AI and business travel. Efficiency meets privacy

artificial intelligence, AI, efficiency

When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), there’s a lot of noise. Some people are sprinting into the future, others have one foot firmly on the brake, and many are in one day and out the next. If you're managing a travel programme or signing the dotted line in procurement, you're stuck in the middle of this kinda messy but exciting time. 

If you're on the fence about whether AI belongs in your business travel programme or wrestling with concerns about data privacy, ethics, and trust, you're in the right place.

Two experts from Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG; FCM's parent company) recently weighed in on this debate. Adrian Lopez, Head of AI for Flight Centre Corporate, and Celica Truong, Chief Privacy Officer, Americas, Flight Centre Travel Group, came together to share two perspectives. Here’s a closer look. 

The case for efficiency  

AI's potential in the business travel space is undeniable.  

"AI can enhance booking processes, scheduling, and managing travel plans, and that all results in significant cost and time savings. But AI should be used in a responsible and secure way." Adrian explained.

Across the board, generative AI tools and machine learning are finding ways into employees’ daily workflows.

A 2025 study by Serko and Sabre found that over 90% of United States based travel managers at companies with revenues exceeding $50 million have integrated AI or generative AI into their operations. Their primary motivators for this move were, cost savings (71%), enhancing traveller experience (68%), and improving data evaluation (63%).

And among the 90% using AI…52% say it has exceeded expectations, with another 45% saying it meets them.  

Even historically cautious sectors are finding safe ways to embrace AI.

"The medical profession is starting to use AI, and that's one of the most regulated industries, for good reason. If they're able to follow good practice standards and use it to be more productive, there's no reason that the travel industry can't either," Adrián noted.

For travel category managers, AI adoption could mean faster approval workflows, improved cross-functional collaboration, policy enforcement, visibility over supplier performance, greater traveller support, and scalable efficiencies across all regions. The list goes on. 

Hands typing on a laptop representing how artificial intelligence can streamline your business processes and enhance productivity.

The privacy and ethics perspective

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Of course, adopting AI isn’t without risk. Privacy, security, brand reputation, duty of care, and ethics remain major considerations.

“Generally, the privacy risks associated with any AI tools involve the collection and use of data, risks associated with transparency, consent, and the entire data lifecycle,” said Celica.

Recent global study by KPMG and the University of Melbourne found that 58% of respondents perceive AI as untrustworthy, a figure that has increased since the release of ChatGPT in 2022. And 79% are concerned about its potential negative impacts like misinformation, deskilling, and privacy loss.

Still, Celica was quick to clarify:  

“There’s a misconception that privacy is a blocker to AI. We want to support and enable businesses to thrive, grow, generate profit and do what they need to do. And we don't want to stop AI opportunities for innovation and efficiency.

What we want is responsible adoption of AI while ensuring privacy, accountability, transparency, and ethical responsibilities. All the typical things that a company has always needed to consider.”

The risks Celica highlighted aren't hypothetical either. Examples of AI misuse are already out there. Facebook (think Cambridge Analytica) and Clearview AI have shown how personal data, once collected, can be repurposed in ways users never consented to.

Given corporate travel programmes are rich with personal details like passport numbers, contact information, location details and, sometimes, health and medical needs, embedding privacy from the design phase is important.

Privacy protection must be woven into the AI development and implementation to respect individual rights and comply with legal requirements. Think of it as using privacy to complement your AI innovation and development, not vice versa.

Adrian reinforced the importance of getting this right from day one:

"There's this concept of security by design. When you're building a server application, you need to consider security from day one. It should not be an afterthought. AI integration and adoption is no different.” 

Meeting in the middle

One thing both experts agreed on: AI doesn’t get to make the final call, especially for decisions that directly impact people.

“In practice, we should keep humans in the loop in decision-making that can impact individuals. This helps mitigate privacy risk and maintain consumer trust,” said Celica.

This impacts every area of a travel programme, from vetting suppliers and analysing compliance data to monitoring spending and optimising itineraries. AI can do the legwork, gather insights, and surface patterns. But someone needs to validate the outcomes. Critical decisions require a level of emotional intelligence and real-world context that only humans can bring.

Adrian put it straight: “These tools are really powerful, but they come with great responsibility.”

A woman working across a laptop and smartphone representing how artificial intelligence can streamline your business processes and enhance productivity.

People are already using it, ready or not

Believe it or not, even if you don't officially use AI in your travel programme, someone in your business probably is. Quietly. The 2025 KPMG and the University of Melbourne study revealed that 57% of employees use AI without telling their employer.  

This sentiment was echoed in the 2025 AI at Work Report, which found that while 92% of executives say AI tools need approval, 35% admit they’d use them regardless. But only 3% of execs said they'd trust AI to make decisions on its own.

Blind spots like these could expose enterprise businesses to operational, compliance, and reputational risks, making proactive governance and privacy policy updates top of the to-do list for 2025. 

Regulators are paying close attention  

Governments aren't sitting back either. The EU AI Act is already in play, and many other regions around the world are drafting or are already live with their own state- and country-level frameworks.  

Which is not a bad thing. According to KPMG and the University of Melbourne 70% of recently surveyed respondents believe there should be a public mandate for national and international AI regulation.

"AI is top of mind for regulators, but the same privacy principles apply: transparency, accountability, informed consent." Said Celica  

While this might sound daunting, it’s not necessarily a barrier to innovation.  

"There hasn't been any specific AI block,” Adrian added. “It's just a new tool, a new building block. We need to take into account the same, if not more, data privacy and security concerns we already do."  

Travel decision-makers should collaborate closely with data privacy and security teams and expect compliance requirements to tighten, but not to halt progress. Instead, regulation may help level the playing field by setting clear expectations for responsible use, while keeping people and businesses safe and secure. 

So, should you be using AI in your travel programme?

The answer isn’t "yes" or "no." It’s: What's the smartest, safest way to start?

Here are a few questions to guide your next step:

  • How could AI improve traveller experiences and internal efficiency?
  • What privacy and security safeguards are in place?
  • Are humans reviewing all AI-driven decisions?
  • Are we prepared for the regulatory requirements? 

And some final words from the experts:

“We should not use privacy concerns as an excuse to not use AI,” Adrian says. “But proceed with caution.”

“AI use should be judged case-by-case, balancing organisational value while managing risk,” echoes Celica.

Where do you stand?  

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