33. IBM

2025 was a busy year for IBM’s travel team. The IT and consulting behemoth conducted global request-for-proposals exercises both for hotel and car rental. On the technology front, IBM books through all three major global distribution systems via its global travel management company, American Express Global Business Travel, and in 2025 it upgraded from Travelport’s legacy Apollo system to the Travelport Plus retailing platform. It also switched to the new version of Concur Travel in markets where Amex GBT uses Sabre.

Meanwhile, IBM introduced artificial intelligence support for expense auditing and fraud detection. The company also uses AI to power traveler servicing chatbots, plus policy compliance and enforcement, and personalized booking recommendations.

IBM made adjustments to travel policy as well in 2025, requiring air bookings to be made at least 15 days in advance.

For 2026, the to-do list has included a TMC contract renewal, airline joint-venture renewals, extending the new Concur Travel to Travelport and Amadeus markets, and introducing AI support for bookings made through Complete, the booking and expense technology partnership between SAP Concur and Amex GBT.

U.S.-originating air spend at IBM has changed little since post-Covid recovery. It fell from $94 million in 2024 to $92 million in 2025, and is expected to rise to $95 million in 2026. The company reported its emissions from business travel in 2025 at 132,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Revenue climbed 6 percent year over year at constant currency in 2025 to $67.5 billion, while investment in research and development amounted to $8.3 billion. Employee numbers fell from 270,000 the year before to 264,000 in 2025, spread across 175 countries.