2018 U.S.-Booked Air
Volume: $417 million
Primary Global Online Booking Tool: Concur
Primary U.S. Payment Supplier: American Express
Card Program: individual bill/central
pay
Primary U.S. Expense Supplier: Concur
Primary Global Travel Risk Management
Supplier: International SOS
Consolidated Global TMC: Amex GBT
IBM’s U.S.-booked air volume is on a downward trajectory. It
declined from $465 million in 2016 to $430 million in 2017 and another 3
percent in 2018. The company expects that volume to decline slightly again in
2019 to $415 million. Of 2018 U.S.-booked air volume, 88 percent went through
approved online tools and only 13 percent of that required agent assistance.
Seventy percent of 2018 U.S.-booked air volume was for domestic travel. Last
year, IBM and Travelport released IBM Travel Manager, an artificial
intelligence-based dashboard. IBM Travel Manager is used to track, manage and predict
spending within IBM’s strategic sourcing group. The technology company also is
expanding its dynamic hotel pricing model and implementing an air and hotel
reshopping initiative. The IT company, which has a single global travel policy,
brought in $79.6 billion in revenue in 2018.