INSIGHTS
How to build a reliable relationship with your travel management company
For many, choosing a corporate travel management company (TMC) starts with practical or specific solutions. Can the TMC deliver competitive pricing? Do they have a wide breadth of hotels and airlines available? Is their technology up to scratch? What reporting is on offer? How quickly will they answer the phone? These are all important questions and will definitely form part of the decision-making stage. But they don't tell you what it's like to work with that TMC day in and day out in six months’ time or even six years down the track.
7 signs you've found a strategic partner
A strategic TMC doesn't only process bookings or offer modern technology. They become an extension of your travel team, helping you and your people navigate changing market conditions, improve traveller experiences, identify opportunities, and support your wider business goals.
So, how do you know whether your TMC is acting as a strategic partner or simply a booking provider or tool? Here are seven signs.
1. They know how your business operates
Every enterprise-level organisation has a corporate travel policy, but no two organisations travel the same or within the same parameters. Perhaps your executives regularly travel at short notice. Maybe your FIFO teams spend weeks on remote sites. Or maybe traveller wellbeing is a board-level priority, and sustainability targets influence supplier and booking decisions.
A strategic TMC takes the time to identify these nuances rather than treating every customer the same. Your onboarding team and account manager will ask things like:
- What are your business priorities?
- What frustrates your travellers?
- What pressures does your team face?
- What would success look like in 12 months?
- Where does travel create the most friction?
Understanding the context behind your corporate travel program allows the TMC team to recommend solutions that fit your organisation, rather than forcing your program and people into a standard operating model. A travel booker managing executives with complex itineraries has vastly different needs and stresses from a procurement manager trying to consolidate a global program across multiple markets.
When a TMC relationship works, it doesn't feel transactional or like you're just buying travel. It feels like you're working with people who want to understand what's important to you and help relieve pressure in all parts of your travel program.
- Sue McEvoy, Head of Sales ANZ
2. They solve a problem before you knew it existed
Most suppliers are good at responding to problems, strategic partners are good at preventing them. Rather than waiting, strategic account managers will proactively dig into your data, looking for trends, habits, risks, and areas to improve. That might include:
- Noticing a decline in online booking adoption
- Identifying routes where travellers keep booking outside policy
- Spotting surges in airline or hotel spend
- Discovering shifts in cabin class frequency or accommodation type
- Recommending supplier adjustments before contract renewals
- Reviewing sustainability metrics against behaviour
One FCM client experienced this firsthand when their FCM account manager identified that same-day, non-project internal air travel was quietly accumulating a carbon footprint that hadn't been quantified and was going against the business’s broader green goals. By isolating this travel category, the account manager helped the customer make small behavioural changes that reduced emissions without impacting operations.
3. They build relationships across your whole organisation
Corporate travel programs touch many parts of a business, and for some stakeholders, travel is just a tiny proportion of their role. Executive assistants, finance, procurement, human resources, travellers, and travel managers all bring different priorities and challenges to the table. A strategic TMC recognises this extent. Rather than maintaining a single point of contact, they build relationships across your entire organisation and encourage you to do the same across theirs.
That means your travel team knows their main point of contact (account manager) super well plus all the people working behind the scenes. They know who to call when a traveller needs urgent help, who needs to be in the room when talking tech or AI innovation, and what executive support is accessible if a major issue pops up.
The strongest partnerships don't operate behind layers of hierarchy. At FCM, many customers know our senior leaders by name. They have direct contact details, connect at industry events, and know they can reach out when needed.
4. They aren't afraid to challenge you
Sometimes the biggest opportunity to improve your travel program comes from having an honest conversation. If your approval process is creating unnecessary delays, your TMC partner should say so. If your hotel strategy is no longer delivering value, they'll explain why and provide some alternative solutions. If traveller behaviour is changing, they'll recommend adapting your policy rather than maintaining the same one from years ago. This kind of candour indicators that your TMC is invested in improving your program, not simply keeping the peace.
5. They make technology feel human
Online booking tools, AI assistants, reporting dashboards, and automated workflows all play a role in keeping a program running smoothly and in the current era. But technology alone doesn't create a great travel experience. A strategic TMC knows where automation adds value and where human expertise still has a place.
When everything is running as it should, travellers should enjoy fast, intuitive digital experiences where they can self-serve and get what they need when they need. When flights are cancelled, weather disrupts travel, or complex itineraries need building, expert corporate travel consultants step in. The TMCs worth partnering with invest in their people and their tech.
6. Success is measured by more than savings
Cost will always remain in the top five things to watch. But modern travel programs are expected to deliver far more than cheaper airfares. Leading organisations are also measuring:
- Traveller satisfaction
- Policy compliance
- Duty of care/risk
- ROI and travel value
- Online adoption/tech usage
- Sustainability
- Business goal alignment
- Supplier agreements
A strategic TMC recognises the bigger picture. Rather than asking, "How much did we save?" they also ask:
- What is the traveller experiencing before, during, and after?
- Are bookers spending less time arranging travel or fielding questions?
- Has compliance or preferred supplier usage improved?
- Are program changes delivering measurable outcomes?
- Is leadership receiving better visibility?
- Are your hotel suppliers following through on their agreed terms?
7. You trust them when things go wrong
Most can provide good service when flights depart on time, and everything runs according to plan. Partnerships are tested when plans change. In these moments, organisations aren't thinking about reporting dashboards or booking fees. They’re thinking, "Can we trust and lean on our TMC to take care of our people?"
A partner communicates clearly, acts quickly, and takes ownership. They coordinate alternative flights, keep travellers informed, provide leadership with visibility, and work alongside your team until the situation is resolved.
The key message we shared with FCM Travel was simple: take care of our travellers. And honestly, they didn't even need to be told. That's just what they do. It makes us proud to have FCM looking after our people. Our travellers feel comfortable and supported, knowing that FCM is looking out for them and will do what it takes.
- Shell
Ready to see whether you're in a partnership, or just another supplier relationship?
Download The travel team relationship guide to check your current set up and discover what a true TMC partnership looks like.