Global Business Travel Group（Amex GBT）宣布，其被Long Lake Management以全现金交易收购已完成，公司估值约63亿美元。该交易于2026年5月4日公布，并于2026年8月3日经股东特别大会批准。根据合并协议，Amex GBT股东每股获得9.50美元现金，较合并协议签署日30日成交量加权平均价溢价65.1%。交易完成后，Amex GBT普通股停止交易并从纽约证券交易所退市，公司转为私有。Amex GBT首席执行官Paul Abbott表示，此次交易将Long Lake的AI工程团队引入公司，加速塑造商旅管理的未来，从代理式客户工具到AI赋能的…
At Skift Global Forum, Kenneth Chenault, Chairman & Managing Director of General Catalyst, shared lessons from transforming the Amex Platinum card: build on experiences across the full hospitality journey and segment by services and needs. Amex targeted customers in their late 20s and early 30s, and within two years roughly 35% of new Platinum customers were 35 or under. He stressed that strong brands balance rational and emotional values. Long Lake, backed by General Catalyst, used a proprietary AI platform called Nexus to lift revenue growth from 5% to 15-20%; its first acquisition took six months to integrate, while the fifth took three weeks. That model is now being tested at scale with…
AI corporate travel assistant SkyLink has completed a roughly 18-month substantial upgrade, gaining resources from its Amadeus acquisition to scale globally. The upgrade enables real-time interruption and multi-instruction handling within conversations, adds more agentic capabilities such as exchanges, rebooking and multi-month trips, and includes robust analytics providing an auditable decision trail. Founded in 2021, SkyLink is an LLM-based tool integrated with enterprise chat channels including Microsoft Teams and Slack, with publicly identified clients McKinsey & Company and Sony, and sees TMC productivity as a growth area.
Trip.Biz, Trip.com Group's business-travel arm, unveiled its Agent ONE AI suite at the Transform 2026 summit in Singapore, comprising planning, booking, approval and insight agents, claiming it cuts average booking time from about 45 minutes to 2 minutes and approval waits from over an hour to under 3 seconds. Meanwhile, a Phocuswright report shows India's travel market grew just 1% to $41.7 billion in 2025, with a 13% rebound to $47.2 billion expected in 2026. Cloudbeds and Klook launched a two-way distribution integration, and WTTC, JATA and Tourism EXPO Japan signed an MOU.
Fenbeitong published an article outlining three layers of cost reduction for business travel platforms: supply chain, process labour, and compliance risk. It compares native integrated travel-and-expense platforms with stitched solutions, proposes five selection criteria, and offers recommendations by company size. It cites data that native integrated platforms offer better prices than C-end platforms for 90% of domestic/international flights and 80% of hotels.
Fenbeitong published a 2026 business travel platform review, categorising the market into native integrated travel-and-expense platforms, expense-control bases with third-party TMC, and pure TMC booking platforms, using a 10-dimension weighted scoring model. The native integrated platform (Fenbeitong) scored 90, pure TMC (Ctrip Business Travel) scored 61, and stitched expense-control platforms (Hesi/Meike) scored 54. It recommends native integrated platforms for companies with annual travel spend above 2 million yuan.
After attending 2026 industry events including SAP Concur Fusion, ProcureCon and the GBTA Convention, executives from BCD Travel and Advito identified five shifts likely to shape managed travel in 2027 and beyond: AI discussions moving from experimentation to adoption and governance; competitive advantage increasingly coming from people and change management; insufficient industry focus on the human side of front-line service; hyper-personalized traveler engagement; and resilience replacing prediction as a planning strategy. Both leaders said travel managers should prioritize adaptability, governance, stakeholder alignment and traveler engagement in 2027 planning.
