Amadeus announced two major innovations in hospitality: a full-stack AI commerce solution to help hotels capture demand in AI-powered channels, and Amadeus Max, an AI assistant layer for cross-product workflows. Amadeus is also working with Google on the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and introducing Performance Manager for AI search, with early pilots showing 44.7% of AI-driven visitors reaching the booking engine.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 advisory for Pakistan due to armed conflict, terrorism, crime, and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk, including Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Terrorist attacks may target transportation hubs, hotels, and other locations. Travelers are advised to enroll in STEP, avoid large gatherings, and be aware of local laws.
SITA has appointed Frank Jaffé as Senior Vice President of SITA Global Services, effective June 1, 2026. He will lead the team that provides operational support to over 2,500 customers worldwide, ensuring technology runs smoothly for airlines and airports. Jaffé brings over 25 years of international experience, having previously served as Vice President of Global Delivery Services at Amadeus.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced temporary restricted areas (TRAs) over parts of Singapore on selected dates in June, July, and August 2026 for National Day Parade (NDP) aerial activities. The TRAs cover the Kallang area and extend from ground to 3,000 feet. During these times, all aerial activities including kite-flying and drones are prohibited, with penalties for violations.
Rebecca Kelley, Travel and Expense Analyst at Meteor Education, shares her experience with SAP Concur. The company has ~350 employees, with ~100 regular travelers. Through the integrated platform and Verify automated auditing, they saved significant time and stayed on budget for the first time in 2024 and 2025, after previously overspending by 25-30% annually.
A SAP Concur blog post highlights that manual invoice processing becomes increasingly inefficient and risky as businesses grow. Digitizing invoices and automating AP processes can reduce processing costs by up to 70%, cut handling times by 66%, improve compliance, and strengthen supplier relationships. AI-powered tools like OCR and machine learning automate data extraction and matching, while integration with ERP systems provides real-time visibility into cash flow and supports better decision-making.
The eighth annual SAP Concur Global Business Travel Survey reveals a paradox: while 93% of business travelers say work trips benefit their wellbeing, 67% are hesitant to travel due to safety concerns, disruptions, and role pressures. CFOs recognize travel's strategic value (97%), but travel managers feel unsupported. Employees increasingly expect employer support for safety, yet trust in data monitoring is fragile.
The Third Urumqi International Aviation Hub Construction Conference opened on June 12, themed 'Sky and Earth Together, Asian Heart Hub: New World Aviation Hub, New Golden Corridor Ecosystem.' Over 400 Chinese and foreign guests discussed building a world-class international aviation hub and promoting the 'Air Silk Road.' Xinjiang Airport Group launched the 'China-Kazakhstan Express' with partners, and COMAC issued an initiative for joint regional routes in Northwest China.
GBTA's annual U.S. Legislative Summit took place June 9-11 in Washington, D.C., with 120 members and stakeholders from 31 states. They held over 120 Capitol Hill meetings advocating for policies that support the business travel industry, which drives $624 billion in annual economic impact and accounts for 2.1% of U.S. GDP. Priorities include modernizing the air traffic system, avoiding burdensome entry processes, and advancing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The UK FCDO updated its travel advice for Belize, removing information about the State of Emergency, which has now ended. The advice still emphasizes that no travel is guaranteed safe, and reminds travelers to research destinations and obtain appropriate travel insurance covering itinerary, planned activities, and emergencies.
Expensify, Inc. announced the final results of its modified 'Dutch auction' tender offer, accepting 6,053,023 shares of Class A common stock at $1.20 per share, for a total cost of approximately $7.26 million, representing about 6.8% of outstanding shares. The offer expired on June 10, 2026, and the company will pay with cash on hand.
The U.S. Department of State issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Nigeria, advising travelers to reconsider travel due to crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, and inconsistent healthcare. Some areas have increased risk, with several states listed as 'Do Not Travel.' The advisory highlights widespread violent crime, frequent kidnappings for ransom, unreliable healthcare, and recommends travelers obtain travel insurance including medical evacuation.
The U.S. Department of State updated its travel advisory for Nigeria, maintaining Level 3 'Reconsider Travel.' The advisory cites risks of crime, terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, and inconsistent healthcare. Several states are listed as 'Do Not Travel,' including Borno, Yobe, etc. Travelers are advised to remain vigilant, obtain travel insurance including medical evacuation, and have contingency plans.
A SAP Concur blog post explores how AI is transforming travel and expense (T&E) management. Traditional T&E processes rely on employees understanding policies, often leading to errors and inefficiency. AI enables proactive management by providing real-time guidance, automating classification, and identifying high-risk expenses, improving compliance, data accuracy, and efficiency.
