What is a managed travel program? And why you need to make the switch

17 Jun 2021 · 4 MIN READ

Last updated: May 2026Whether your business travel is scaling fast or you're looking to bring more stability to your current program, it could be a good time to consider a managed travel program. This short article will guide you through the benefits you can expect, the difference between a managed and unmanaged corporate travel program, and those nuisance tasks you'll be able to wish goodbye to.

Key takeaways

A managed travel program delegates travel planning, booking, and expense management to a TMC, freeing your team to focus on real work.
Companies using managed travel programs typically see improved policy compliance and better visibility into travel spend.
Centralized reporting and consolidated invoicing reduce administrative burden on finance and travel teams.
Built-in risk management and duty of care features help keep employees safe during work travel.
A managed travel program benefits growing companies, frequent travelers, and organizations looking to streamline travel operations.

What is a managed travel program?

Definition: A managed travel program is a corporate travel arrangement in which a business delegates employee travel planning, booking, and expense management to a Travel Management Company (TMC).A managed travel program is when a business outsources its employee travel logistics to a TMC (Travel Management Company)—a specialized provider that handles travel planning, booking, policy enforcement, and expense management on behalf of organizations. The TMC handles anything and everything concerning travel and business—so the business can focus on doing what it does best.

What’s the difference between a managed and unmanaged travel program?

There's quite a drastic difference between a managed and unmanaged travel program.

Managed travel program

Unmanaged travel program

Centralized booking through a TMC

Employees book travel independently

Automatic policy enforcement

Limited or no policy compliance

Full visibility into travel spend

Fragmented cost tracking

Consolidated invoicing and reporting

Multiple vendors and receipts to manage

Built-in risk management and duty of care

Limited traveler tracking and support

Negotiated rates and cost savings

Standard consumer pricing

If you have an unmanaged travel program right now, it means your employees are booking their travel themselves. They'll likely reach bottlenecks in the booking process while awaiting approval from management or getting a budget. This delay can lead to some costly travel expenditures as airfare prices increase.Otherwise known as an open booking policy or self-booking program, employees take travel coordination into their own hands. Employees will have to speak directly with suppliers and have limited insights on travel options or how to spend and track their travel budget best.A managed travel program takes care of all types of travel bookings , saving everyone time and money while ensuring policy compliance across all bookings. Traditionally, TMCs handle your booking for you. However, Perk puts the power back in the hands of the traveler with a user-friendly tool—eradicating the associated stress of booking travel.

Who needs a managed travel program?

A managed travel program benefits businesses of all sizes, but it's especially valuable for:

Growing companies with increasing travel volumes that need better cost control and visibility
Mid-size and enterprise organizations managing travel across multiple teams or locations
Companies with frequent travelers who need consistent policy enforcement and duty of care
Businesses looking to reduce administrative burden on finance teams and travel coordinators
Organizations prioritizing employee safety during work travel

If your team books more than a handful of trips per month, a managed travel program can deliver measurable time and cost savings.

7 benefits of switching to a managed travel program

Both travel managers and business travelers may be surprised what making the switch to a managed program can do.

Centralized reporting consolidates booking data, expense management , department spend, and reimbursement into one dashboard, enabling your business to make data-driven decisions for future travel.
Easy booking provides an overview of popular 3rd party booking platforms accumulated on one platform—at rates you won't find anywhere else. Perk's online booking tool has the world's largest inventory to choose from.
Everything under one roof means you can book, cancel, change, get support, view itineraries, and get directions—all from one mobile app.
Travel policies need to be adhered to for your travel program to scale, and a managed travel program ensures automatic compliance across all bookings.
Expert consulting via in-house travel specialists provides insights and ideas to optimize your travel spend and make cost savings while maintaining a best-in-class travel experience.
Vendor and invoice consolidation eliminates the hassle of chasing down VAT receipts, juggling invoices, and managing expense reporting for airfares. A TMC handles all of this when you opt for a managed travel program while benchmarking spend goals and making travel process enhancements along the way.
Risk management ensures you're looking after your employees as best as possible the second they step outside your (digital) offices. Crisis management features deliver real-time alerts on locations important to your travelers and deliver a duty of care to your team.

It’s time to manage your travel better

Travel management doesn’t need to be a headache. You don’t have to battle with travel agencies, dread business trips, or fear your corporate travel policy .Corporate travel services are changing.A managed travel program is ready to help you build a more positive and autonomous company culture, streamline booking processes for employees, and provide travel solutions to enhance your travel needs.Consider Perk’s managed travel program, save on all travel costs and ultimately bottom-line financials. With Perk, you’ll build a travel booking experience that takes you places.

Start saving money on business travel for your company today!