8 questions to ask about the impact of AI on business travel

8 Questions to Ask About the Impact of AI on Business Travel is an eBook for travel leaders who need to move past AI feature claims and evaluate whether AI is making a real difference. AI has been part of business travel for years. What has changed is how much it can do, from automating individual tasks to coordinating complex, multi-step decisions. This eBook gives travel leaders eight focused questions to assess where their AI is delivering and where it may be falling short.

What should travel managers ask to evaluate the AI in their travel program?

Travel leaders need to look beyond whether their solution has AI features and ask what those features can actually do. The eBook identifies eight evaluation areas: data quality and relevance, compliance integration, role-specific intelligence delivery, shadow AI risk, security and data privacy, complexity handling, strategic program value, and expense review effectiveness. Together, these questions help travel managers assess whether their AI is acting as a true program driver or simply a layer of automation on top of existing tools.

How can AI help travel managers improve policy compliance without adding friction?

Compliance cannot rely on pre-trip approvals alone. Travelers make decisions throughout the journey, from planning and booking to itinerary changes on the road, that affect costs and program performance. AI embedded throughout the traveler journey can help prepare cost estimates before approval, surface policy-aligned booking options, and provide guidance when plans change. The result is compliance that works alongside the traveler, not enforcement that waits until after the fact.

What are the risks of employees using AI tools outside the corporate travel program?

72% of business travelers have used or would use shadow AI to plan or book travel, according to the 8th Annual SAP Concur Global Business Travel Survey. When employees use consumer AI tools for business trips, they may share sensitive company information with third-party platforms, receive recommendations that do not account for corporate policies or negotiated rates, and book outside managed channels where travel managers lose itinerary visibility. Addressing this risk requires clear AI governance policies, employee education, and approved tools that are easier to use than the alternatives.

How should travel leaders evaluate AI security in their T&E solution?

A responsible approach to AI security in travel and expense (T&E) management should address three areas: ethical and safe operation with appropriate human oversight and accountability; secure handling of sensitive traveler and business information through access controls and encryption; and compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. Travel leaders should understand what information is shared with external large language models (LLMs), how it is processed, whether it is retained or used for model training, and what safeguards protect traveler data.

How can AI help travel managers demonstrate the value of their program to the C-suite?

AI can help travel managers move from administering a booking tool to building a stronger case for their program's strategic value. By surfacing relevant performance information, reducing time spent navigating manual reports, and helping identify practical next steps, AI gives travel leaders more time to focus on the insights that matter to financial and executive stakeholders. This is particularly important given the growing pressure on travel managers to demonstrate measurable business travel outcomes.

Download the eBook: 8 Questions to Ask About the Impact of AI on Business Travel.