This post is the second announcement in our first-ever Juno Launch Week—a series of product and partnership updates rolling out all week.

If you run travel or finance, you already know where one of the largest sources of T&E friction lives: guests. Candidates, customers, clinicians, contractors, speakers—the people outside your systems who still need a flawless experience.

Today we’re announcing a new partnership with Direct Travel that puts real weight behind solving these challenges.

Starting now, Juno is available to all Direct Travel customers, bringing a single, guided path from invite → booking → payment → reimbursement → support.

Why now? Because the data is unambiguous: in 2025, travel managers reported guest travel as the single greatest source of friction in their programs.

That’s not our opinion—it’s the headline finding from independent industry research produced with Direct Travel. And it echoes a broader theme in the same body of work: online booking tools and servicing aren’t keeping up with what teams need for non‑employee workflows.

What changes with Juno × Direct Travel

Together, we’re replacing the patchwork of emails, spreadsheets, ghost cards, and “can you call the agent?” with a purpose‑built flow for guests:

• Send a smart invite, not instructions. Coordinators trigger a branded invitation; Juno pre‑curates compliant options so guests finish in minutes—no profiles, no training.

• Pay it right, the first time. Virtual cards cover air, hotel, and ground with granular controls; purchases reconcile to a single, clean export. No more faxed CC auths or awkward check‑ins.

• Reimburse fast, globally. Out‑of‑pocket spend is verified by AI and paid out in hours—not weeks—across 40+ currencies and 50+ countries. Guests notice—finance teams do, too.

• Proactive support that scales. Juno’s AI Agents watch itineraries, resolve disruptions, and escalate to Direct Travel’s 24/7 teams when a human touch matters.

Under the hood, we’ve unified Travel, Expenses, and Payments on a single platform so coordinators get control and visibility while guests get an experience that feels… well, guest‑worthy.

Why Direct Travel is the right partner

There are lots of great companies in business travel. We are thrilled to partner with Direct Travel because of our shared values and focus on customers.

• Service where it matters, at scale. Direct Travel operates a world-class global servicing model with 24/7 coverage. When an edge case pops up—or a storm does—our AI hands off with full context to agents who can actually fix it.

• An open, modern tech posture. Direct Travel’s Avenir platform strategy emphasizes open integrations, real‑time data, and deep supplier connectivity. That makes it straightforward to plug Juno’s guest workflows into the rest of a managed program, without duct tape or swivel‑chairing.

• A shared philosophy about “The Perfect Trip”. Direct Travel’s teams care about hospitality, not just handle time. We built Juno with the same ethos: automate the routine so humans can deliver white‑glove moments when they matter most.

• Breadth for real‑world programs. From Fortune 500 compliance requirements to mid‑market speed, DT’s reach and operational rigor mean customers can roll this out confidently across complex organizations.

In short: Direct Travel pairs the right infrastructure and mindset with the willingness to move fast—and that’s exactly what it takes to fix guest travel for good.

Where this lands first (and why it matters)

Guest travel isn’t one market—it’s five. Here’s how customers tell us they’ll use the integration on day one:

Technology & High‑Growth: Recruit loops, new‑hire travel, contractors, customer briefings. One link replaces 20 emails—and hiring managers stop playing “travel agent”.

Healthcare & Life Sciences: HCP programs, trial participants, traveling nurses. Built‑in compliance and fast reimbursements reduce friction where trust is critical.

Higher Education: Visiting faculty, candidates, interns, conference attendees. Fewer admin hours, clearer policy guardrails, happier guests.

Energy, Resources & Marine: Rotational crews and remote destinations. Payments and duty‑of‑care workflows that don’t fall apart off the beaten path.

Sports, Media & Entertainment: Talent and production travel with white‑glove needs and zero margin for error.

Direct Travel’s global reach and servicing depth make these use cases real at scale—backed by their ongoing investments in modern, integrated tech.

Zooming out: why this is good for the industry

The most interesting part of the research isn’t just the ranking—it’s the pattern. Programs want tighter OBT/TMC integration, fewer hand‑offs, and proactive disruption management. That’s exactly where a Juno × Direct Travel model shines: one workflow, shared context, and the right blend of automation and expert humans when things go sideways.

And it couldn’t come at a better time: business travel spend is growing, but expectations are growing faster. The organizations that win will be the ones that treat every trip as a relationship moment—especially for people who don’t wear your badge.

If you’re a Direct Travel customer…

Ask your account team about enablement and rollout timing. We’re onboarding in phases beginning Q1 2026.

If you’re new to Juno…

Bring us your gnarliest guest‑travel workflow—recruiting super‑days, clinical rotations, film shoots, you name it. We’ll show you how this partnership turns it from “managed chaos” into a repeatable, auditable, brand‑affirming experience.

Launch Week continues: This is announcement two of our week-long series. Check back tomorrow for the next drop.