Want some tips on how the pros travel? Just ask a corporate travel manager.
想得到一些关于专业人士如何出行的技巧？问问企业差旅经理就知道了！
These are the people who spend billions on travel each year and help companies set policies that dictate how millions of people fly. At the annual Global Business Travel Association convention in Boston last week, I gathered the best tips and juiciest secrets of corporate travel managers. Here are 10 ways to improve your travel:
他们每年要花出去数以十亿计的差旅费，同时他们还帮助企业制定差旅政策，这些政策会对数百万人搭乘飞机的方式产生决定性影响。前不久一年一度的全球商务旅行协会（Global Business Travel Association，简称“GBTA”）大会在波士顿拉开帷幕，笔者在会上收集了企业差旅经理传授的最佳技巧和最给力的秘诀。下文为可提高你出行质量的10个方法：
1. Your company can earn frequent-flier points based on your travel.
John S. Dykes
Your company can get airline rewards for your frequent travel, based on the miles you fly or dollars spent. The program at United Airlines is called PerksPlus; American Airlines has Business ExtrAA, and Delta Air Lines has SkyBonus. Some companies use the points for free trips for employees. Some travel managers use the points for a stash of upgrades they can give to their colleagues. Others use them to defray the cost of the travel department.
依据你的飞行里程或是出行花费，你所在的公司可借助你的频繁出行获得航空公司的奖励。联合航空公司(United Airlines)的该类奖励计划名为“PerksPlus”，美国航空公司(American Airlines)的计划名为“Business ExtrAA”，达美航空公司(Delta Air Lines)则设置了“SkyBonus”计划。有些企业会利用这些积分为员工获取免费机票。有些差旅经理会利用这些积分来获取可以送给同事的升级服务，另一些则利用积分来支付差旅部的费用。
Big companies negotiate discounts with airlines, hotel chains and car-rental companies, which are vying to be designated 'preferred providers' so they get the lion's share of bookings. To earn this designation, the providers often offer up corporate perks. 'They get other benefits in addition to discounts, ' said Bob Smyth, a vice president at Gant Travel Management.
大企业会与航空公司、连锁酒店和租车公司商议一个折扣，这些公司都希望能被企业指定为“优先提供商”，这样一来它们就会获得大量订单。为了获得这种指定，这些服务提供商会给企业提供额外优惠。差旅管理公司Gant Travel Management的副总裁鲍勃·史密斯(Bob Smyth)说，“除了折扣之外企业还会获得其他优惠。”
2. The cheapest times to buy vacation tickets are. . .
2. 购买假期机票最便宜的时机是……
. . . the end of August/beginning of September and the end of December/beginning of January. At these times consumers are worn out on travel and bookings simply come to a screeching halt, says Jolee Goularte, travel manager at Align Technology Inc. In addition, corporate travel buying goes on hiatus in those two periods, especially between Christmas and New Year's.
……8月底9月初和12月底1月初。医疗设备公司Align Technology的差旅经理乔莉·古拉特(Jolee Goularte)称，在这两个时期，消费者已经被旅行折腾得筋疲力尽，订票会急剧减少。此外，商务旅行购票也会在这两段时期、特别是在圣诞节和新年期间几近停滞。古拉特说，“如此一来所有东西都打折了。”
3. It's worth joining every hotel loyalty program.
3. 加入每一个酒店忠诚计划都物有所值。
Just being a run-of-the-mill member can, occasionally, qualify you for room upgrades, late checkout times, access to lounges with snacks and drinks, free Wi-Fi, free breakfast and even complimentary laundry service-- a shirt or two per day. Perks vary by hotel.
只要成为普通会员，你就能偶尔享受到客房升级、延迟退房、获准进入提供点心和饮料的休息厅、免费无线上网、免费早餐甚至是附加的洗衣服务（每天一两件衣服）。各酒店的优惠各有不同。
Mary Motycka, travel manager at Alere Inc., in San Diego, went on vacation to Hawaii and signed up for the Hilton program a week before departure. She asked for an upgrade -- and got it. (She never identified herself as a corporate travel manager.)
