Comments by Charlene Leiss, President of the Americas, Flight Centre Travel Group:

“The growth we’ve seen in the travel industry in the first quarter of the fiscal year has been strong, on both the corporate and leisure side of the business. There has been a strong resurgence in the U.S. as travelers have returned in a big way throughout the country.”

“Even in uncertain economic times and with the recent rise in geopolitical issues, our flagship business travel divisions FCM and Corporate Traveler, continue to thrive, winning new business and growing market share, while driving value for their existing customers as well. The small-to-medium sized enterprise market in the U.S., one of the fastest-growing segments within the industry, has particularly been strong of late.”

“To coincide with the return of normal business operations over the last year, we have strategically expanded our footprint and strengthened our sales, customers success, and operational teams, especially in the East, Midwest, and West regions. Corporate Traveler revealed that Boston, New York, Los Angeles, London, and Chicago have been the top destinations for travelers, while the industries spending the most on travel have been pharmaceutical, finance/banking, charity/non-profit, biotechnology, and technology.

“We are again leading the way in the technology space and our increased focus on innovation has been integral to our continued success. Our new digital platforms, Melon and FCM Platform, have helped us revolutionize the business, while allowing us to optimize efficiency and accelerate overall growth. Furthermore, we have seen online customer adoption with both platforms significantly increase over the last year, with more than 90 per cent of new customers in the U.S. integrated.”

“Going forward, we will be identifying new technology-driven opportunities, such as various AI-focused initiatives, that will help us further transform the customer experience and stay ahead of the competition. We are looking forward to another exciting year ahead.”

For the full ASX announcement, please CLICK HERE.

Comments by Chris Galanty, Global CEO, Flight Centre Corporate:

“The corporate division of the Flight Centre Travel Group (ASX:FLT), that includes flagship businesses FCM and Corporate Traveller, has achieved record-breaking Total Transaction Value (TTV) for the first quarter of FY24 with year-to-date wins totalling circa AUD$900 million.

“FCM, in particular, has been able to secure some strong wins in both North America, United Kingdom and Asia – one of the many reasons we saw a particularly strong end to the month of October. We see the corporate travel market has recovered to circa 70 per cent as an average across all markets.

“Despite the challenging macro environment globally, FCM and Corporate Traveller continues to win new customers and grow market share – while keeping their resilient customer bases. The small-to-medium sized enterprise market in the U.S. and Canada in particular, is strong.

“We’ve also enjoyed successful growth in both our digital platforms – Melon in the U.S. and UK – and FCM Platform, with our investments in both really starting to pay off. 

“All new FCM customers are now successfully implemented on the new Platform and all our existing customers will also be transferred by the end of the financial year. Corporate Traveller’s Melon is also going from strength to strength, with more than 90 per cent of new customers in the U.S. integrated.

“There’s no question our new digital platforms have, and will continue to be, key differentiators when it comes to winning new customers. With our strong people-first approach, combined with successful technological investments to date, this really sets us apart.”