Business travelers look for ways to keep costs low
Friday, October 5, 2012
There is still a need for corporate accommodations, as companies continue to ask their employees to travel to destinations around the world on business, Reuters reported. In fact, professionals are being asked to fly more, based on the responses from 624 frequent travelers from North America and Europe who participated in Ascend's 2012 Corporate Travel Survey.
According to the aviation consultancy firm's findings, corporate travel budgets are expected to increase by an estimated 1 percent, while the number of flights will rise by 1.5 percent. However, as the cost of fares is expected to go up around the globe by 2013, business travelers can expect their budgets to shrink.
The results of Ascend's survey provide insight into the mindset of today's business travelers – many of which are looking to reduce the cost of their trips. For instance, 21 percent of respondents believe that using the internet to find cheaper airfares is "essential," while 24 percent feel it is "very important."
Additionally, while business class was 57 percent of respondents' preferred airline class for long haul flights, 25 percent of survey participants fly economy or coach. Only 4 percent of travelers said they pay to sit in a first class cabin.