在去夏威夷度假的前一周，圣地亚哥医疗服务公司Alere Inc.的差旅经理玛丽·莫迪卡(Mary Motycka)加入了希尔顿酒店(Hilton)的忠诚计划。后来，她在入住时提出升级客房并获得同意。（她并未提及她的企业差旅经理身份。）
'I paid for the cheapest room and they upgraded me to a corner suite, ' she said. 'All it takes is signing up online.'
莫迪卡说，“我付的是最便宜客房的钱，他们为我把房间升级到了转角套房。你所要做的就是网上注册而已。”
4. Load up your smartphone with emergency numbers and travel apps.
John S. Dykes
Having numbers in your phone for your car service (in case they don't show), for airport hotels near hubs (in case you miss a connection and get stranded) and for airlines can save time and save the day. Sometimes speed matters -- you need to grab the last seat on a flight, or last room at a hotel.
在手机中记下用车服务公司的电话（以防到时车子没来）、机场航站楼附近酒店的电话（以防错过转机而受困）以及航空公司的电话，这能够帮助你节省时间和扭转局势。有时候这还可以帮助你提高办事速度，比如说当你需要抢订航班上最后一个座位或者是酒店的最后一间客房时。
Anna Mason of Maquet Cardiovascular of Wayne, N.J., notes her company makes employees pay for no-show charges at hotels, so having the phone number to cancel is crucial. 'You should have it all in your phone, not on paper you're carrying around and won't find, ' she said.
新泽西州韦恩市（Wayne）医疗技术公司Maquet Cardiovascular的安娜·梅森(Anna Mason)指出，她的公司要求员工自己支付酒店的放空费用，因此拥有酒店的退订电话就至关重要。她说，“你应该把这些信息存在你的手机中而不是记在随身携带的纸上，因为那样可能会找不到的。”
Having the latest apps on your phone from airlines or the travel agencies you book with can get you the latest information on delays, gate changes, upgrades or lost-luggage tracking, said Richard Gomez, associate director at Procter & Gamble Co. in Cincinnati.
总部位于辛辛那提的宝洁公司(Procter &Gamble Co.)的副总监理查德·高梅兹(Richard Gomez)称，在手机上安装你预订的航空公司或旅行社的最新应用程序可以让你获得关于航班延误、登机门变更、升级或是遗失行李追踪的最新信息。
5. Be nice to the gate agent.
5. 和善对待登机门的检票员。
'They are really in control, ' said Judy Emma, corporate travel manager at Informatica in Redwood City, Calif.
加州雷德伍德城(Redwood City)数据集成软件公司Informatica的企业差旅经理茱迪·艾玛(Judy Emma)说，“他们确实手握控制权。”
Being nice to gate agents can be rewarded in improved seating or a boarding pass for an overbooked flight. As departure time nears for a flight, all control is turned over to gate agents. Calling your corporate travel manager or the airline reservation line can't help.
和善对待检票员会让你得到回报，比如获得更好的座位或者是当航班超额预订时拿到登机牌。当航班即将起飞时，所有控制权便都转移到了登机门检票员的手中，这时打电话给你的企业差旅经理或是拨打航空公司的订票电话可都帮不了你了。
Companies can negotiate for the ability to put a number of employees into the gold, silver or platinum ranks at an airline, giving them access to priority security, boarding, seating and upgrades. It works with hotels and car rental companies, too.
企业可和航空公司协商使一批员工成为金卡、银卡或铂金卡级别的会员，从而使他们可以优先安检、登机、就座和升级客舱。这同样适用于酒店和租车公司。
One tactic being used now: A company negotiates to have checked-baggage fees waived, with an airline simply granting bottom-level elite status to all company travelers.
现在有一种做法是，企业与航空公司商议免除其出差人员的行李托运费，航空公司只需为企业所有出行人员授予最低一级的精英会员资格便可。
7. Book inside your company's travel program.
John S. Dykes
A GBTA survey of travel managers indicated 22% of company travel, on average, gets booked outside the company program. That can mean travelers don't get discounts companies have negotiated, and companies don't get credit for trips with airlines, hotels and others. Also, if there is an emergency, your company may not know where to find you, and if there is a travel disruption, your corporate travel agent won't be able to rebook or reroute you.
