Where artificial intelligence will take the process of booking or altering a business trip is anybody’s guess. Travel management companies have embraced AI for text-based communications between travelers and travel counselors. Chatbots have had their ups and downs. Autonomous agents are fascinating and, some say, spell doom for online booking tools and put TMCs on…
The consensus among execs at airlines, travel management companies, global distribution system firms and other tech intermediaries is that NDC should become mainstream this year (if it hasn’t already). Not all buyers are like-minded. Industry metrics reflect a stall in momentum. Many corporate customers remain unconvinced about growing NDC. Some program managers who had enabled…
With the potential to reshape corporate travel policies, a Mastercard-SAP Concur integration gaining traction among customers reflects an interest in the sorts of payment-first controls typical of virtual card programs and championed by fintech startups. “Purchases made on Mastercard corporate cards are captured and automatically populated in Concur Expense,” SAP announced in March. “Users are…
Travel management company mobile apps remain an important part of the typical corporate travel program portfolio over a decade after becoming a staple in buyers’ TMC bids. Mobile tools are potent enablers of direct relationships with corporate travelers. No one has consolidated all the needed features, making it challenging for travel program managers to express…
Few companies have made as dramatic a C-suite housecleaning as quickly as travel and expense software firm Emburse. Save for its CFO, the company’s leadership page is entirely different than it was at this time last year. Emburse is the product of several acquisitions, going back nine years to private equity owner K1 Investment Management’s…
Marriott International is pushing corporate rates for 2025 that lack last-room availability guarantees that, at least in key destinations, some buyers consider essential. Already, LRA rates are not always honored across the industry and don’t always provide sufficient savings compared with other negotiated rates, prompting some to wonder whether they’re worth the effort. Acknowledging a…
Similar to the traditional soft dollars made available for consulting support and the like, travel management company “tech credits” help clients adopt new technologies, customize products and services, and connect with third-party providers. They let TMCs tailor proposals, compete without offering significant rebates and strengthen client ties. Industry consultants questioned how transparently TMCs establish and…
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