Artificial Intelligence is reshaping many industries, and corporate travel is no exception. Yet rather than viewing this shift as a replacement for human expertise, travel managers can harness AI and data-driven insights to elevate their roles and their travel programs.
Martin Tuncaydin, Direct Travel’s EVP of Data, AI, and Engineering, shares his perspective on how emerging technologies are transforming the travel landscape. Below, we have compiled a question and answer session with his key insights. Martin will explain how intelligent tools can help travel teams operate more efficiently, make smarter decisions, and deliver a more human touch where it matters most.
What excites you most about the possibilities AI brings to corporate travel right now?
AI has the ability to transform corporate travel from reactive to predictive. We’re moving beyond simply booking trips to anticipating traveler and travel manager needs before they arise. Imagine AI that learns a traveler’s preferences, predicts disruptions, and proactively offers solutions — rebooking flights before the traveler even knows there’s a delay, suggesting hotels that match their past preferences and upcoming meeting locations, or identifying cost-saving opportunities in real-time. The shift from “help me book” to “everything is handled” is within reach.
Where do you think human expertise will always remain irreplaceable, even as AI grows more capable?
Human expertise shines in three critical areas:
- Empathy during a crisis. If a traveler is stranded abroad during a natural disaster, they need a human who understands their concern and can provide reassurance while solving problems creatively.
- Complex relationship navigation. Negotiating enterprise contracts with hotel chains requires an understanding of nuanced business relationships and reading between the lines.
- Strategic program design. Designing a travel program that balances cost, duty of care, sustainability, and employee satisfaction requires human judgment about organizational values and culture that AI cannot replicate.
How can AI help a travel manager improve the travel experience for their employees?
AI can act as a 24/7 personalized concierge for every team member. It can learn individual preferences (aisle seats, proximity to offices, dietary needs), predict potential issues (tight connections, weather delays), and surface relevant information at the right moment.
For travel managers, AI can identify patterns across thousands of trips — which routes consistently have issues, which hotels receive poor feedback, or where policy violations cluster — enabling the manager to continuously refine their program. AI can also automate routine traveler questions, freeing up travel managers to focus on exception handling and strategic improvements.
How can access to better data and AI assistance make a travel manager’s job easier?
Better data transforms travel managers from operational firefighters to strategic advisors. Instead of manually pulling reports to answer “Where did John stay in Chicago?” they can focus on “How do we reduce travel spend by 15% while improving satisfaction?” AI handles the tactical work, such as policy compliance monitoring, approval routing, and expense reconciliation.
This elevation means travel managers can become key contributors to broader business objectives — using their travel data to inform expansion strategies, negotiate better corporate rates with predictive demand modeling, or design programs that support talent retention and sustainability goals.
What advice would you give a travel manager who wants to become more data-driven but doesn’t know where to start?
Start with three actionable questions that matter to your executive team:
- What is our true cost per trip, including hidden expenses?
- Where are our travelers experiencing the most friction or dissatisfaction?
- Which policy changes could yield the strongest ROI?
By using these questions as a guide and working backward, you can identify what data your organization needs. Don’t try to build a perfect data warehouse on day one. Begin with simple dashboards that answer these questions, share insights monthly with stakeholders, and iterate based on their feedback.
Most importantly, tell stories with your data, not just numbers. “We can save $250K annually by adjusting our booking window policy” resonates more than spreadsheets.
When it comes to tech solutions, why is it important to use an open architecture platform?
Open architecture prevents vendor lock-in and enables best-of-breed solutions. The corporate travel ecosystem is complex — GDS systems, expense platforms, HR systems, risk management tools, sustainability trackers, and more. A closed platform forces you to use mediocre built-in tools, or creates expensive custom integrations that could break with every update. Open architecture with modern APIs means you can connect the best tool for each job, adapt quickly to new technologies, and own your data.
How does Direct Travel’s approach to AI differ from the hype or buzzwords we often hear in the industry?
We focus on practical AI that solves real problems today, not demos that wow but never ship. Many vendors slap “AI-powered” on rule-based systems that have existed for years. Our approach centers on human-in-the-loop AI that augments our travel counselors rather than replacing them, making them exponentially more effective.
We prioritize transparent AI so our clients understand what the AI is doing and why, building trust rather than mystique. Every AI feature must demonstrate measurable outcomes through time saved, costs reduced, or satisfaction improved. We’re not chasing headlines; we’re solving the unglamorous problems that actually impact our clients’ bottom line:
How does Avenir’s data model enable faster or smarter decision-making compared to traditional TMC tools?
Direct Travel’s Avenir is built on modern data architecture principles, providing a unified, normalized, and near-real-time view of travel data. Traditional TMC tools often have data siloed across booking systems, expense platforms, and reporting tools, requiring manual reconciliation. Avenir provides a single source of truth where all travel data exists in one coherent model.
Can you share what’s on the roadmap for the future?
We’re launching several key initiatives. Our global AI-powered analytics offering provides travel managers with intelligent insights that surface opportunities and risks automatically.
Our AI concierge allows them to converse with their program in natural language, asking questions and receiving instant answers. We’re building a unified entry point for all customers featuring resource centers and AI-powered responses to common traveler questions. Travelers get instant answers at any hour, while our counselors focus on complex scenarios requiring human expertise.
Internally, we’re deploying AI to assist with tasks like checking PNR changes, reconciling invoices, and answering repetitive questions. This frees our team for higher-value work: building relationships and solving more complex challenges. It’s about elevating everyone’s work and making Direct Travel more efficient and more human where it counts.
Finally, for travel managers who are interested in learning more about how data and AI can elevate your role, I encourage you to get in touch with Direct Travel. Our team is ready to help you balance data intelligence with human expertise and deliver #ThePerfectTrip for your travelers.
