January 30, 2026 | In the News

Companies are ‘Travelscrimping’ on Trips, Leaving Employees to Pay for Travel Perks

Work trips on the company dime for some used to mean nice hotels and fancy meals most employees wouldn’t typically indulge in on their own. That’s changing a lot, reports The Wall Street Journal, as more companies limit expenses on work travel, leaving employees to seek out cheaper food and lodging on the road, a practice becoming known as “Travelscrimping.” Even the restaurant chain Cracker Barrel is asking its employees who travel to eat at the company’s restaurants when it’s feasible. Tightening up trip tabs is one of many trends in business travel highlighted by SAP Concur’s 2025 Global Business Travel Survey, which was based on data collected by Wakefield Research.