The future for air travel retailing is blended and omnichannel. A truly omnichannel environment will not only give travelers more choice, but also enable travel management companies (TMCs) and travel managers to enhance their data reporting and duty of care.

TMCs will need to reinvent and reassert themselves. Tech-first startups, boutique firms and VC-backed legacy players alike are re-examining their business models and thinking differently about the holistic value they provide corporate clients.

The drive toward actionable innovation continues apace. Despite the many setbacks caused by the pandemic, travel companies are moving forward with initiatives such as NDC and blockchain, which are foundational to the future of omnichannel travel retailing.

Road warriors will return with a different mindset. Travel programs will face new traveler behaviors resulting from an increasingly distributed workforce. The need for timely messaging and communication has increased, and new policies will need to be examined for “bleisure” trips.

Increasing commercial data will underpin better and faster decisions. Capturing comprehensive data from travelers, as well as ever-changing health and safety protocols, has arguably never been more complex — or more critical.