GBTA AI Quick Start Guide for Corporate Travel Program Managers

AI For Corporate Travel Program Management:
A No-Budget Quick-Start Guide

As a travel manager, there can be no short list of partners that assist with the implementation of travel programs. We welcome you to think of AI as just that: another collaborative partner, not a replacement. Think of your new partner as an assistant who can think creatively and break down intricate problems into smaller, tangible solutions. 

Below is a practical, budget-friendly quick-start guide you can follow to start understanding upskilling on AI. Start by establishing a baseline using some of the resources below to familiarize yourself with industry guidelines and knowledge. Once you feel comfortable, transition to some practical applications and, finally, implement AI-enabled workflows in your daily operations. 

Phase 1: Awareness

Objective: Learn the core AI use cases and identify quick wins.

  1. Read the BTN Europe AI strategies article and highlight 3–5 use cases relevant to your program (e.g., personalization, predictive pricing, disruption).
  2. Review the BCD Travel + GBTA resource to confirm which use cases are most common today (rate comparisons, matching expense data, traveler-facing chatbots).
  3. Skim Navan’s overview to understand how platforms package AI into workflows (booking, support, compliance, expense automation).

Begin With Free Industry-Related and Educational Resources

Read Key Industry Guidance on AI in Business Travel

These reports and articles explain exactly how AI is transforming travel programs, but most importantly, where travel managers are benefitting today.

Business Travel News Europe

Business Travel News Europe –
“Ten AI-driven strategies shaping the future of corporate travel”
Covers personalization at scale, predictive cost intelligence, disruption management, and duty of care advancements.
Source: Business Travel News

BCD Travel + GBTA

BCD Travel + GBTA: “AI in Business Travel Management: Current Use Cases and Future Possibilities”
Identifies how 700+ industry professionals are using AI (rate comparison, data matching, chatbots) and where exist.
Source: BCD Travel

Business Travel Executive

Business Travel Executive –
“The AI Travel Revolution from End to End”
This is a great primer on how generative AI helps with receipts, spend categorization, normalization, travel policy, and other areas.
Source: Business Travel Executive

IBM

IBM – 
“Skills Build”
Learn practical AI and tech skills you can apply right away, whether you’re entering the workforce, changing careers, or adapting to a rapidly evolving job market.
Source: IBM SkillsBuild

Hint: Alternatively, have your AI tool (Co-Pilot, Gemini, Claude) provide a summary of the resources listed!

Overall, these articles will give you a foundational understanding of where AI is already delivering value and possibly help you with ideas on how you can use it in your day-to-day.

Phase 2: Assessment

Objective: Pinpoint where AI can reduce manual effort and improve program outcomes.

  • List your top time-consuming tasks (examples below) and tag each as high/medium/low effort and high/medium/low impact.
  • Identify where AI can help immediately:
    • Receipt scanning and capture, data merging, spend categorization, and data normalization (reduces cleanup time and improves reporting). 
    • Pre-trip compliance prompts and guidance (improves adherence and traveler experience).
    • Summarizing traveler feedback and support tickets (reduces admin time and helps spot trends).

Explore Free AI Tools for Quick Wins

Solutioning can be overwhelming, but we forget that Rome was not built in a day. Many think you need a big budget to start using AI, fortunately, you don't! There are many free AI Tools at your disposal that you might already have access to as part of your everyday tech stack. Unlike Rome, you can achieve some quick wins early on in your journey!

Use AI Assistants (like Copilot) for:

  • Drafting or modernizing travel policies
    • based on best practices and supported by insights from AI-driven platforms
  • Analyzing past spend and supplier data
    • when exported to Excel, Microsoft Copilot can generate insights and summarize trends you may not immediately notice
  • Creating training content
    • to support traveler compliance
  • Drafting RFPs
    • for TMCs, OBTs, or suppliers - with AI optimizing structure and clarity.
  • Turning your program data into a CFO-ready presentation brief and talk track.
  • Curate GBTA RFP templates from your inputs.

Automate admin-heavy workflows and free up time:

Based on industry guidance, AI is particularly good at tasks like:

Try using some of the prompts below: Based on industry guidance, AI is particularly good at tasks like:

Policy Modernization

Act as a corporate travel manager. I want to modernize a specific section of my company's travel policy to align with 2026 best practices (focusing on sustainability, traveler well-being, and cost-control). 

