The pandemic era’s geopolitical tensions caused concern among economic globalization advocates. Despite rising nationalism and efforts to reduce reliance on global supply chains, new data shows the appetite for consolidated global travel management remains strong. Corporates say they’re not going back. “There is a clear trend toward consolidation,” according to the United Kingdom’s Competition and…
American Express Global Business Travel this week told investors that fraudsters had targeted it using deepfake impersonation technology. Impersonators have targeted travel agents and others in the corporate world to access payment, travel and personal information for years. Using AI for it is what’s relatively new. GBT CTO David Thompson called such attacks the “same…
The United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority published more details on Aug. 30 about how it arrived at the need for an “in-depth” phase in its review of American Express Global Business Travel’s planned acquisition of CWT. It also posted a timeline, with the review scheduled to terminate by Jan. 25, 2025. GBT execs aim…
TMC sourcing isn’t for the faint of heart. Nor is it for the impatient, as the sales cycle extended considerably in recent years. Providers are developing new products and services, making some customer relationships more involved. But the elongated time between an RFP and final contracts is primarily due to legal, security and IT complexities…
Since the fourth quarter of 2023, Flight Centre Travel Group’s corporate division has used artificial intelligence to categorize, prioritize (by revenue opportunity) and respond to more than half a million incoming customer emails. “Over 4,000 hours of agent time have been saved in the past quarter,” the company revealed last week. Freed-up agents can focus…
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…
It’s not hard to identify potential winners from American Express Global Business Travel’s proposed deal to acquire CWT, besides GBT itself, starting with the largest remaining competitors. Nor is it hard to see some of the losers, firstly global companies that manage travel and would have one fewer option next time they look for a…
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