Economy class wins by a landslide in short- and medium-haul corporate travel
The use of economy class in short and medium haul exceeds 90% among companies in Spain. This is according to a study conducted by American Express Global Business Travel. In long-haul, Business continues to be the preferred option for companies.
Along with other variables, American Express GBT has analyzed the evolution in the use of economy class by business travelers compared to other cabin options. Overall, the use of economy class in business in Spain a during 2016 reached 90%.
The high percentage reflects that the cost optimization that became so necessary a few years ago in the wake of the economic climate has emerged as a trend that is here to stay.
There are hardly any differences depending on the size of the company. In medium-sized companies, the use of economy class reached 92% in 2016, while in large and multinational companies this figure was 89%.
The duration of the flight is what significantly determines the use of economy class. In the case of domestic, economy class is used by 97% of airlines, while on European routes it stands at 94%.
However, on long-haul flights, the figure drops to 56%, as a result of the need for greater comfort and rest opportunities for travelers on long-haul flights.
ONLINE ADOPTION
When it comes to managing flight bookings in the corporate environment, the 2016 analysis points to a growing trend in the use of online airlines by companies located in our country. Overall, online adoption in corporate travel bookings averaged 34%, up from 32% the previous year.
However, there are notable differences in terms of online adoption depending on the size of the company. Among medium-sized companies, online adoption drops to 27%, six points below the global average noted above.
At large corporations and multinationals, the percentage of online adoption in the management of yearly bookings rises significantly, to 41%, due to the large volume of transactions they handle.
DESTINATIONS
As for the destinations most frequented by the corporate traveler of our country, at European level stand out, in this order, Lisbon, London, París, Múnich and Ámsterdam, with no significant differences if we take into account the size of the company.
As for intercontinental destinations, the Top 5 cities with the most bookings among the companies have been, in this order, Mexico City, New York, Bogotá, Lima and Santiago de Chile.
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