How Amex GBT Shapes Future of Business Travel Procurement

How Amex GBT Shapes Future of Business Travel Procurement

In a landmark move for the corporate travel and procurement landscape, Global Business Travel Group, Inc., operating as American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Long Lake Management.

The all-cash transaction, valued at approximately US$6.3bn, signals a massive technological shift towards embedding frontier applied artificial intelligence (AI) into corporate travel procurement and expense management systems.

At the same time, the company is doubling down on operational innovation and sustainability, extending its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) programme with Google and joining Plug and Play's accelerator platform as an anchor member for 2026.

The acquisition by Long Lake Management is backed by major global investment firms General Catalyst and Alpha Wave.

Key shareholders representing 69% of the company's shares, including American Express, Expedia, Qatar Investment Authority and BlackRock, have already signed voting agreements in support of the deal. Crucially for global procurement teams, the American Express brand licensing agreement will remain firmly in place, ensuring seamless continuity for clients and partners worldwide.

Paul Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Amex GBT, highlighted the strategic value of the partnership: “This transaction is a testament to the value of Amex GBT, the success of our strategy and the strength of our incredible team.

"This agreement delivers a compelling outcome for our shareholders, providing them a substantial, certain cash value at an attractive premium. Our customers have always been at the heart of Amex GBT, and this partnership with Long Lake is about serving them even better.

"General Catalyst and Alpha Wave, among Long Lake’s world-class investors, have backed some of the most successful technology companies in the world. Together with Long Lake’s applied AI capabilities and our travel expertise, global scale, and trusted customer and supplier relationships built over decades, Amex GBT is driving the transformation of business travel.”

Alex Taubman, Co-Founder and CEO of Long Lake, noted that the future of corporate travel procurement will see human agents and automated systems working in tandem: “Amex GBT is the most trusted partner in corporate travel. The future of business travel will be defined by AI and human agents working seamlessly together on behalf of every traveller: faster booking times, proactive disruption resolution, and frictionless travel administration.

"In partnership with Long Lake, Amex GBT will continue to invest heavily in these capabilities and continue to set the gold standard for customer excellence.”

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, after which Amex GBT will operate as a privately held company.

Fuelling sustainability via blockchain book-and-claim

As ESG metrics remain a top priority for modern procurement leaders, Amex GBT has also extended its landmark environmental collaboration. Alongside Shell Aviation, the company has announced a long-term agreement with Google to source SAF environmental attributes through Avelia, a blockchain-powered book-and-claim registry.

SAF can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from aviation by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.

The book-and-claim model allows corporations to claim these verified environmental benefits even if SAF is not physically available at their departure airport, provided the fuel is injected into the aviation network elsewhere.

Andrew Crawley, President of Amex GBT, emphasised the role of corporate demand in scaling alternative energy solutions: “Our valued customer Google continues to lead by example and is showcasing one of the many ways business travel is a force for good.

"Corporate demand and investment are essential to growing the SAF industry. By extending this key collaboration, we are continuing to build a more resilient and lower-carbon future for our industry. Together, we are investing in the technologies of tomorrow – today.”

To date, the Avelia platform has achieved significant milestones in advancing sustainable travel infrastructure:

Innovation for corporate travel

In tandem with its AI acquisition and sustainability push, Amex GBT has joined Plug and Play’s Travel & Hospitality accelerator programme as an anchor member for 2026. This open innovation platform connects leading corporations with a network of over 100,000 high-potential startups across more than 60 countries.

As an anchor member, Amex GBT will actively shape the strategic direction of the programme and gain structured access to pre-screened tech innovators. This pipeline will allow the company to pilot emerging technologies that address complex procurement, expense management and travel tracking challenges.

Erica Antony, VP of Complete & Select Solutions at Amex GBT, welcomed the collaboration: “Startups bring fresh perspectives, bold ideas and the agility to challenge how we think.

"By collaborating with emerging innovators through accelerators like Plug and Play, we gain access to breakthrough technologies and diverse thinking that push us to innovate faster – while helping these startups grow. We’re excited to collaborate with the next generation of travel innovators to learn, test new approaches and bring the best ideas to our customers.”

By combining frontier AI tools, blockchain-verified sustainability initiatives and an active pipeline of startup tech, Amex GBT is positioning itself to redefine corporate travel procurement for the modern era.