Claudia Unger, former director of research and intelligence at BCD Travel, has published a textbook on managed travel. Unger is a well-known expert on managed travel and a regular speaker at BBT Forums and industry events.
The academic book, entitled Corporate Travel: Hiding in Plain Sight, is for travel buyers with a range of experiences; from those new to the profession through to advanced buyers operating mature, sophisticated travel programmes.
It starts with the history of business travel – Egyptians trading up and down the Nile in 1500BC, currency systems in the Persian Empire, then Roman highways and spas – the first ‘bleisure’! – continuing to risk management concerns on the Silk Road in 500BC.
We then move to the last century, with the creation of Hertz and Lufthansa in the 1920s, to IBM and American Airlines launching the first real-time reservation system, Sabre, in the 1950s.
It covers a range of key topics including compliance, negotiated rates, risk management, demand and behaviour management, payment and expenses.
After setting out the basics of the corporate travel world, it goes on to set out in detail how to manage a successful travel programme, including the components of a policy, sourcing, approval process, preferred suppliers, behaviour, cost control and the various stakeholders.
Forward-looking content includes policy personalisation, and using the company’s corporate identity, for example on credit cards and itineraries, as reminders to boost compliance.
More information at c-asinunger.com