Trip.com Group reported second-quarter 2026 net revenue of RMB 15.7 billion, up 6% year-on-year, with adjusted EBITDA of RMB 4.6 billion, down from RMB 4.9 billion a year earlier. A roughly RMB 5.2 billion one-time antitrust charge from the State Administration for Market Regulation led to a net loss of RMB 2.4 billion; excluding the penalty, net profit was RMB 2.7 billion. By segment, accommodation booking revenue was RMB 6.6 billion, up 6%; transportation ticketing revenue was RMB 5.4 billion, down 1%; packaged tours revenue was RMB 1.2 billion, up 8%; and corporate travel management revenue was RMB 771 million, up 11%. Inbound travel revenue continued high double-digit year-on-year growt…
Trip.com Group reported unaudited Q2 2026 results: net revenue of RMB 15.7 billion, up 6% year on year but down 3% quarter on quarter; international platform revenue grew over 50% year on year, and inbound travel revenue rose at a high double-digit rate. A RMB 5.2 billion SAMR antitrust penalty pushed general and administrative expenses up 477% year on year to RMB 6.3 billion, producing a net loss of RMB 2.4 billion versus net income of RMB 4.9 billion a year earlier; excluding the penalty, net income was RMB 2.7 billion. Corporate travel management revenue reached RMB 771 million, up 11% year on year and 12% quarter on quarter.
TravelDaily China reported that DiDi Enterprise held its 2026 business travel service conference on September 10, releasing the 'Super Save' full-journey assurance system, an A2A cross-enterprise AI collaboration solution, and the 2026 Corporate Business Travel Trends Report. The article says DiDi Enterprise serves over 1 million companies and 85 million workplace employees, helping companies save an average of 30% of total travel costs and cutting booking and reimbursement process time by 60%. Its 'Super Save' system integrates 16 travel assurance benefits with commitments to compensate if prices rise, refund if they fall, and manage changes; the A2A solution can connect to companies' own…
The article compares native integrated travel and expense platforms with stitched solutions (pure expense + TMC or TMC + expense). Native platforms have self-owned supply chains, pre-booking controls, unified data, clear responsibility, and all-inclusive annual fees, suitable for mid-to-large enterprises with annual travel spend over 2 million RMB; stitched solutions suffer from post-hoc controls, lack of negotiation power, and data fragmentation, only suitable for small businesses.
Navan announces strategic partnership with Engine to integrate its content, infrastructure, and payment capabilities, enabling more flexible hotel cancellations, stay modifications, and group booking features. First capabilities roll out this month.
Fenbeitong released a 2026 guide to selecting business travel platforms, analyzing corporate travel management pain points and industry trends. It categorizes platforms into pure TMC/OTA, pure expense management, and integrated travel-expense solutions, comparing their pros and cons. It recommends TMC with per-order fees for companies with annual travel spend below 2 million RMB, and annual-fee integrated platforms for those above, providing eight evaluation dimensions.
This article deeply compares traditional TMC and integrated travel-expense platforms, noting that traditional TMC focuses on booking with weak expense control, while integrated platforms offer full-chain management and no-advance-payment reimbursement. It recommends TMC for annual travel spend below 2M RMB and integrated platforms above, emphasizing price comparison on actual routes.
Fenbeitong published a guide for listed companies with multiple subsidiaries on selecting travel and expense control systems, proposing a ten-point evaluation checklist covering native integrated architecture, multi-legal-entity independent accounting, full-process audit trails, integration with financial systems, global resource coverage, dual-layer cost reduction, multi-currency accounting, permission isolation, dedicated services, and ROI calculation. The article emphasizes that listed companies must meet compliance disclosure and internal control audit requirements, and compares Fenbeitong with traditional TMCs, overseas expense control systems, and lightweight platforms, concluding Fen…
Fenbeitong, an integrated travel and expense management platform, offers tailored solutions for different mid-to-large enterprises. The article showcases five cases in manufacturing, pharma, group, and overseas scenarios, highlighting cost reduction, efficiency, and compliance.
BCD Travel emphasizes that resilient travel programs need visibility and intelligence. Visibility understands current situations; intelligence helps anticipate change, evaluate options, and respond quickly. Practices include real-time traveler tracking, proactive travel monitoring, market monitoring, destination risk intelligence, data-driven insights, and automated workflows. Intelligence extends beyond traveler safety to supplier performance and market shifts.
BCD Travel states that resilient travel programs are built on flexible policies, strategic supplier relationships, cross-functional ownership, and connected digital experiences. Supplier strategy is key; over-reliance on few suppliers increases risk. Diversify supplier portfolios, build contract flexibility, maintain alternatives in key markets. Continuously evaluate supplier performance, not just annual sourcing cycles.
