Credit: Adobe Stock; photoillustration by Tamara
A survey of more than 200 travel buyers shows frustration with
practical and effective application of artificial intelligence within their
managed travel tools. Attend BTS America Oct. 14-15 and meet the competitors ready
to change that.
The power of artificial intelligence has penetrated every aspect
of the dialog around travel management in 2025 and 2026. Yet, there seems to be
a growing dissatisfaction within the corporate travel sector about how quickly
and effectively AI has been integrated into their tools and processes. Only 7
percent of travel buyers are fully satisfied with their existing tech stacks,
while about half rate their stack as merely “average,” according to a Business
Travel Show America survey of more than 200 corporate travel buyers.
More than 1 in 5 respondents to that survey also cited AI
ambitions were outrunning actual AI deliverables in their programs and tools.
So what are their technology expectations and where can tools improve?
Agile updates: Nearly half of travel managers surveyed—44
percent—said technology updates take too long for suppliers to deliver.
Too few options: More than 40 percent of travel program
administrators wish for additional customization options, whether that pertains
to configurations or actual features, and 37 percent need those options to cost
less to deliver.
Poor integration: Nearly one-third—31 percent—of buyers
said tech advances should be delivering more seamless integrations between
their tools booking, payment, expense.
Access to insights: Additionally, 26 percent said
they need better and easier access to more holistic data and program insights.
AI is throwing a spotlight on all these areas, but travel
buyers need practical and effective applications, said Paysafe global travel and security manager Tenise
McCoy. “We really need greater flexibility from our existing tools and the
ability for them to communicate with one another, improve reporting, simplify
administration and support better decision-making.”
Innovation Faceoff
Addresses Tech Pain Points
While not every travel
manager has the ability to switch out their existing tech stack, some a la
carte solutions can help address current program pain points. Attendees to BTS
America will have a front row seat to some of these at the Innovation Faceoff. Moreover,
the Faceoff can expose travel managers not just to specific tools but alo to
the capabilities now available to marketplace. This better sets expectations on
what buyers should be looking for—and what they should demand—in their current
tools. The Faceoff can also support buyers’ vision in planning their future
technology roadmaps with larger activations. Here’s what you’ll see on stage at
the Business Travel Show:
3Sixty – A state-of-the-art marketplace that
reduces the noise in extended-stay travel by seamlessly integrating into travel
programs a network of more than 1 million accommodations in 60 countries.
Altour – A globally recognized leader in
corporate travel that has made recent news with partnerships that include Blockskye
and TripStax, as well as launching new tools for lightly managed and unmanaged
business travelers called Atour One.
Cerebri.ai – An AI-powered data and insights platform
provider that enables a trusted agentic digital workforce for frictionless
trave, expense and indirect procurement. Cerebri.ai is one of the tools behind
BTN’s 2026 Travel Manager of the Year featured program.
Direct Travel – Its flagship technology product
Avenir is powered by Spotnana and claims to provide “the industry’s broadest
inventory and a modern, real-time shopping experience” all of which simplifies
program management. This travel agency is led by industry tech veteran Steve
Singh, and offers a tech-first vision.
Emburse – New opportunities to manage travel
through the controls of finance management have become tangible. Emburse has
made news with the impending launch of its newly imagined, AI-driven T&E experience
that includes what it calls “touchless” expense management for travelers.
Groupize – Get the latest on meetings management
platform Groupize’s Aime platform, an ecosystem of AI agents that handles meetings
sourcing, approvals, attendee management, travel logistics, compliance and
reconciliation via natural language interactions.
Kayak for Business – The platform debuted three years ago
and has matured into a booking tool that now partners with multiple agencies. It
prioritizes traveler autonomy while balancing with real-time program control.
PredictX – Advanced machine learning algorithms
and predictive analytics drive insights through vast amounts of data and
multiple sources, enabling companies to automate routine travel program opportunities
and enhancing strategic decision-making.
Swivul – This new entrant claims to “put business
travel on autopilot” with one execution layer that turns a natural-language
request into a live, checkout-ready cart, and predicts the trip ROI before it
happens.
Traverse – Air content is the target zone for
Traverse, a technology from ARC that enables travel programs to book direct on
supplier websites without sacrificing transparency and control of managed
travel.
Travel Code – An AI-powered corporate travel
management platform built for mid-market companies claims to automate the “entire
business travel lifecycle” in one intuitive interface “without the enterprise
price tag or complexity.”
Business Travel Show America - Register!
______________________________________________________________
Register today for Business Travel Show America, running Oct. 14 & 15 at the Javits Center in New York City. In addition to the Innovation Faceoff, you'll have access to a full exhibition show floor and a smart conference agenda that delivers additional technology and travel management strategy from your peers. Plus, qualified buyers have access to BTSA's special hosted buyer program. REGISTER NOW
______________________________________________________________