When Mike Qualantone and Kevin O’Malley logged in for Business Travel News’ “Next News Desk” broadcast in late May, the tone was collegial, but the conversation was serious. Hosted by editorial director Beth West, the session brought together voices helping shape the future of managed travel at a time when that future feels anything but settled.
Representing New M.O. – the advocacy group they co-founded in 2024 – Mike and Kevin were joined by HRS Chief Product Officer Martin Biermann to unpack recent headlines and deeper shifts across distribution, innovation, and travel tech.
New M.O. and the call for context
Beth opened the discussion by asking Mike what problem New M.O. was built to solve. “We created New M.O. because we care deeply about managed travel,” Mike said. “There was a clear need for advocacy grounded in reality, one that represents the complexity of the ecosystem but keeps the corporate client and traveler at the center.”
Mike described how New M.O. is working directly with TMCs, GDSs, tech providers, and buyers – through a confidential Client Advisory Board – to drive more balanced, transparent, and thoughtful industry dialogue. “Too often, decisions get made without regard for downstream impact,” he said. “We want to be the ones saying: here’s the rest of the story. Here’s how we can do better – together.”
Kevin added that TMCs often bear the brunt of these shifts. “In the managed travel ecosystem, the TMC is the quarterback,” he said. “They’re expected to interpret changes, adapt quickly, and still deliver for clients.”
NDC, surcharges, and the missing ‘C’
A major theme was airline distribution – especially the growing complexity of NDC, the spread of surcharges, and the disaggregation of content. “NDC has been about two things: commercials and control,” Kevin said. “What’s been missing is the customer. That third ‘C’ is the one that matters most.”
He pointed to national carriers in Europe and Australia applying surcharges well beyond actual GDS costs to push direct booking behavior. Mike called a case of “doing it because they can, not because it’s right,” urging airlines to avoid punitive tactics and prioritize long-term ecosystem health.
When asked about Delta, Mike was clear: “Delta is the airline with the greatest enterprise value, demonstrated by its market capitalization and strong financial results. Its NDC strategy is aligned with corporate needs. It’s collaborative. It works.” On American Airlines, he lauded the airlines for now having multi-party discussions with TMCs, GDSs, OBTs and tech providers to improve its NDC roll out.
Mike said American had learned a hard lesson in 2023–24 but were now rebuilding trust. “Performance won’t return unless AA is willing to move past transactional thinking. It needs to be willing to take the risk – the cart before the horse – to show agencies it’s serious about doing more business together rather than expecting agencies to go first.
BlockSkye and the question of ownership
The conversation turned to the Altour–BlockSkye partnership. Mike praised Altour but raised caution on BlockSkye’s heavily outsourced model. “BlockSkye holds the client relationship and revenue, but most of the servicing and tech stack is outsourced,” he said. “That creates real risk – especially when problems arise. Who takes priority?”
Kevin echoed that, pointing to his time at Travel and Transport. “Success came from deep integration, not just signed contracts. Especially across key global markets.”
Mike noted that some agencies are now reversing course and bringing services back in-house to regain quality and control. While BlockSkye has positioned itself as having better NDC access, Mike argued that perceived differentiation will be tested as GDSs close the gap.
AI and the path ahead
On AI, Martin Biermann shared HRS’s work on a co-pilot tool for hotel program optimization. Kevin noted that in the short term, AI’s biggest impact will be behind the scenes – automating tasks like email triage and after-hours support. “There’s a hypersensitivity in our industry around anything client-facing,” Kevin said. “So we’ll see AI agents working alongside humans first. But it’s coming – fast.”
Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, Beth asked each speaker what they’re watching most closely. Mike’s answer: volume. “If volume drops, suppliers will need to work harder with their partners—not around them,” he said. Kevin’s focus remained on NDC. “Strong-arm tactics won’t get us there. Omnichannel is the goal. Let’s build toward that..
Why it matters
This wasn’t just another industry panel. It was a snapshot of managed travel at a crossroads—where collaboration, not fragmentation, must shape the next chapter.
Progress won’t come from pushing past partners. It will come from understanding the whole picture—and choosing to build together.
That’s the role New M.O. aims to play: not to fight for the past, but to help shape a future that works for everyone involved. Because in a world of fast pivots and shifting power, someone has to stand up and say: let’s do this the right way.
