Travel & Expense is no longer a back-office function. Heading into 2026, it’s becoming a strategic lever powered by AI, anchored in trust, and shaped by culture.

Airlines are doubling down on first and business class, and it’s not just nostalgia. As travelers return with higher expectations, carriers are betting on comfort, privacy, and standout service to win loyalty (and margins).

The U.S. government shutdown is exposing cracks in our aviation system, with millions of travelers already impacted by delays and staffing shortages across the FAA and TSA.

In today’s travel landscape, success isn’t just about managing bookings, it’s about managing performance.  The best Travel Managers track KPIs that show how efficiently, compliantly, and strategically their programs operate.

SAP Concur and American Express Global Business Travel just dropped big news, a new strategic alliance to deliver “Complete by SAP Concur and Amex GBT”, an integrated travel, payment, and expense solution.

What if your travelers had a colleague who never slept, never took a holiday, and answered questions instantly no matter what the time zone? That’s not a dream role to recruit for, it’s the power of AI in today’s travel programs.

At Lyndon Group, we work with clients every day to optimize their corporate travel programs and lately. In our travel practice, we’re seeing a growing challenge: loyalty-driven travel behavior that undermines policy compliance and inflates spend.

The Global Business Travel Association’s July 2025 sentiment poll is an industry snapshot that surveyed 950 travel buyers, suppliers, and TMCs across 45 countries.  The poll shows an energetic yet increasingly cautious sector as recent U.S. policy moves ripple through the global economy.