PRESS RELEASE
Corporate Traveler Launches Mel, a New AI Travel Assistant Designed to Deliver Fast, Personalized Support for Business Travelers
New AI-Powered Assistant Offers Real-Time Answers Tailored to Traveler Needs and Company Policies, Enhancing the Business Travel Experience
New York, NY (October 29, 2026) – Corporate Traveler, a leading business travel company serving small and mid-size businesses (SMBs), today announced the launch of Mel, its new proprietary AI travel assistant that provides business travelers with fast, personalized answers informed by their individual preferences and company travel policies.
With Mel, Corporate Traveler is providing an added layer of real-time support that helps simplify the business travel experience for SMBs, where one employee is often responsible for managing travel while also balancing other responsibilities. By quickly bringing relevant information and options together, Mel gives travelers convenient access to answers when they need them.
Mel is built by Corporate Traveler and embedded throughout Melon, its all-in-one travel platform for booking, managing, and reporting on business travel. This launch marks another step forward in Melon’s evolution, reflecting Corporate Traveler’s commitment to combining intelligent technology with human expertise to deliver a more seamless, personalized customer experience.
“Trust is paramount in business travel. The stakes are too high to get the wrong answer,” said Trevor Brink, Global Chief Product Officer, Corporate Traveler. “Travelers want to feel reassured that they’re receiving accurate, up-to-date information to keep trips on track and avoid missing a flight, ending up in a high-risk area or incurring an unexpected expense.”
“That’s why we made the deliberate decision to build Mel ourselves, thoughtfully integrating our people’s expertise into how it handles real-world travel situations,” said Brink. “Day to day, that means support travelers can trust, less time spent chasing answers and more confidence in the guidance they receive.”
Key features of Mel include:
Personalized Answers – Mel provides tailored answers based on each traveler’s needs while aligning with company policies and business priorities. It draws on traveler profiles, company travel policies, travel history and program information to deliver relevant guidance that helps travelers make more informed decisions with greater confidence. Mel operates within customer-defined controls and is guided by the approach Corporate Traveler’s consultants take when navigating common travel situations.
- For travelers, enhanced personalization means quicker, clearer recommendations that account for their preferences and company travel policies. For businesses, it helps ensure those policies are applied consistently, regardless of how a question is phrased.
Real-Time Disruption Support – Given the unpredictable nature of corporate travel, Mel is designed to help travelers stay informed when disruptions occur. When a flight is delayed or canceled, or airport conditions impact a trip, Mel provides timely information and recognizes when additional assistance is needed, escalating the issue to a Corporate Traveler consultant for support.
- By combining the convenience of AI with trusted, high-touch human support, Corporate Traveler helps travelers manage unexpected changes with greater peace of mind. When a disruption requires hands-on assistance, a consultant can step in to manage the rebooking process and resolve the issue, reducing the time travelers spend navigating stressful situations.
Increased Efficiency – Mel automates routine administrative tasks traditionally handled by travel consultants, including answering common policy and itinerary questions. By handling these time-consuming requests, Mel frees consultants to focus on more complex situations that require human judgment and personalized support.
- At launch, Mel has demonstrated the ability to resolve nearly two-thirds of traveler questions without human involvement, saving customers an average of 65+ hours per week.
Seamless Integration – Travelers can also access Mel directly through Slack, extending its travel assistance beyond the Melon platform.
- This added convenience makes it easier for travelers to get the support they need within a tool they already use.
“As the digital extension of our dedicated consultants, Mel is designed to work alongside our people, complementing their expertise,” added Brink. “When a trip is disrupted, Mel can provide an immediate update, while a consultant is readily available and prepared to step in with the high-touch support needed to ensure the business travel experience remains as smooth as possible.”
Starting today, Mel is available to customers in the United States, Canada, and the UK, with plans to expand to additional markets. For more information, please visit Corporate Traveler.
About Corporate Traveler
Corporate Traveler is the flagship SME corporate travel division of Flight Centre Travel Group, operating in six global markets. Established in 1993 as Flight Centre Travel Group’s first corporate brand, the award-winning business travel management and solutions provider offers its personalized service, expert tailored advice, dedicated travel consultants, and advanced booking technology to over 16,000 business customers globally. Offering an all-in-one innovative booking platform with the support of a personal travel consultant, Corporate Traveler makes travel simpler, faster, and easier for businesses. With a wide range of solutions available, Corporate Traveler can cater for simple requirements through to the most complex SME business travel management needs. For more information or to book a business consultation, visit corporatetraveler.us
Media Contact
Scott Weiss – Flight Centre Travel Group
U.S. Director of PR and Communications