Travelport released updates to its Flights API version 25.11.x, introducing features such as requesting mixed cabins per leg for NDC, NDC bundled offers, NDC disruption handling, requesting ATPCO Cat 31/33 penalties for GDS, and enhancements to Premium Flex Search. These updates aim to improve search flexibility, enhance NDC content handling, and better manage disruptions.
Expensify announced preliminary results of its modified Dutch auction tender offer, expecting to repurchase 6,140,642 shares of Class A common stock at $1.20 per share, totaling approximately $7.37 million, representing about 6.9% of outstanding shares. The offer was undersubscribed against the $25 million target. CEO David Barrett stated the company is undervalued and repurchase is an attractive use of capital.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its Kosovo travel advice on 23 September 2026, noting that large gatherings are taking place in Pristina and other urban centres, including in the evenings, and could disrupt traffic and public transport. It advises keeping up to date with local developments, allowing extra time for travel, and staying away from large crowds or demonstrations. The FCDO also reiterates that no travel can be guaranteed safe and that travellers should research destinations and obtain appropriate travel insurance.
Amadeus signed a global agreement with Myrealtrip, Korea's leading online travel platform, to expand cooperation in areas such as deploying AI-powered solutions, expanding non-air content (hotels and destination experiences), and exploring adoption of Amadeus Hey! traveler engagement solution. This supports Myrealtrip's growth and digital transformation.
According to SAP Concur data, business travel costs continued to rise in the first half of 2026, with airfare up over 8%, hotel rates up nearly 6%, car rental costs up about 5%, and fuel-related expenses up 22% on average. Despite higher costs, companies largely maintained travel activity, but car rental bookings declined 4%, rail bookings increased 4%, and premium cabin bookings increased 9%.
On June 4, Pan Yixin, senior advisor of the Cross-Strait Aviation Transport Exchange Committee, met with Wu Yingliang, chairman of the Taiwan Travel Association, and they reached consensus on resuming direct cross-strait passenger flights and deepening aviation-tourism integration. The mainland side expressed willingness to actively study measures to facilitate cross-strait travel, while Taiwan industry called for lifting unreasonable restrictions and restoring normal direct flights.
The US State Department updated its Turkey travel advisory, maintaining Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) with no changes to advisory level or risk indicators, but removed an area of increased risk. The advisory cites risks of terrorism, armed conflict, and arbitrary detentions, and specifically lists the border region with Syria and Iraq as Level 4 (Do Not Travel).
The US State Department maintains a Level 2 travel advisory for Turkey due to terrorism, armed conflict, and arbitrary detentions. Some areas have increased risk, with the border region with Syria and Iraq at Level 4 (Do Not Travel). Travelers are advised to exercise caution in crowded public spaces and be aware of terrorism risks.
SAP Concur published a blog post offering strategies for building a cost-saving corporate travel program, covering foundational to advanced practices. The article emphasizes expanding spend visibility, simplifying compliance, uncovering hidden costs, and leveraging automation and AI, as well as strengthening supplier relationships and enforcing pre-spend compliance.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) published its second report under Article 89 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, assessing the interdependencies between aviation safety and socio-economic factors affecting safety-critical personnel. Based on surveys, occurrence data from the European Central Repository, and operational datasets, the report found no substantive safety concerns or systemic causal relationship between socio-economic factors and adverse safety outcomes. However, fatigue and lack of communication were consistent factors, and data limitations were identified. EASA will enhance collaboration with Member States and industry to improve data collection and safety promotion.
SAP Concur received the 2026 TrustRadius Top Rated Award in four categories: Expense Management, Travel Management, Spend Management, and Accounts Payable. Based on over 1,000 verified reviews, users highlight time savings, streamlined reimbursement, mobile receipt scanning, centralized booking, and ERP integrations. The award is based entirely on customer feedback, reflecting real-world performance for finance and operations teams.
The U.S. State Department updated the travel advisory for Mali, maintaining Level 4 (Do Not Travel) but reflecting changes to U.S. Embassy operations. The advisory cites crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and health risks. U.S. government employees are restricted to Bamako, and the embassy has enhanced security. U.S. citizens should have evacuation plans and consider professional security advice.
The U.S. Department of State issued a Level 4 advisory (Do Not Travel) for Mali due to crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and health risks. Violent crime is common, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and carjacking. Terrorists may target locations frequented by foreigners. Armed conflict is widespread. U.S. government employees are restricted to Bamako, and the embassy has enhanced security. U.S. citizens should have evacuation plans not relying on government assistance.
Expensify announced the launch of Expensify MCP, connecting expense data to AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude, and Cursor via the Model Context Protocol. Users can query expenses, approvals, and spending in natural language without CSV exports or custom scripts. The integration uses OAuth 2.1 for secure access, aiming to make Expensify accessible in AI-driven business environments.
