What's the difference between in-house and outsourced travel support?

In-house agents work directly for the travel platform and have full access to booking systems, traveler profiles, and company policies. Outsourced support routes calls to third-party call centers where agents may lack direct system access and often need to transfer travelers to complete booking changes. During evaluation, ask providers directly: "Are your support agents employees of your company, or do you contract with a third-party provider?" Follow up by asking what actions agents can take without escalation.

How important is AI in travel support?

AI should help handle routine inquiries efficiently while freeing human agents to focus on complex disruptions that require judgment. AI should also prepare agents with traveler context before they answer, not create chatbot loops that delay access to human help. Ask vendors how their AI and human support work together, and request a demonstration of how a complex rebooking scenario gets handled.

What should I look for in duty of care capabilities?

When evaluating duty of care capabilities, ask: * Can administrators see traveler locations in real time? * Does the platform identify which employees are affected when you input a specific flight number or airport code? * How quickly can you push notifications to travelers in a specific region? Platforms that integrate tracking directly with support enable faster coordinated response than those requiring manual cross-referencing between systems.

How can I evaluate support quality before committing to a business travel platform?

During vendor demonstrations, ask to see actual support workflows rather than slide presentations — how does an agent screen look when a call comes in, and what information appears automatically? Some organizations run parallel pilots with two platforms before making final decisions, routing a subset of bookings through each to compare real-world support experiences.

What support features matter most for international travel programs?

International programs require follow-the-sun coverage so travelers in any time zone reach agents during local business hours somewhere in the support network. Language capabilities are important when travelers need help in countries where English isn't primary — ask whether agents speak relevant languages or rely on translation services. Visa and documentation support is also key for complex itineraries; some platforms offer pre-trip advisory services while others handle only booking and rebooking. Finally, confirm that support agents can access international inventory and rebook across carriers, since some platforms have limited capabilities outside their home region.

7 Business Travel Platforms with 24/7 Agent Support

Key Takeaways

24/7 agent support prevents travelers from being stranded and reduces disruption costs, but support quality varies widely across platforms.
Key differentiators include in-house versus outsourced agents, AI-assisted versus AI-only, and reactive versus proactive rebooking.
The best platforms combine human expertise with AI tools that give agents full traveler context before they answer the call.
High-touch support matters most for duty of care, after-hours changes, and complex international itineraries.

Flight cancellations, weather delays, and last-minute schedule changes are unavoidable realities of business travel. How quickly those disruptions get resolved depends on the quality of support behind your travel platform — and not all solutions that claim to offer “24/7 support” deliver equally. Some platforms route to outsourced call centers, others to AI chatbots, and others to in-house agents with full booking context and rebooking authority.

This guide compares seven business travel platforms that offer 24/7 agent support, covering what each provides, where they excel, and how to evaluate which approach fits your organization's needs.

7 Business Travel Platforms with 24/7 Agent Support

Here's how seven major providers compare across support models, strengths, and considerations.

1. Navan

Navan is an all-in-one travel and expense platform that combines corporate travel booking, expense management, and corporate cards in a single system.

Support model: Expert, in-house travel agents available 24/7 through follow-the-sun coverage, powered by a proprietary platform that gives agents complete traveler context before they answer. Ava, Navan's AI assistant, prioritizes and handles routine inquiries, like changing flights, applying airline and company policies, and managing disruptions, freeing up human agents to manage complex situations.

What sets Navan’s 24/7 support apart:

Experienced travel agents: Navan hires experienced agents with a minimum of 3–5 years corporate travel experience with expertise across GDS, NDC, and 25+ travel platforms.
Full traveler context: Agents have full visibility into booking history, itineraries, company policies, and preferences before answering, so travelers don't need to explain their situation from scratch and resolution times are reduced.
Proactive rebooking: Real-time disruption alerts, pre-approved alternatives, and one-click or auto-rebooking keep itineraries on track before issues escalate.
Integrated traveler safety: A live map shows real-time traveler locations for coordinated emergency response.
White-glove executive support: Navan Pro provides personalized VIP handling for complex itineraries, while delegate booking lets executive assistants manage travel for multiple executives from a single interface.
AI performance: Ava, Navan’s AI-powered virtual assistant, handles approximately 54% of user interactions and frees up agent time to handle complex situations.

Best for: Companies that want 24/7 global support and powerful, intuitive self-serve tools — including high-touch teams and executives who need fast, proactive help when plans change.

First Help Financial, an automotive lender with 450+ employees, experienced this during a snowstorm that disrupted flights for 90 managers traveling to Boston. "Navan's support was quick. It was easy for them to change flights," said Kennedy Hooper, Senior Associate of People Operations. She called Navan's customer success team "exceptional — probably the best support team I have for any of the vendors I manage."

2. Amex GBT (Including CWT)

Amex GBT is a full-service travel management company (TMC) with agency-based support.

Support model: Traditional managed travel services with assigned account teams for enterprise clients. 24/7 support through global service centers staffed across multiple continents.

What sets it apart:

Established relationships: Decades of experience with airline and hotel partnerships help resolve disruptions quickly.
VIP handling: Executive travel services with personalized support for international itineraries requiring coordination across multiple segments.
Global footprint: Following the CWT acquisition, expanded presence across regions with local expertise.

Best for: Large enterprises with complex international programs, established American Express relationships, and dedicated travel management budgets.

3. SAP Concur

SAP Concur is an expense management platform, with travel booking added through TMC partnerships.

Support model: 24/7 support through partner TMC network. Support quality and availability varies by customer tier and geographic region based on which TMC partner serves each market.

What sets it apart:

SAP ecosystem integration: Deep connection with SAP financial systems for organizations already running SAP infrastructure.
Enterprise compliance: Extensive policy enforcement features built for large organizations with complex approval workflows.
Partner network: Global coverage through established TMC relationships in most major markets.

