UK: Low-Cost Business Travel To Stay

Businesses will remain reluctant to upgrade staff to premium class, despite the improving global economic outlook, according to the UK air regulator Civil Aviation Authority report. The recession significantly reduced the amount of UK business travel with an increased shift to economy and no-frills.The number of business passengers in premium seats on routes from London collapsed from 41 per cent in 1996 to 9 per cent in 2007, and only 5 per cent in 2009. Companies that downgraded staff travel during the downturn are unlikely to reverse this trend as they have become accustomed to the significant cost-savings made by travelling in economy and low-cost. European Union and the US will remain the most important markets for UK business travel.