Business Travel tips

TravelPerk, a growing business travel agency and software platform, has raised another $104 million. 

Travel startups raised at least $3.7 billion in 2023. Skift tracked more than 200 travel startup fundraises through a weekly roundup article, compiled from company announcements and exclusive reporting. 

In-flight internet connectivity has come a long way since 2003, when Connexion by Boeing launched and Lufthansa and British Airways became the first airlines to test it out. Airlines depended on ground stations that would relay signals when flying over land, switching to satellite connectivity when flying oceanic. It was slow.

Navan, a travel and expense management startup, has laid off 5% of employees at the company, accounting for about 145 people.

​​A new tool has been launched by Qantas to help small and medium sized Australian businesses manage their travel requirements.

American Express Global Business Travel says its push to make it easier for small businesses to manage their travel needs has paid off. The company reported double-digit transaction growth in the small- and medium-sized business segment in the third quarter. 

Trips taken by education consultants and technology providers serving colleges and universities led business travel this year between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.  

Lufthansa on Thursday reported quarterly profits slightly above analysts’ consensus on the back of robust travel demand this summer and said bookings remained strong ahead of the busy Christmas holiday season.

Today on the podcast we feature Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in conversation with Skift Founder and CEO Rafat Ali onstage at Skift Global Forum in New York City last month. 

Saudi Arabia’s super-city of Neom has created its own investment fund. The Neom Investment Fund will largely focus on mergers and acquisitions and venture capital in tech startups, said the organization. The Neom Investment Fund will also work with global organizations through joint ventures to boost its many sectors, including travel and tourism.

A new report shows that while business travel is still down from pre-pandemic totals, transient and group business travel have shown growth in 2023.

Five travel tech startups announced fundraises of more than $57 million this week.

American Airlines is making changes to its corporate travel loyalty program for small businesses – the airline said Monday the newly launched AAdvantage Business would replace Business Extra.

Seattle will receive $5 million in funding next year to bring in more conventions to boost downtown tourism.

Travel brands are eager to profit from artificial intelligence, but they’ll likely encounter several obstacles.

Long wait times for visas and an outdated air infrastructure hobble the U.S.’s ability to attract travelers, said executives at the Skift Global Forum.

When it comes to premium cabins, most of the innovation happens in the Asia-Pacific region (including the Middle East). This is where most premium airlines are, and they all want the big money customers.

Pre-pandemic, the cash-rich, travel-hungry Chinese tourist was a principal focus for Dubai, so much so that an entire “China Readiness” strategy was created. It included rolling out marketing campaigns on local social media app WeChat; the creation of a “Chinese Travelers Standards” training program for workers; a raft of signings with Chinese tour operators, and much more.

The remarkable recovery of the global aviation industry in 2022 was something the majority of industry observers did not see coming. 

This month’s earthquake in Morocco claimed thousands of lives and left many homeless, including workers in the tourism sector, who are sleeping in empty hotel ballrooms or apartments rented out by their employers, according to the properties we spoke to.

One of the segments that has started showing results for MakeMyTrip is its corporate travel platform, MyBiz.