Best for: Organizations already embedded in SAP infrastructure where integration with existing ERP matters more than booking experience.

4. Perk

Perk (formerly known as TravelPerk) is a travel and spend management platform with a strong focus on flexibility and a modern booking UX.

Support model: 24/7 support with target response times under 15 seconds. Combines chat support with phone availability for travelers who prefer voice. Coverage quality and staffing levels can vary by region, particularly outside Europe, where the company is based.

What sets it apart:

Booking flexibility: A suite of add‑on flexibility products (FlexiTravel Company, FlexiTravel Trip, FlexiFlight) lets travelers cancel or change trips up to shortly before departure and recover at least 80% of trip value as credit, subject to carrier rules. This can be attractive for smaller teams with highly changeable plans.
Modern interface: Consumer-grade booking experience that travelers find intuitive.
Strength in Europe: Particularly strong coverage and inventory for European routes, rail, and common business destinations within the EU/UK.

Best for: Mid-market companies prioritizing booking simplicity, flexibility for changing plans, and strong European coverage.

5. Amex GBT Egencia

Egencia once operated under Expedia's corporate travel division, now an American Express brand. It’s positioned between self-service platforms and full-service TMCs.

Support model: 24/7 phone and online support with travel consultants assigned to larger accounts. Part of the American Express Global Business Travel network.

What sets it apart:

Always-on assistance: Travelers can reach a live consultant any time, day or night, for itinerary questions, changes, or unexpected disruptions.
Dedicated consultants: Business travel consultants who understand corporate policies and can help with policy-aligned changes on the fly.
Multi-channel access: Support is available via the Egencia app, web portal, and phone, giving flexibility for travelers on the go.
Disruption support: Specialist support to help with issues from delays to rebooking logistics, fostering traveler confidence.

Best for: Companies seeking balance between self-service booking and managed travel support without full TMC overhead.

Learn more: Why one company switched from Egencia to Navan.

6. FCM Travel

FCM Travel is part of Flight Centre Travel Group. It operates as a global TMC serving mid-market and enterprise clients across six continents.

Support model: 24/7 support through global operations centers with named account managers for enterprise clients. Follow-the-sun coverage across major regions.

What sets it apart:

Asia-Pacific (APAC) strength: Strong presence and local expertise in markets where other platforms have limited coverage.
Service customization: Flexible service levels ranging from self-booking to fully managed programs.

Best for: Global organizations with significant travel volume in the APAC region and need for customizable service levels.

7. Corporate Traveler

Corporate Traveler bridges the gap between consumer booking tools and enterprise TMCs. It’s built specifically for organizations with smaller travel programs that still need professional support.

Support model: 24/7 emergency support with travel managers assigned to small and mid-sized business (SMB) accounts. Personal relationship model rather than call center routing.

What sets it apart:

Named contacts: Travelers work with the same travel manager consistently.
SMB focus: Service levels designed for small and mid-sized businesses without enterprise complexity.

Best for: Small and mid-sized businesses wanting consistent support contacts and personal relationships without enterprise-scale overhead.

Considerations: Technology platform is more basic than specialized corporate travel software. Limited expense management integration requires you to set up separate systems for booking and expenses.

Implement reliable 24/7 corporate travel support

Navan's travel impact dashboard surfaces upcoming strikes, weather events, and delays — with one-click rebooking and 24/7 in-house agents who already know the itinerary.

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Choose 24/7 Support that Prevents and Manages Disruptions

The gap between basic and excellent 24/7 support comes down to context and authority.

Basic support answers the phone; excellent support sees the traveler's itinerary, booking history, and preferences before answering — and has authority to rebook without escalation.

Navan's in-house agents operate 24/7 through follow-the-sun coverage, with full traveler context and rebooking authority from the first interaction. Proactive monitoring and outreach help resolve issues before travelers are disrupted, while a live map provides real-time visibility and control for duty-of-care and risk teams.

Get started with Navan to discover how proactive support keeps your travelers moving.

In-house agents work directly for the travel platform and have full access to booking systems, traveler profiles, and company policies. Outsourced support routes calls to third-party call centers where agents may lack direct system access and often need to transfer travelers to complete booking changes.
During evaluation, ask providers directly: "Are your support agents employees of your company, or do you contract with a third-party provider?" Follow up by asking what actions agents can take without escalation.
AI should help handle routine inquiries efficiently while freeing human agents to focus on complex disruptions that require judgment. AI should also prepare agents with traveler context before they answer, not create chatbot loops that delay access to human help. Ask vendors how their AI and human support work together, and request a demonstration of how a complex rebooking scenario gets handled.
When evaluating duty of care capabilities, ask:
Can administrators see traveler locations in real time?
Does the platform identify which employees are affected when you input a specific flight number or airport code?
How quickly can you push notifications to travelers in a specific region? Platforms that integrate tracking directly with support enable faster coordinated response than those requiring manual cross-referencing between systems.
During vendor demonstrations, ask to see actual support workflows rather than slide presentations — how does an agent screen look when a call comes in, and what information appears automatically?
Some organizations run parallel pilots with two platforms before making final decisions, routing a subset of bookings through each to compare real-world support experiences.
International programs require follow-the-sun coverage so travelers in any time zone reach agents during local business hours somewhere in the support network.
Language capabilities are important when travelers need help in countries where English isn't primary — ask whether agents speak relevant languages or rely on translation services. Visa and documentation support is also key for complex itineraries; some platforms offer pre-trip advisory services while others handle only booking and rebooking.
Finally, confirm that support agents can access international inventory and rebook across carriers, since some platforms have limited capabilities outside their home region.