Executive Perspective: I’m a Data Junkie—and I Think Most AI in Travel Is Solving the Wrong Problem

By Chris Kramer, Chief Product Officer, Corpay Lodging

As Chief Product Officer at Corpay Lodging, Chris Kramer focuses on how technology, data, and operational expertise can help businesses better manage the complexities of workforce travel. In this executive perspective, Chris shares why he believes the travel industry’s AI conversation needs to shift from simply automating more tasks to helping people make better decisions.

There’s no shortage of conversation about AI right now.

Every company seems to be racing to announce a new assistant, a new agent, or a new automation layer that promises to do more work with fewer people. In travel management especially, the narrative is often centered on efficiency: faster workflows, lower costs, and less human involvement.

I understand the appeal. AI absolutely has the power to transform how businesses operate. But in workforce lodging, I believe the industry is asking the wrong question.

Too much of the conversation is focused on “How do we automate more work and remove more people from the process?” when the better question is: “How do we help people make better decisions?”

That distinction matters more than you might realize.

Workforce Travel Doesn’t Run On Perfect Conditions

In workforce lodging, there’s no such thing as a perfectly predictable day. This business runs on coordination, timing, logistics, safety, cost control, and people solving problems in real time, often after long shifts, changing schedules, and unexpected disruptions and cancellations.

A truck breaks down between Atlanta and Nashville. A rail crew needs transportation from a remote yard at midnight. A construction project gets delayed because materials or permits don’t arrive on time, even after crews have already booked lodging nearby. A property only has eight rooms available when the crew needs ten.

Those situations don’t fit neatly into a scripted workflow.

One thing people outside workforce lodging often underestimate is how quickly the “right” answer can change after the day has already started. The closest hotel may have availability, but create a transportation issue. A lower-cost option may introduce safety concerns or operational delays. And every change has downstream cost implications.

AI is incredibly good at processing large amounts of data, identifying patterns, surfacing recommendations, and helping teams move faster. But in workforce travel, context matters. Experience matters. Situational awareness matters.

Sometimes the “best” hotel on paper is the wrong decision operationally. Sometimes the closest option creates safety concerns. Sometimes solving the problem requires creativity, flexibility, and a real understanding of what crews and coordinators are dealing with in the moment.

That’s why we should think about AI as a partner to human expertise, not a replacement for it.

Why “Slap-On AI” Isn’t the Answer

One of the biggest mistakes I see in the industry right now is what I call “slap-on AI.”

Companies are rushing to add AI features because the market expects them to. A chatbot gets added to the platform, often without a clear purpose or meaningful customer value. A workflow gets automated. A new assistant gets announced. Suddenly every product is “AI-powered.”

But adding AI and meaningfully improving the customer experience are two very different things.

True innovation starts by understanding the problem you’re trying to solve.

In workforce lodging, that means understanding the operational realities our customers deal with every day: how crews move, how projects shift, how travel disruptions ripple through an entire operation, and how quickly small issues can become expensive ones.

That kind of understanding comes from years of domain expertise, servicing knowledge, operational experience, and data built specifically around workforce travel.

Corpay Lodging has spent years building that foundation. I’ve learned firsthand that workforce lodging looks simple from the outside, but the real complexity lives in the exceptions, constraints, and operational tradeoffs happening behind the scenes every day.

And that’s where I think AI becomes genuinely exciting.

Where AI Creates Real Value in Workforce Lodging

I’m a data junkie by nature. I spend a lot of time looking at the messy operational data behind workforce lodging: non-standard check-in times, shifting crew schedules, exception handling, last-minute cancellations, transportation constraints, and all the variables that make this industry far more complex than it appears from the outside. What excites me most about AI is its ability to uncover insight.

Our customers are constantly trying to answer difficult operational questions:

• Where are we overspending?

• How can we improve duty of care and help crews get checked in quickly after long shifts?

• How can we improve crew coordination?

• What operational risks are emerging before they become expensive, safety, or compliance problems?

This is where AI creates real value. It can help customers identify patterns, surface operational risks, uncover savings opportunities, and make faster, more informed decisions while still keeping humans firmly in control.

That value becomes especially powerful when applied to the operational and financial decisions happening behind the scenes every day.

For example, we’re already leveraging data and AI-driven analysis to strengthen hotel negotiations across our network, helping customers control costs while maintaining quality and availability standards.

We’re also exploring how AI can improve hotel recommendations by better understanding traveler behavior, geography, project requirements, historical outcomes, and operational constraints, helping coordinators make faster, more informed decisions.

In many cases, customers may never even realize AI is involved. And honestly, I think that’s a good thing.

The goal isn’t to constantly remind people they’re interacting with AI. In hospitality, the best technology often feels seamless, helping people navigate important moments with greater speed, clarity, and confidence.

Looking Ahead

AI is going to reshape every industry over the next several years. Workforce lodging will evolve right alongside it.

And I think the companies that create the most value won’t necessarily be the ones with the flashiest AI announcements. They’ll be the ones that use AI to solve real operational problems, surface meaningful insights, and help customers make better decisions.

That’s where Corpay’s focused.

We’re actively exploring how AI can improve planning, traveler support, spend management, reporting, servicing, and operational intelligence. Some of those capabilities will be customer-facing. Many will work quietly behind the scenes, helping us become more proactive, responsive, and informed on behalf of our customers.

At the end of the day, our customers are managing incredibly complex operations: building railroads, delivering freight, coordinating crews, running projects, and keeping businesses moving. Workforce travel is just one important part of that larger picture.

Our role is to manage workforce lodging so our customers don’t have to.

To me, that’s the real opportunity with AI: helping people operate with greater confidence, clarity, and agility so they can stay focused on the work that matters most.

That’s the future we’re building toward at Corpay Lodging.