With most potential buyers citing AI disruption risk and walking away, Long Lake's $6.3 billion acquisition of AmexGBT is the most contrarian bet in travel right now.
American Express Global Business Travel is going private with backing from major AI and tech investors. Despite a travel-tech experienced backer in General Catalyst, Long Lake will have to prove its mettle.
SAP Concur unveils new automation tools and partnership milestones in New Orleans, though several key features remain in pilot or scheduled for later in 2026.
The M&I 15 reflects a sector remade by consolidation — and stress-tested by the Covid pandemic. As mergers and rebrands compressed the field, capabilities have increasingly converged, leaving differentiation to come from corporate structure, service model, and where each firm chooses to specialize. Scale remains the entry ticket, but the gaps in focus are real enough to make buyers look twice at who they’re partnering with.
Navan CEO Ariel Cohen dismissed the SAP Concur–Amex GBT deal as “antiquated” and "irrelevant." Has Navan truly built a more reliable, disruptive solution?
Amex GBT‘s most recent meetings and events forecast found that more than half of event professionals now integrate AI into planning and execution. At its annual conference this week the company put that trend on full display.
Amex GBT is the dominant force in corporate travel, and it can use a massive AI-led tech makeover to fulfill its promise, including finally making meaningful headway with both the small business and unmanaged business travel markets.