FCM Travel, the large market business travel division of Flight Centre Travel Group, announced the release of “Sam for browser,” designed to bring the same intelligence that powers Sam, FCM’s digital travel assistant, within FCM’s ecosystem to Chrome and Edge to improve the beginning and end of the business travel experience. The new browser extension, said the announcement, enables travelers to quickly redirect from external flight-search sites into their corporate booking tool, while also simplifying and automating expense reporting.
Business travelers often turn to familiar sources such as Google Flights, Expedia or Skyscanner to search and plan their trips, a challenge that travel managers frequently raise, according to the announcement. With this new capability, said the announcement, FCM is extending its assistance beyond its own platform to meet travelers where they are, providing a seamless connection between external search options and the corporate travel program.
With just one click, travelers can move into FCM Booking, FCM’s proprietary booking tool, or other supported online booking tools, with flight search details automatically populated. The new extension, said the announcement, can help reduce leakage and improve visibility into bookings, supporting greater policy compliance and increased access to negotiated rates.
Jess Dunderdale, global head of product, said, “With the needs and preferences of today’s business travelers constantly evolving, it’s more important than ever to meet travelers where they are throughout the business travel journey.” By bringing Sam into the browser, she said, “we’re providing a new way for travelers to navigate the bookends of their travel experience, from the search to the receipt.”
“Sam for browser,” said the announcement, also expedites expense reporting at the end of the trip. Travelers simply upload a photo of the receipt, confirm the details and submit the expense. The browser extension uses AI to read the uploaded receipt and autofill the expense into Concur Expense, with no need to manually enter information such as the vendor, amount and date. By reducing manual entry, the feature can minimize corrections that might otherwise require follow-up with finance teams.
“The capability is built to reduce friction at key moments in the process, from searching and booking a trip to submitting an expense at the end,” Dunderdale said. She added, “By integrating FCM’s intelligence directly into the browser, we’re helping create a smoother experience and making it easier for travelers to stay within the managed travel program.”
