When a booking requires approval, Melon will automatically notify you and present the information needed to make an informed decision.
When Does a Booking Require Approval?
Your company's travel policy determines which bookings require approval. Common examples include:
Bookings that exceed the recommended spend
Out-of-policy reservations
Travel requiring manager authorisation
Specific routes, suppliers, or booking types
When one of these conditions is met, Melon automatically routes the booking for approval before it can be ticketed or confirmed.
How to Access Trip Approvals
You can review and action approvals in two ways:
Option 1: Via Approval Email
When a booking requires your approval, you'll receive an email notification.
On desktop, selecting the approval link will open Melon in your browser.
On mobile, selecting the link will open the Melon Mobile App (if installed).
Option 2: Within Melon
Open the Trip Approvals section in Melon to view all pending requests.
Where to Find Trip Approvals
Desktop
Select Trip Approvals from the top-right corner of the Melon homepage.
Melon Mobile App
Pending approvals are displayed in the top-right corner of the app, including the number of requests awaiting action.
Inside the tab, you'll see:
Pending: Approvals awaiting your action
Completed: Your past decisions
What You’ll See When Reviewing
The itinerary details
Recommended spend for the route
Traveller justifications (for out-of-policy trips)
Up to 5 alternative lower-cost options, flagged if over budget
This gives you full visibility into the traveller’s choice vs. available alternatives—so you can make a more informed decision.
How to Action a Request
Review the booking
Choose Approve ✅ or Decline ❌ for each segment
Click Submit to complete the approval
If you don’t take action before the deadline, Melon will auto-approve or auto-decline segments based on your company’s policy.
Declining a Booking?
If you choose Decline, you’ll be prompted to provide a reason. This is shared with the traveller and/or their travel arranger for clarity.
Before declining, we recommend checking with the traveller—selected fares may be the last available, and once declined, the rate may no longer be accessible.
What Happens Next?
Traveller and Trip Arranger will be automatically notified
Status updates to Booked or Declined in their My Trips section
If partially approved, only the approved segments are processed
Need further help? Check out the Approvals Guide for approvers for a detailed guide to approving in Melon and Melon Mobile!