Corporate travel has a new power couple, and it’s not the sort of union you stumble across in the back pages of the financial press. This is a full-blown industry coup: Direct Travel has acquired ATPI, fusing two heavyweights into a $6 billion global juggernaut.
The polite way to describe it is “strategic partnership taken to the next level”. The blunt way? A global travel management takeover that will ruffle feathers from London to Los Angeles.
Christal Bemont, Direct Travel’s chief executive, was positively buoyant, declaring: “This partnership represents a pivotal moment in reshaping managed travel, allowing us to deliver tailored solutions and a seamless experience for clients across a range of sectors and of all sizes and locations. Together, we will redefine what it means to offer The Perfect Trip on a global scale.”
Lofty words, yes, but in an industry where lost luggage and cancelled flights are still the daily bread, the notion of a “Perfect Trip” might raise the odd wry smile. Still, with billions in combined buying power and reach across multiple continents, one could forgive Bemont her confidence.
ATPI: the quiet achiever
ATPI is hardly an unknown. Founded in Britain and forged in the world’s trickiest travel sectors—energy, marine, sports, mining—it has carved a niche by doing the difficult stuff that others prefer to avoid. Getting shipping crews to far-flung ports, flying engineers to remote mines, or whisking a football team across three time zones without losing half their luggage are ATPI’s stock-in-trade.
Ian Sinderson, ATPI’s chief executive, framed the marriage suitably diplomatically: “ATPI and Direct Travel have long held a shared vision for reimagining how the world connects… Bringing our two organisations together will enable us to better serve clients collectively, through the combination of our specialised services, innovative technologies, and highly skilled customer teams.”
Translation: we’ve been dancing around each other for years and finally decided to tie the knot.
The Avenir angle
Lurking behind all this talk of “perfect trips” and “shared visions” is technology—specifically Direct Travel’s Avenir platform, billed as the next generation of business travel management. Avenir promises real-time intelligence for travel managers, a friendlier experience for weary road warriors, and fresh opportunities for suppliers.
Until now, its international rollout was ambitious, if not wishful. However, with ATPI’s global network plugged in, Avenir suddenly has the runway to take off properly.
A credible alternative to the mega-agencies
The combined group will boast over $6 billion in annual travel volume. That kind of clout doesn’t just open doors; it kicks them down. Yet both sides insist they’re not trying to out-muscle the Amex GBTs and CWTs of this world. Instead, they aim to offer a more nimble alternative: large enough to matter, but small enough to care.
It’s a clever pitch. Corporate clients are wary of being treated like numbers by sprawling mega-agencies. Direct Travel and ATPI believe they can deliver global reach without sacrificing personal service—a combination the market has been crying out for.
Behind the curtain
Of course, no big deal is complete without a supporting cast. Jefferies LLC acted as Direct Travel’s financial adviser, Perkins Coie LLP handled the legal paperwork, and Baird advised ATPI. The finer details of the transaction remain under wraps, but rest assured: this was not a handshake over a pint.
What it means for travellers
For the corporate traveller sprinting through an airport, little will change in the immediate term. Bookings will still flow, phones will still be answered, and invoices will still arrive. But in time, travellers may see smoother digital tools, broader geographic coverage, and—dare one hope—fewer nasty surprises en route.
Can the newly minted powerhouse really deliver the mythical “Perfect Trip”? Perhaps not every time. But if any duo has the muscle, the technology, and the global spread to at least tilt the odds in favour of the traveller, it’s this one.
In a business where success is measured in dollars and arriving on time with all your luggage, Direct Travel and ATPI’s union is more than just another headline merger; it’s a declaration of intent.
By Christine Nguyen
