As online booking tools became more intuitive and Artificial Intelligence has evolved into systems capable of simulating human reasoning, the traditional travel agent still stands tall.
Far from vanishing, Travel Management Companies, along with corporate travel consultants, now play a more relevant role than ever before. Why? Because, while AI has changed the mechanics of transactions, it has also highlighted why people still matter most.
1. The Illusion of Efficiency
Online booking tools streamline booking and drive efficiency by automating processes. But while this solution empowers staff to book online, which means saving money on service charges, it quietly eats up valuable company billable time as travellers toggle between tabs to find the “best” flight or a hotel that is actually near their meeting venue.
In contrast, professional travel consultants are highly skilled curators who deal with the ins and outs of travel on a daily basis. They don’t just book a trip; they ensure the hotel has the right Wi-Fi speed for a keynote presentation or that the ground transport is synchronised with a flight that is notorious for early arrivals, and that bookings offer maximum value across the total trip cost.
2. Duty of Care: Help when things go wrong
A key reason companies remain bound to travel agents is their ability to help when things go wrong.
While AI can send push notifications to warn of bad weather or flight time changes, it can’t chat to travellers to deal with cancelled flights, overbooked hotels, or medical emergencies. This is when travellers turn to a human who understands the situation and has experience in solving the problem. The TMC can:
- Track travellers in real time
- Provide emergency support
- Take ownership until the problem is solved
- Leverage high-level relationships to find solutions
- Use their teams across the world to provide on-the-ground support.
3. Cutting costs: It’s not just about the cheapest ticket
While AI-driven booking tools find the best available rates, TMCs focus on the bigger picture – what the full trip really costs.
If you have ever missed a client meeting due to a faulty AI rebooking, you will have learned the hard way that the cheapest ticket can cost a business more than the initial savings. It spreads into lost revenue, far exceeding initial price differences. Experts recommend adaptable travel options built to reduce shift costs when changes happen, along with routing choices designed to stretch both hours and energy. Consultants save money by advising on flexible tickets that limit high change or cancellation costs, as well as proactively managing schedule changes to maximise time and productivity.
While algorithms are excellent at scanning public data, corporate travel agents operate in the world of unpublished fares and negotiated rates.
TMCs also help to negotiate contracts with specific airline alliances and hotel chains. They then proactively manage travel spend directed toward these contracts to meet volume targets, which in turn triggers deeper discounts for the following year.
4. The Rise of the “Hybrid Professional”
It is a mistake to view the modern travel agent as an opponent of AI. In 2026, the best agents are “Super-Users” of AI. They utilise agentic AI to handle the “drudge work” – monitoring fare drops, auto-filling expense reports, and scanning for schedule changes – which frees them to focus on high-value consulting.
For example, if AI detects that an airfare drops by R1000 on a business class fare to London, it alerts the agent. The agent doesn’t just rebook it; they check if the new flight time still allows the executive to attend their 9:00 am breakfast meeting. If it doesn’t, they ignore the “saving” to protect the “objective.” This synthesis of data speed and contextual wisdom is a combination that an OBT cannot yet replicate.
5. Complexity and “Bleisure”
The modern corporate traveller is no longer just flying from point A to point B. We are seeing a massive rise in “Bleisure” (trips that combine business with personal time) and multi-city “hub-and-spoke” itineraries.
Agents save the company money by acting as “policy police,” ensuring that personal additions to business trips don’t result in the company inadvertently subsidising an employee’s vacation. Calculating the personal cost of an employee tagging three extra days onto an overseas business trip requires specialised guidance that AI struggles to navigate. Travel agents act as the “policy police”, helping employees stay within the business parameters while still providing the flexibility they crave.
6. The “Concierge‑level” Requirement
For the C-Suite, time is the most expensive commodity. A CEO cannot afford to be “on hold” with a budget airline’s chatbot. High-touch “White Glove” service – where an agent knows a traveller’s preferred seat (always 4A, never 4B), their dietary requirements, and their preferred car service driver – remains a cornerstone of executive retention and productivity.
In these scenarios, the travel agent isn’t just a booker; they are an Executive Assistant specialised in logistics. They provide a “safety net” that allows the company’s leadership to focus entirely on the business mission rather than the logistics of getting there.
The ROI of Human Intelligence
In an increasingly unpredictable world, the travel agent is no longer just a middleman. By leveraging AI to manage the routine and human experts to manage the exceptions, modern corporations have found a balance that provides both the efficiency of the machine and humanity that delivers an experience that keeps the corporate machine moving. See it as a “safety net” for the C-Suite, ensuring their time, the company’s most expensive commodity, is spent on the business mission rather than logistics.
To delve into how Rennies BCD leverage AI in our business, reach out to us at sales@renniesbcdtravel.com