Business travel isn’t disappearing — it’s evolving.

By: Leigh-Ann Burroughs, Principal Advisor

Yesterday, a Wall Street Journal article got me thinking deeply about the state of business travel—and how much it has changed since I first stepped into the corporate travel industry over 35 years ago.

I’ve lived through economic downturns, global crises, and tech disruptions. But the shift we’re seeing now? It’s one of the most significant. The world is changing fast, and that uncertainty touches everything—from business priorities to how we connect face to face.

Companies aren’t traveling just to travel anymore. They’re asking tough, smart questions:
Does this trip drive measurable outcomes?
Does it align with our goals for cost control, sustainability, and talent retention?

I still remember jetting around the globe in the late ’80s as a young woman—it was a bit of a free-for-all. Smoking sections on planes, no TSA, almost no oversight. Most travelers didn’t even have a corporate T&E policy!

Today, things look very different. In my consulting work, I’ve seen firsthand how organizations of all sizes are redesigning travel programs with purpose and flexibility—not just volume. There's more emphasis on:

• Data-driven decision-making

• Modernized, employee-centric policies

• Cross-functional collaboration

At Lyndon Group, we see this shift every day—both in our client work and in the strategic conversations we’re having with new prospects. This is where LG truly shines: as the adaptable, trusted partner companies need in today’s complex travel landscape.

The “road warrior” of the past may have lived in airports and hotel lobbies, but today’s business traveler is more empowered, strategic, and supported.

After three and a half decades in this space (time really does fly!), I don’t see this as the end of an era—but the beginning of a smarter, more sustainable one.

One thing’s for sure: just when you think you're on solid ground… there goes the rug.