The business trips companies still make are the ones where being there makes a real difference. With travel costing more, FCM Consulting, part of FCM Travel, says travel managers who can show what each trip delivers are in the strongest position to make the case for investing in it. Its new Insight Report sets out four gaps that programmes should close in 2027 to do that.
The report, Trends & Strategies for H1 2027, shows economy airfares up around 21% so far this year, and FCM Consulting expects fares to keep rising into 2027 as airlines pass on higher fuel costs. Hotels offer some relief: global rates eased to US$216 in Q3 2026, only 0.9% above a year earlier, after a five-year high of US$223 in Q2, which makes it easier to see where a programme loses value.
“Every business trip is an investment in a customer, a deal or a team,” said Jo Lloyd, chief customer officer, FCM Travel. “When travel managers can show senior leaders why each trip happens and what it delivers, managed travel is seen as a strategic asset, and it’s easier to invest in the trips that matter. Our job is to help clients build that case.”
The report identifies four gaps and how to close each:
The Articulation Gap: Standard travel reports cover cost and compliance without recording why people travel, so it’s hard to explain how the budget supports company goals. To close that articulation gap, add a short list of trip purposes to the booking process, using terms business already recognises. You can then report spend against priorities and set policy rules that suit the purpose of each individual trip.
The AI Governance Gap: AI is moving from experiment to everyday use, and the rules for how it’s governed need to keep pace. Enforcing policy is hard even before AI is involved, so AI shouldn’t be relied on to interpret rules on its own. “A strong approach is fail-safe by default: when there isn’t a compliant option, AI should stop and pass the decision to a person,” said Felicity Burke, strategy lead, FCM Consulting. The report advises buyers to make sure their contracts say how AI use is checked, who reviews its decisions, and who is responsible if it makes a mistake.
The Contracted vs. Real Gap: A negotiated rate only saves money if travellers book it. FCM data shows 42% of Americas travellers book outside policy and only 56% use approved tools. Hotel rates with last room availability (LRA) rates are available 60-85% of the time, and 25-50% for non-LRA rates. With hotel rates now levelling off, it is easier to see where a company pays more than the market. Rachel Newns, global hotel practice lead, FCM Consulting, said: “The actual rate achieved is the best measure of how well a negotiated rate is performing in the programme.”
The Disruption Readiness Gap: Disruption is an everyday feature of business travel. Programmes need to be ready for it. The Middle East seat capacity is down 10.7% this year. Nearly a quarter of European flights were late in 2025, US on-time performance was its worst since 2014. The EU’s Entry/Exit System has added airport queues at participating airports, with processing times up by as much as 70%. Hotel booking is largely unmanaged, which makes it harder to know where travellers are, and that companies should treat compliance as a risk measure as well as a financial one.
The FCM Consulting’s Trends & Strategies for H1 2027 report is available here
