Corporate travel consolidation: Like merging Ferraris with tractors
Let me tell you something about the corporate travel market. Once upon a time, it was a glorious mess. A sprawling jungle of travel management companies (TMCs) each promising to get you from Slough to Singapore with minimal fuss and maximum value. You had boutique firms with names like “GlobalJet Elite” and “TravelWizard Pro,” all sounding like Bond villains with a booking engine. And then you had the big boys - Amex GBT, CWT and BCD - which could probably get you to Mars if your expense policy allowed it.
But now? Now it’s all being consolidated. Which is a posh way of saying: “We’re mashing everything together like a toddler with a bowl of spaghetti.”
What does consolidation actually mean?
In theory, it’s about efficiency. Fewer players, more scale, better tech, lower costs. In practice, it’s like bolting a jet engine onto a shopping trolley and calling it a Formula 1 car. You get one mega-company that’s supposed to do everything - book flights, manage risk, track carbon emissions and probably babysit your dog while you’re in Dubai.
And the boutique firms? They’re either being gobbled up like biscuits at a builder’s tea break or vanishing entirely, leaving behind only a LinkedIn post and a sad-looking website that hasn’t been updated since Theresa May was Prime Minister.
The upside (apparently)
Yes, yes, I know. Economies of scale. Streamlined operations. AI-powered booking tools that can predict your travel preferences before you even know you have them. It’s all very clever. But let’s be honest, when was the last time a merger made your life easier?
You’ll get a shiny new app, a chatbot that calls you “Stephen” but doesn’t understand the word “refund” and a helpdesk that’s outsourced to a call centre in a time zone where it’s always 3am.
The real reason behind it all
Money. Obviously. The big players want more of it. The private equity firms want all of it. And you as a frequent traveller? You just want someone to book a flight that doesn’t involve a 9-hour layover in Frankfurt and a seat next to a man who thinks deodorant is a conspiracy.
Consolidation means fewer choices, less personalisation and - if we’re lucky - a loyalty programme that gives you a free coffee after spending £100,000 on flights.
Final thoughts
TMC consolidation is like turning up to a track day and finding everyone’s driving the same grey Vauxhall Astra. It’s efficient, it’s predictable, and it gets the job done. But where’s the fun? Where’s the flair? Where’s the personalised service from the travel consultant who knows your favourite seat on the BA 777 and gets you upgraded?
Gone. All gone. Replaced by algorithms, dashboards and a bloke named Dave from Support who insists your ticket is non-refundable even though you bought it with a platinum card and a prayer.
So buckle up, return your seat to the upright position and stow your laptop. The future of corporate travel is consolidated, homogenised and about as personalised as a spreadsheet. To avoid this near certainty, you should probably have a chat with the guys over at Meon Travel Management who take a different approach… we believe we might just be onto something.