Please rewrite the following policy text to make it more concise, professional, yet easy for a traveler to understand. Also, suggest 2-3 modern adjustments an AI-driven travel platform would typically help enforce here.

Spend Data Analysis

Analyze this table of Q1 travel spend. Identify the top 3 categories where spend increased the most month-over-month, and highlight any statistical anomalies or unusual spikes in supplier pricing.

Creating Traveler Compliance

Act as an internal corporate communications specialist. I need to create a short, engaging training guide for our employees to improve compliance with the pre-trip policy. 

Based on the parameters below, write a 4-step "Quick Guide to Booking Travel" that we can post on our internal intranet. Keep the tone helpful and friendly, not restrictive.

Parameters to include:
- Flights must be booked at least 14 days in advance for domestic, 21 days for international.
- Preferred hotel chains must be chosen first via our online booking tool.
- Ride-sharing should use the business profile linked to our corporate account.
- What to do if a flight gets cancelled last-minute (Contact our 24/7 support line).

Drafting RFP Structures

Act as a procurement and corporate travel expert. I am preparing to draft an RFP for a new [insert: Travel Management Company / Online Booking Tool / Hotel Partner]. 

I want the structure to be modern, clear, and highly focused on service level agreements (SLAs), AI capabilities, and data integration. Please provide a comprehensive section-by-section outline for this RFP, including 3 critical questions I should ask vendors regarding how they protect passenger data privacy and use AI for disruption management.

Reminders! 

With all AI tools, it is important to validate the research and information provided. Check the listed resources, or simply tell your AI to include a degree of certainty in its responses.

When exploring new tools, it is best practice to use what is provided by your organization. If you’re exploring outside of those systems, there are some basic cautions to keep top of mind:

  • Refrain from including any confidential or identifying details (individual or company-based).  Information entered into free versions is utilized to train and support data.
  • Avoid uploading private documents that may also contain identifying or confidential information.

Phase 3: Application of “No-Cost” AI Workflows

Objective: Reduce repetitive work using the tools you already have (e.g., M365).

Below are workflow ideas aligned with proven industry use cases:

  • Policy & Program Communications
    • Use AI to draft, rewrite, or simplify travel policy content and traveler guidance, then apply human review to ensure accuracy and tone.
    • Create standard templates:
      • Such as a “How to book within policy”
      • “Approval required” messages
      • “Disruption playbook” communications (hint: AI can draft; however, you finalize)
    • Spend & Reporting Efficiency
      • Use AI assistance to summarize exported travel/expense reports, identify anomalies, and propose categories for consistent reporting (reduces manual analysis).
      • Normalize supplier naming issues (e.g., hotel names across sources) to improve reporting accuracy.
    • Traveler Support & Disruptions
    • Build a “traveler self-service Q&A” content set that aligns to your policy and common disruption scenarios; AI-powered support capabilities are becoming a standard pattern in travel platforms.

No Subscription? No Problem! Learn From Platforms That Offer Free Knowledge

Many big home improvement stores offer you the chance to rent their tools at a very low cost for your projects. Similarly with AI, you don’t need to buy the tool - just take the time to learn how to use it responsibly. 

Use this insight to begin designing your future-state program, even before acquiring tech.

Navan's Free Educational Content

Navan provides clear, easy-to-read explanations of:

  • AI booking agents, 24/7 travel support chatbots
  • Predictive pricing, automated expense management
  • Real-time policy enforcement
    Source: Navan

Even if you’re not a customer, the concepts provide a blueprint of the possibilities.

AI Travel Management

Covers:

  • How to let AI handle itineraries, approvals, risk alerts, and reporting
  • Where human expertise must complement AI
  • How to build a bespoke AI-supported travel ecosystem
    Source: AI Travel Management

Coming Soon - Dedicated GBTA AI courses are coming Fall 2026

AI Pathways will continue to expand with practical, role-specific courses designed to help business travel professionals build confidence and apply AI in their day-to-day work. Be the first to know when new courses are available. Subscribe to the newsletter. In the meantime, use GBTA's new Executive Storytelling Agent and RFP Agent!

Executive Storytelling Agent

Turns your program data into a CFO-ready presentation brief and talk track.

GBTA RFP Agent

Rule-engine prototype — curates GBTA RFP templates from your inputs.

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