Amadeus Travel Intelligence data reveals a surge in travel demand for the August 2026 solar eclipse, with Spain and Iceland seeing significant interest. Flight bookings to airports along the eclipse path increased 25% year-on-year, with Bilbao (+366%), Asturias (+292%), and Valencia (+137%) leading. Hotel occupancy rose 16% and ADR increased 36%. Short stays (1-5 days) grew 57%, and solo travel increased 48%. Top long-haul markets include the USA, Japan, Argentina, and Canada.
A new GBTA study reveals that U.S. business travel spending reached $538.5 billion in 2024, generating $623.8 billion in economic impact, accounting for 2.1% of GDP, supporting 6.7 million jobs, and contributing $148.6 billion in tax revenue. Meetings and events accounted for 40.4% of total spending. Business travel has a multiplier effect, with each dollar generating $1.16 in GDP. The study covers all 50 states, with California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Illinois leading in spending.
The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Somalia, including Somaliland, except for the regions of Awdal, Maroodijeh, and Sahil, where it advises against all but essential travel. This is due to the threat from terrorist groups and continuing violence. Recently, fighting between al-Shabaab and the Somali Government has increased near Mogadishu. FCDO support is severely limited in Somalia; British nationals should have personal emergency plans not relying on the UK government.
The UK FCDO updated travel advice for Turkmenistan, noting that escalation in the Middle East has caused widespread travel disruption, including airspace closures and delayed or cancelled flights. Travelers are advised to check travel advice for transit countries, monitor airline and tour operator updates, review insurance policies, and follow local and international media. Additionally, information about COVID-19 testing upon arrival in Turkmenistan was updated.
Travelport released updates to its Flights API, including NDC bundled offers, NDC disruption handling, Air Canada Flight Pass support, request for Cat 31/33 penalties, and Flex Search enhancements. These updates enhance NDC content capabilities such as bundled ancillaries and disruption rebooking/refund flows. Additionally, GDS penalty disclosure and mixed cabin requests are improved. These changes directly impact agencies and developers using Travelport APIs.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Rwanda, recommending travelers reconsider travel due to crime, unrest, and health risks. Some areas have increased risk. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency consular services in Rwanda due to the health situation. The CDC has issued a Travel Health Notice for Ebola in the DRC, and the WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Petty crime like pickpocketing is a risk in urban areas, and more serious incidents such as burglary or targeted theft can occur. Armed groups and violence in neighboring countries may spill over into Rwanda; avoid travel within 10 kilomete…
Amadeus, supported by Microsoft, released a report on agentic AI in airlines, based on interviews with carriers including Azul, Icelandair, and Southwest. It identifies five key use cases: automated voice rebooking, agentic commerce, intelligent digital marketing, turnaround management, and personalized offers. The report recommends building strong data foundations, focusing on high-impact workflows, and ensuring governance. Microsoft predicts most airlines will move from exploration to deployment within 18 months.
The U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 advisory (Do Not Travel) for Uganda due to crime, health, terrorism, and unrest. The Ebola outbreak limits the U.S. government's ability to provide emergency consular services. Uganda has temporarily closed border crossings with the DRC, and persons entering from DRC must self-quarantine for 21 days. Crime includes armed robbery, home invasion, and sexual assault. Terrorist groups have targeted religious venues, schools, government buildings, and transportation hubs.
SAP Concur's article explores AI in business travel management, noting 95% of business travelers are open to AI booking but only 7% feel comfortable. It poses 8 questions for travel managers to evaluate AI solutions, including improving travel experience, speeding approvals, personalization, guidance, simplifying complex scenarios, policy guidance, data insights, and expense audits. Data from SAP Concur's 6th Annual Global Business Travelers Research Report.
Perk (formerly TravelPerk) announced the close of a $300 million private credit facility led by Neuberger Specialty Finance, with Blue Owl Capital, Hercules Capital, and Liquidity. Proceeds will accelerate investment in product, technology, and AI, supporting global expansion including the upcoming US launch of its integrated spend platform. Perk grew revenue 48% in 2025, surpassing $300 million in annualized revenue, with gross margins improving from 40% to mid-70s.
Juniper Group has announced the completion of its acquisition of Deem, a corporate travel management platform, from Travelport. Deem provides booking, procurement and trip management solutions for corporations and travel management companies worldwide. As part of Juniper Group, Deem will continue to operate independently under its current leadership team and brand. The acquisition was sponsored by Juniper Travel Technology. Travelport and Deem will continue to maintain a relationship following the transaction.
The UK FCDO updated its travel advice for Canada, adding information about entry requirements for those entering from Ebola-affected regions. Travelers are advised to research destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. FCDO provides risk advice to help make informed decisions.