Matthew, a comment from the same side of the pond. She is an administrator, but she sounds to me like one of the sort of people who prefer to say "no", becuase "no" means that you do not have to do anything. Ask her if she has been to the Business Travel Exhibition, which is run in February. it would pay you great dividends in making contacts. What happens if you get a call on friday night, and she's put on her hat and coat and gone home?

Would it not pay you to be able to book these yourself, or via the Corporate Travel agent in extremis? Having done the job myself, I can see what she is trying to do. People do leave things until the last minute, and she probably has been caught late trying to get people on solid flights or worse hotel rooms.

That however is no excuse for this sort of memo. It is unprofessionaly worded and phrased, and guaranteed to put backs up! I'd have a word with her manager.