats” or “Book seats together when traveling with family”). You can create multiple notes and assign each to a specific travel type.
Preferred station
Click the + button to add stations and label each as Home, Work, or Other.
Seat preferences
Configure preferences for:
- Accessibility (toggle)
- Seat type and location
- Deck level
- Seat direction
Class of service
Select your preferred class:
- Standard/Coach
- Business
- First
- Room
- Executive
Coach preferences
Select amenities like:
- Non-smoking
- Pets allowed
- Quiet coach
- Restaurant
Conditional rates
Select from:
- AAA/CAA
- Military
- Government
FAQ
Do I have to set preferences for every travel type?
No, but we recommend filling in at least your air preferences for the best results.
Can my travel arranger see these preferences?
Yes. Travel arrangers will see and follow your saved preferences when booking on your behalf.
