Engine Buys Options Travel to Build the AI Booking Tool TMCs Have Been Waiting For
Engine has acquired Options Travel and is developing an AI-native booking platform designed to modernize technology for travel management companies.
Engine has acquired Options Travel in its first acquisition, using the deal to accelerate development of an AI-native booking platform for travel management companies. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the transaction has closed and Options Travel will continue operating independently under its existing name and leadership.
The companies began working together nine months ago to examine technology problems facing corporate travel agents. That collaboration convinced Engine that many TMCs still rely on fragmented systems that slow bookings, separate client information and require too much manual work during disruptions.
Engine now plans to build an online booking tool capable of handling reservations, payments, reporting, customer management and duty of care from a single platform. The system will also personalize searches around each corporate client’s negotiated rates, travel policies and traveler preferences.
The company says consolidated booking flows could reduce the time needed to complete a reservation to as little as 2.5 minutes, compared with an industry average of nearly 15 minutes. AI will also flag trips or accounts requiring attention and help automate disruption management, one of the most requested improvements among corporate travel buyers.
Options Travel brings more than three decades of practical TMC experience to the project. Founded in 1992 and based in Mount Prospect, Illinois, the company has built its business around customized travel policies, mobile reservation tools, meetings and group travel, and hands-on client service.
Its employees will join Engine following the acquisition, while General Manager Brett Buynack and the current leadership team remain in place. Engine is also adding TempoTrip, a group-flight booking product created by Options Travel in 2018.
The acquisition gives Engine direct access to the daily operations of a traditional travel management company while it develops technology intended for the wider TMC market. Rather than building software at a distance, Engine can test workflows against real agents, customers and servicing requirements.
Engine originally launched as Hotel Engine, helping corporate travelers book accommodation. It later expanded into flights, rental cars, meetings, expense management and corporate cards before rebranding in 2024. The company now reports more than 33,000 business customers and over one million travelers.
Engine founder and CEO Elia Wallen believes TMCs remain essential because of their client relationships and servicing expertise, but argues that the software supporting them has failed to keep pace. The new platform is designed to modernize the technology without replacing the agencies themselves.
Engine will demonstrate the booking tool at the Global Business Travel Association Convention in Chicago. If the platform delivers the promised speed and automation, the Options Travel acquisition could help Engine become both a corporate booking competitor and a technology supplier to agencies controlling billions of dollars in travel spending.
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