GBTA对差旅经理的一项调查显示，平均算来，22%的商务旅行没有通过企业的差旅计划进行预订。这可能意味着出差者就不能获得公司与航空公司协商好的折扣，而企业也不能从这些出行中获得航空公司、酒店和其他服务机构的积分。此外，如果出现了紧急情况，公司可能不知道去哪里找你。万一交通出现中断，你的商旅代理人也无法为你重新预定或是更改行程。
8. Do pre-trip prep.
8. 在出行前做好准备工作。
Travel managers suggest walking fire escape routes in hotels so you'll know which way to go in an emergency. They encourage travelers to research destinations so you'll know how you're going to get from the airport to hotels, safe ways to move around.
差旅经理建议大家要走走酒店的火灾逃生通道，这样你才知道在紧急情况下该走哪条路。他们建议出行者要对目的地进行研究，以了解如何从机场去酒店以及四处逛逛的安全方式。
'People walk through new cities with blinders on, ' said Pam McTeer, travel manager at First Data Corp. in Atlanta. She suggests making sure someone knows where you are at all times, even if it is just taking a cab to a meeting.
亚特兰大第一数据公司(First Data Corp.)的差旅经理帕姆·麦克蒂尔(Pam McTeer)说，“人们在陌生的城市中常会盲目地瞎走。”她建议要保证有人知道你随时的行踪，即使是坐出租车去开会也要让人知道。
9. Use the airport lounge.
John S. Dykes
When stranded travelers call, Robert Wade, travel manager for Wireless Advocates LLC in Seattle, first reminds them to breathe, relax a bit. 'Then I ask, 'How bad is it?'' His immediate advice for stranded travelers: Head to the lounge. You not only can avoid long lines at gates or ticket counters, but also find more help. The airline workers behind the desks at lounges are veterans who are geared to solving problems.
每当接到受困机场的人打来的电话时，西雅图Wireless Advocates LLC公司的差旅经理罗伯特·韦德(Robert Wade)首先会提醒他们深呼吸放松一些，然后会问他们情况有多糟糕。他对受困者首先提出的建议就是去休息室。这样一来，你不但可以避开登机门或票务处的长队，还可以找到更多帮助。那些坐在休息室办公台后的航空公司员工都是擅长解决问题的经验丰富的员工。
'Spend $40 for the day pass, ' said Mr. Wade. 'You get folks with the most tenure and then you can go have a beer.'
韦德说，“花40美元买一张一日通票，你就能找到那些拥有最丰富经验的人，然后你就能去喝杯啤酒了。”
Global Entry, which requires a $100 fee and a background check, lets you skip Customs and Border Protection lines when entering the country.
“全球旅行快速通关”项目收取100美元费用，并要对你进行背景调查，通过审查后你便可省掉入境美国时在美国海关与边境保护局(Customs and Border Protection)排队的麻烦。
Once certified as a 'trusted traveler, ' U.S. citizens in Global Entry can register for PreCheck. When PreCheck is available and when you are permitted to use it, it is a dream. You can leave your liquids and computer in your bag, your jacket, shoes and belt on and walk through a metal detector.
一旦被认证为“可靠旅客”，加入该项目的美国公民便可注册预检程序。当预检程序可用而且你也获得许可使用时，那感觉真是好极了。你可以留下包里的液体和电脑，还不用脱掉自己的外套、鞋子和皮带，只需走过一台金属探测仪即可。
Travelers love it, though there are complaints from many that even though they are cleared into the program, they aren't allowed to use it regularly. Indeed, TSA says it keeps screening unpredictable by sometimes sending PreCheck travelers through regular screening. TSA just hit the 2 million screenings mark for PreCheck, which is currently available at 19 airports. TSA expects to have it operating at 35 airports by the end of the year, and more next year.
旅客们非常喜欢这项计划，尽管许多人抱怨即使他们获准加入了该计划，他们仍然不能常常利用它。确实，美国运输安全管理局(Transportation Security Administration, 简称“TSA”)称为了保证安检的不可预测性，他们有时候会让预检旅客去接受常规安检。TSA的预检程序所检查的旅客人数之前刚达到了200万关口，目前这项程序在19个机场可用。该机构预计在今年年底前在35个机场实施这一程序，并在明年进一步增加此类机场的数量。
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