What is Linked Bookings?
Linked Bookings makes it possible to group multiple bookings that belong to the same trip but were booked separately into one set. A typical example: an outbound flight and a hotel booked in two separate searches, both belonging to the same trip.
ℹ️ Good to know: Aside from the joint submission via the Expense API, linking is purely visual. The booking overview, accounting, and the processing of expenses and receipts all continue to work exactly as before. Linked bookings remain separate bookings — they are simply displayed together for a clearer overview.
Who can link which bookings?
Access doesn't just depend on who originally created a booking, but also on the person's role within the company:
| Who | Which bookings can be linked? |
|---|---|
| Admin (within their own company) | All bookings belonging to their organization |
| Booker | Only bookings they created themselves |
| Primary traveler | Only bookings on which they are the (first) traveler |
| Secondary travelers and users with read-only access | No access to linking |
ℹ️ Note: Once a person is the booker or primary traveler on at least one booking within a linked set, they can view and manage the entire set — including bookings made by other people, even if there is otherwise no connection to those bookings.
This results in the following scenarios:
| Scenario | Does it work? |
|---|---|
| Booker and traveler are the same person | ✅ Yes |
| A central travel management team books for multiple travelers | ✅ Yes |
| Different bookers book for the same traveler | ⚠️ Limitation – each booker only sees their own bookings; an admin at the company can step in and link the bookings |
Requirements
The following conditions must be met before bookings can be linked:
- The trip is still upcoming (linking already-completed trips retroactively isn't possible)
- All bookings involved are fully confirmed
Linking bookings
- On the booking detail page, select "Link Bookings" from the actions menu
- This button only appears if the booking is confirmed and the logged-in user has permission (see table above)
- From the list, select the other bookings that belong to the same trip
- Confirm your selection
⚠️ Important: If a selected booking is already part of another set, that entire set is merged in as well — including all bookings it contains. This applies regardless of whether there is any connection to those absorbed bookings; it's enough that they belong to the same organization. Linking always fully merges two sets together; it doesn't just add a single booking.
Removing a booking from a link
The "Linked Bookings" card offers an unlink action for each booking, allowing you to remove a single booking from the set.
ℹ️ Note: If only one booking remains after removal, the entire set is automatically dissolved, since a set with just one booking wouldn't make sense.
Where are links displayed?
| Location | Display |
|---|---|
| Booking detail page | "Linked Bookings" card listing all linked bookings, including the unlink action |
| Booking list (own bookings & full overview) | Badge showing the number of linked bookings |
Clicking the badge opens a modal with an overview of all bookings in the set.
Expense export
Linked bookings are submitted to e.g. Circula together, so that receipts belonging to the same trip can be processed as a group. Whenever bookings are linked or unlinked, the export is automatically refreshed — Circula always receives the current state without any manual action needed.
Frequently asked questions
The "Link Bookings" button isn't showing up — why not? The button only appears if the booking is confirmed and the person is either an admin at their company, the booker of that booking, or the primary traveler on it.
Can bookings be linked that someone else made? As a traveler, a person can link their own bookings if they're listed as the primary traveler on them. For a secondary traveler, linking isn't possible — an admin at the company can help in that case.
The Linked Bookings card shows bookings that weren't made by me or that I'm not traveling on — is that normal? Yes. Once someone is the booker or primary traveler on at least one booking within the set, the entire set is shown to them — including bookings made by other people they otherwise have no connection to.
What happens if a booking is linked that's already part of another set? Both sets are fully merged. All bookings from the existing set then become part of the new, combined set — regardless of who originally created them.
Can an already-completed trip be linked retroactively? No, linking is only possible for upcoming trips.
What happens to the expense export if a booking is unlinked? The export is automatically updated. The affected bookings are then submitted individually again.
What can be done if two different people made bookings for the same traveler? Since each booker can only link their own bookings, an admin at the company can help in this case, as they have access to all bookings within the organization.
Does linking change anything about accounting or how receipts are processed? No. Aside from the joint submission to the expense tool, linking has no effect on the booking overview, accounting, or the processing of receipts and expenses. It's purely a display feature to make related bookings easier to find.
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