UKBUSINESS travellersare paying more for their flights than any of their European counterparts and business-class fares are set to increase, according to research by American Express Travel Services.
In its annual Corporate Travel Index, Amex revealed considerable variations between business-class fares at different European airports. For example, a business traveller can expect to pay 58% more for a direct flight from the UKto Los Angeles (£5,039 return) than fromParis (£3,185 return) to the same destination.
Amex believes that business travel fares on key routes will continue to rise, contributing to a widening price differential between a leisure and business ticket.
Three years ago, the average typical UKlong-haul business fare was 2.7 times greater than the lowest available discount fare. Today, typical business rates are nearly 3.7 times higher than the lowest discounted leisure tariff.
Amex manager consulting services Matthew Davis said companies are beginning to take a tougher stance with their business travellers, downgrading them or insisting travellers purchase tickets with less flexibility, which are cheaper.
He said:”Companies have been battered by years of steep increases from airlines and many have implemented new strategies to cut costs. Companies have reached a limit in what they are willing to pay.”