/Travelers want more automation, but there is “skeptical interest” around AI, according to the Amex Trends: Business Travel Edition, which surveyed 1,000 US business travelers and 500 US business travel decision makers. The report uncovered trends around Millennial and Gen-Z business travel habits, the industry embracing AI, expense innovations, business travel self-care habits and more.

Fernando Iraola, executive vice president & general manager, global & US large enterprises, said that, although there is still room for improvement, business travelers and companies are satisfied with the state of business travel. “Travelers can take advantage of amenities to travel comfortably and conveniently, corporate policies are adjusting to trends like remote work and even expenses are getting better,” he said.

Among the findings:

• Travelers want more automation. More than half (52%) of companies have implemented the use of automated expense management software for business travel, up from 39% in 2023. Business travelers have responded, with 44% saying that managing travel expenses has become easier in the past 12 months. Among those business travelers who find it easier, most cite their company’s implementation of travel and expense management software as the reason (49%), along with new travel policies (38%) and the use of receipt scanning apps (33%).
• There is “skeptical interest” around AI. AI’s role in business travel is growing, with 82% of companies reporting that they currently use AI in their business travel processes, up 13 percentage points from 2023 (69%). This includes booking travel (61%), analyzing company spend (52%), managing/submitting employee travel and expenses (51%) and policy enforcement (47%). More than half (54%) of companies using AI tools for business travel have taken steps to train their employees on how to use them, which may help to mitigate concerns some companies have about proper use of AI.
• Self-care is the new travel priority. Business travelers are prioritizing self-care on company time. The survey showed that 80% extend trips for leisure, 48% modify daily routines before leaving to adjust to their new time zone, 54% bring personal items that remind them of home, 70% have dinner alone to recharge and 52% make time to watch their favorite sporting event or shows while traveling for business.
• Travelers want (and are willing to pay for) comfort. While many companies pay for business class seats on longer flights (85%) at least on a case-by-case basis, more than three-quarters (77%) of business travelers have paid for a hotel or airfare upgrade for a work trip out of their own pocket or with personal points. Millennials and Gen-Z are almost twice as likely as Gen X and Boomers to do this frequently (30% vs. 17%).
• For the most part, amenities like in-flight WiFi (78%) and early hotel check-in (80%) are covered by companies at least on a case-by-case basis. Gym access is the top amenity that business travelers are looking for but that companies are least likely to cover; 27% of travelers named it a “must-have” but nearly half (47%) of companies do not cover it.
• Blended travel makes travelers more cost-conscious. Blended travel has always appealed to business travelers, who like to explore their destination when traveling for work (80%), according to Amex. However, the survey found there’s a tangible benefit for companies, too: Among travelers who took a blended trip in the past year, 85% are more cost-conscious when planning one because they will be paying for part of it. Business travelers may also be surprised to know that most companies surveyed that allow blended travel (80%) report that their duty of care covered both the personal and business part of the trip, as 55% of travelers surveyed believed they should be responsible for the personal part.
• The rise of remote work means that some employees are commuting longer yet less frequently or even on an ad-hoc basis, but almost three-quarters (72%) of companies with hybrid or remote employees expect them to come to the office more frequently than they did last year. This leaves companies grappling with what is a commute and what is reimbursable travel to the office, and they are currently divided on what to cover. Just under one-third (32%) cover travel costs for remote or hybrid employees to travel to the office, 37% may cover them on a case-by-case basis and 30% don’t cover them at all.
• For the first time, Amex identified five trending US destinations for business travel based on commercial customer spending. The five cities that saw the most growth year over year were: Princeton, N.J.; Durham, N.C.; southwest Michigan (Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids); Sacramento, Calif.; and Honolulu. Each city has a unique appeal to business travelers — from Princeton’s ambitions to become the next AI hub and Durham’s influx of tech workers, to Honolulu’s tourism recovery. Each destination illustrates how business travelers are expanding their destinations beyond traditional business hubs, according to the research.

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