BCD Travel has launched a business travel solution tailored for office managers, operations managers, and executive assistants, aiming to simplify booking, reduce manual coordination, and provide direct traveler support. The solution integrates booking, communication, and support in one place, handles VIP and guest travel, and helps organizations without a dedicated travel manager manage travel efficiently.
Fenbeitong published a guide to selecting business travel reimbursement systems, noting that mature systems reduce costs through centralized procurement, pre-control, financial automation, and data-driven optimization. Selection should evaluate six dimensions: procurement resources, no-advance reimbursement, system integration, travel control, financial automation, and service support. It also compares seven platforms including Fenbeitong and Ctrip Corporate Travel.
Fenbeitong's article points out that when travel volume surges, relying solely on reimbursement systems cannot control costs; control must be moved to the booking stage. Five common pitfalls in selection include: focusing only on reimbursement document processing, equating simplified submission with financial burden reduction, comparing only purchase price, ignoring system compatibility, and lacking intelligent capabilities. The article also provides six evaluation dimensions and platform comparisons.
BCD Travel has launched a business travel solution for IT teams, integrating travel with existing systems such as expense, HR, and finance tools, eliminating data silos and reducing manual handoffs. The solution helps organizations scale travel without adding complexity and improves data reliability and visibility.
BCD Travel announced a new agreement with United Airlines to provide access to the carrier's content through a direct connection, available via TripSource's online and offline booking channels. This move addresses the increasingly fragmented distribution landscape, offering corporate clients more choice while maintaining policy compliance, servicing, and duty of care. BCD currently supports 22 airlines through its NDC ecosystem, with over 65% of itineraries globally booked through NDC where enabled.
BCD Travel announced a strategic investment in AMGINE, a corporate travel AI automation platform, to accelerate AI-powered solutions for better traveler experience and service delivery. The expanded partnership covers group air management, email automation, and more. BCD's AI strategy includes building AI into Tripsource, integrating specialized AI from partners like AMGINE, and enabling access to third-party AI tools.
BCD Travel introduces business travel solutions for HR and People teams, simplifying booking, providing reliable assistance, clearer policies, and enhancing duty of care. It ensures consistent experience across regions, integrates travel and expense management, and supports guest and VIP travel.
Trip.Biz partnered with Yonyou Travel Cloud to launch a global travel solution focusing on cross-border business travel, offering one-stop booking and management through a unified platform.
Chad Lemon, Director of Product Marketing at BCD Travel, reflects on ProcureCon Travel 2026, noting that high-performing travel programs are being rethought from the ground up rather than incrementally improved. Key themes include integrating policy with traveler experience, building trust in AI, managing multi-source NDC distribution, rising hotel costs, and the importance of open ecosystems. Leading programs connect data, policy, and behavior, offer choice within guardrails, and shift from lowest logical fare to overall value.
BCD Travel success story: A top 10 global pharmaceutical company deployed the Tripsource platform to achieve a unified booking experience for 35,000+ users across 60 markets in a strictly regulated environment. Online adoption increased from 65% to 77%, rail bookings online rose from about 60% to 83%, and average booking time fell below five minutes. The platform integrates GDS, NDC, low-cost carriers, rail, and hotel content, while supporting compliance tracking and transfer-of-value reporting.
Ctrip Corporate Travel whitepaper shows China's business travel market is expected to grow 9.3% in 2026, with domestic travel trending to lower-tier cities. Cross-border orders for Chinese companies have grown over 30% for three consecutive years, with SME outbound orders up 78% in 2025. Destinations are shifting from traditional developed markets to Belt and Road countries, with Vietnam rising in importance. Cross-border travel management is entering the execution phase, with payment and settlement issues prominent.
Ctrip Corporate Travel released its 2025-2026 Business Travel Management Market Whitepaper, highlighting accelerated AI adoption in business travel. 59% of companies intend to or are trying to integrate AI capabilities with enterprise systems. 53% of business travelers have experienced AI features, with about half saying it improved efficiency. Usage of AI itinerary recommendations, planning, and booking exceeds 65%. Meanwhile, 62% of companies have strengthened cost control, shifting focus to reducing hidden losses.
