I move organisations fairly regularly but most have had very similar travel policies - most companies have been multinational in nature with substantial workforces and in the financial services space.

Travel, other than budget airlines, must be booked through booking agent. Regional travel (North America, Europe etc) or under 6 hours must be in economy or budget airline on a non-flexible fair. Intercontinental flights/over 6 hours can be in Premium Economy or Business depending on employee grade.

Hotels are typicaly a pre-approved list with the requirement to select the cheapest available. If the list is unavailable then there is a destination limit for non-listed hotels which typically isnt very generous. For preferred list hotels then breakfast/dinner inc 2 alcoholic drinks (dinner only) is normally covered whereas if you are eating/staying elsewhere then a daily limit normally applies unless entertaining clients.

Most companies I've worked for have been fairly reasonable and appropriate managers have had discretion to change things - 14 hour flight and going straight into the office for a 8 hour workshop? You can fly Business despite the policy saying it should be PE. Flying the day before and so straight to the hotel, then its PE.

The only company that I had that was different was a USA based company...

N.American employees - business class on all flights, free choice of hotels from the list
W.Europe and ANZ employees - business class over 6 hours and lowest price hotel from the list
Rest of World employees - economy flight irrespective of distance and lowest price of a very different list of hotels/hostels

In a trip to Dublin our US colleagues who were in the UK already stayed at the Conrad at ~£300/night, us UK people stayed at the Doubletree at ~£200/night and the Filipino delegate was staying in a ~£45/night B&B and she had to share the room with someone she'd never met before (another employee visiting for another reason). We did suggest that we all booked the Doubletree but were told that under no circumstances, even if we were paying, could the Filipino colleague stay anywhere other than the B&B