These 7 T&E Lessons from 2024 Can Make 2025 Stronger

Sometimes, in order to move forward, you need to look back.

And 2024 saw some developments in the world of travel and expense — new trends, new products, new processes — that can help inform the strategies of 2025. So we created a guide to help summarize the results: 7 T&E Lessons From 2024 to Make for a Stronger 2025.

Here are two of these key takeaways.

Business Travel In All Forms Is Booming

There’s no question that business travel is back. We charted the growth this year using our own booking data; and, according to an annual survey conducted by Skift and Navan, travelers and managers are planning more trips in 2025 than this year.

It’s not just traditional road warriors getting out there — it’s engineers, marketers, and others. Sometimes, they travel as a team, to offsites and conferences. And sometimes they add individual leisure extensions. All of these trip types are on a growth trajectory that’s expected to continue.

Of course, managing all this travel has become more challenging. Managers need the proper tools, and travelers have to use actually them. But as our survey showed, many employees are not. In fact, only 18% of travelers said they book on-platform all the time. Increasing compliance could be a key factor in increasing the efficiency of a travel program next year.

There’s a New Place to Look for Savings

This has been a breakout year for New Distribution Capability (NDC) — the content distribution platform that airlines are increasingly focused on using. It makes sense; NDC gives them more control and flexibility with their content.

For companies that work with NDC-enabled corporate travel solutions, the technology can be a boon to the bottom line. With NDC, companies can avoid GDS surcharges, get additional price points, and access exclusive fares. (Plus, NDC can give busy travelers more flight options.)

That’s why Navan has 17 airlines currently enabled on this platform.

And we proved out the savings earlier this year by studying bookings made on Navan over a three-month period. Our report, the Navan NDC Savings Index, breaks down the potential savings.

See all seven lessons we’ve learned this year about developments in AI, sustainability, and more with our guide, 7 T&E Lessons From 2024 to Make for a Stronger 2025.