Ctrip Corporate Travel held its first Global Business Travel Partner Conference in Shanghai, unveiling its 'Ctrip Corporate Travel AI Ecosystem' and the '2025-2026 Business Travel Management Market White Paper'. The AI ecosystem covers the entire travel process with 7 AI agents, reducing booking time to 1-2 minutes. The white paper shows Chinese enterprises' outbound business travel has grown over 30% for three consecutive years, with destinations shifting to Belt and Road countries, and Vietnam orders up 100% year-over-year.
Fliggy, part of Alibaba Group, has launched 'flyai,' a developer-facing travel skill now live on ClawHub and GitHub. Built on Fliggy's Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard, it supports the full travel journey from inspiration to booking, spanning flights, hotels, attractions, ground transport, and more. Fliggy says the tool is plug-and-play, enabling developers to build applications including themed travel products and corporate travel management agents. It is being integrated into the skill stores of major Chinese smartphone manufacturers including Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Honor.
Amex GBT announced the successful refinancing and upsizing of its senior secured term loan facility, reducing the borrowing rate by 50 basis points to SOFR plus 2.00%, and increasing the facility by $100 million to $1.486 billion, maturing in July 2031. This enhances financial flexibility to invest in growth, including AI.
Ekuaibao won the 'Enterprise Operations' award in the Huxiu Think Tank 2025 'GenAI Top Implementation Company' selection with its 'finance scenarios + AI' full-chain solution. The selection draws on a library of over 200 industry cases and is judged by more than 100 CIOs and technology experts. Ekuaibao offers aggregated business travel, expense control and reimbursement, payment and collection management, financial analysis and electronic accounting archives, and has launched AI Agent products including an AI approval assistant, AI form-filling assistant and AI itinerary assistant. Its AI approval assistant is said to cut average approval time per document to within 2 minutes, improve time…
Based on interviews with five corporate travel leaders, SAP Concur summarizes 2025 business travel trends and challenges. Economic and regulatory uncertainty led to unpredictable flight and lodging prices in some markets and tighter budgets; organizations used automation and AI to improve spending visibility, with Michigan State University identifying about 500 hotel nights eligible for tax reimbursement using booking and reporting tools. Communication and relationship-building were seen as essential, including collaboration with HR, finance, suppliers and TMCs. Sustainability, virtual payment cards and NDC remained priorities, with virtual cards facing rising costs and digital wallet incom…
Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysian business travel management company Corporate Information Travel (CIT) selected Amadeus as its digital transformation partner and will migrate its business to the Amadeus Travel Platform for more comprehensive air content and modern capabilities. Founded in 1985 and recently marking its 40th anniversary, CIT offers instant airline reservations, ticketing and corporate ticketing facilities with fares from more than 130 airlines worldwide. CIT said it aims to build a future-proof, scalable system so consultants spend less time on repetitive tasks, and to launch a modern client-oriented website including NDC content.
SAP Concur and The Wall Street Journal podcast explores how emerging technologies like AI are transforming corporate travel management. The article highlights trends like direct booking and user experience, and the risks of employees booking outside the corporate booking tool, such as cost overruns and compliance issues.
SAP Concur's Concur Travel offers a single interface for booking flights, hotels, cars, and trains, integrated with expense management to ensure policy compliance. Features include color-coded policy indicators, e-receipts, mobile app, TripLink, TripIt Pro, and analytics, providing spend visibility and control for businesses.
A GBTA and SAP Concur poll of 226 travel managers and buyers examined how digital transformation is reshaping corporate travel management. The findings show travel managers' responsibilities shifting from managing people and policies toward overseeing the technology that enables modern business travel management. 72% expect bookings through their online booking tool (OBT) to increase over the next three years, while only 4% expect a decrease; four in ten expect bookings made directly through airline (40%) or hotel (38) websites to decline. 58% of travel managers either already include or expect to include NDC bookings within the next year. Facing airline fees on TMC and GDS channel bookings…