Navan, a business travel and expense platform; and Engine, a travel and spend technology platform, announced a strategic partnership that will bring new capabilities to Navan customers, powered by Engine’s technology infrastructure. According to the announcement, travelers booking on Navan now have more choices, particularly on extended stays and group trips, and greater flexibility to make adjustments when plans change.
Business travel does not always fit a standard itinerary, according to the announcement. Employees may need to extend a stay, travel as a group or change plans after a trip has begun. Travel teams and finance leaders, said the announcement, need the visibility and control to manage those changes, while travelers need options that reflect how work actually happens. By bringing Engine’s suite of intelligent content, infrastructure and payment capabilities into Navan’s platform, said the announcement, travelers will benefit by having more flexibility and choice while businesses will gain greater visibility and control.
Elia Wallen, CEO, Engine, said, “Managed travel has always been held back by outdated infrastructure, not its ambition.” Engine, he said, rebuilt that foundation with AI embedded throughout. Bringing that to a platform like Navan, said Wallen, “is how the whole category moves forward.”
Michael Sindicich, president of Navan, said, “Our customers rely on Navan to make business travel simpler for everyone involved — from the employee on the road to the team managing the program.” Working with Engine, he said, “allows us to bring more choice and flexibility to that experience, while keeping the customer journey connected and easier to manage.”
The new partnership, according to the announcement, is built to better serve existing customers through:
• Seamlessly connected technology: Engine’s intelligent infrastructure connects to properties, organizes information and shows travelers accurate, up-to-date availability across chains, independent hotels and specialized markets. The partnership advances Navan’s efforts to better serve travelers by providing more options including for group bookings, extended stays and last-minute changes.
• Greater flexibility when plans change: Engine’s embedded payments and fintech capabilities support more flexible cancellation, stay changes and the ability to shorten a stay after it has begun, subject to applicable terms.
• Simpler group and project travel: Engine’s group technology supports team bookings, room blocks, longer stays and workflows that allow organizations to reserve rooms before every traveler name is finalized.
This partnership, said the announcement, is the starting point for continued joint development between Navan and Engine. With Engine’s technology and infrastructure, Navan customers can plan a wider range of trips without leaving the platform they already use. The first capabilities from the partnership will begin rolling out to customers this month, with additional features including group booking and self-service modifications launching in the coming months.
