| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 17/07/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 6 |
| Copyright: Other |
Businesses opt for European flights option
BUSINESSES are catching on to the idea that they can cut their air-fare bills by a third by sending staff on transatlantic flights via mainland Europe instead of London, according to the American Express 2000 European Corporate Travel Index.Average business-class flights to New York fromFrankfurt cost £2,622 compared to £3,370 direct from London. A flight from London to Los Angeles is 82%, 78% and 56% more expensive than from Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris respectively, despite the fact London is closer.
The survey’s findings have been backed up by BTI UK managing director Mike Platt. “Passengers travelling from the north have to change aircraft and it’s just as easy to go via mainland Europe now the European airlines have invested in route structure from the regional UK airports. The European airlines are also prepared to offer a much bigger discount in the UK,” he said.
It also claims back-to-back purchasing can deliver sizeable savings for travellers making repeat trips. For example, it works out cheaper to buy a return ticket in London to Buenos Aires for £3,204 and then buy another return when in Buenos Aires for £1,601.
The passenger uses the outbound coupon of the new ticket to go back to London and uses the remaining coupon from each trip for their next trip – a 25% saving.