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frequent business traveller meaning

by Penmore Benefits | Mar 21, 2023 | General , Expatriate

What is a Frequent Traveller?

frequent business traveller meaning

Proactive, organized, punctual, and well-dressed are only a few attributes of a seasoned business traveler. However, there are several traits that make you a successful business traveler. Adopting these characteristics is crucial if you want to become one. Note the following characteristics of business travelers if you aspire to travel like a pro.

1. Travel light

Traveling is a pleasure if you are not carrying too many pieces of luggage. Heavy baggage can slow you down. Additionally, waiting at a baggage counter and security check can be a nightmare when you have a packed schedule of business meetings. Packing well and using a single carry-on suitcase make navigation a breeze. You can quickly exit the airport and reach the business location on time. Traveling light eliminates the physical and mental stress of any travel.

2. Have a clear purpose

Setting well-defined goals for each business trip is the foundation of successful business travel. Make the objectives achievable and measurable, as planning too many things will cause disarray if something goes wrong. Having clear goals for a business trip will help you focus on specific business activities. It will enhance the productivity of a business trip.

3. Adopt technology

Successful business travelers embrace the innovative technology of a travel management platform to streamline their business travel. SaaS-based travel management solutions such as Paxes ensure end-to-end automation of business travel. You can enjoy self-booking through a smartphone app, receive real-time travel alerts, and create and submit expense reports on the go, besides assurance of round-the-clock emergency support.

4. Strike a good work-life balance

A business tour need not be a stressful experience of chasing time, missing meals, and disturbed sleep. Devote time to stay connected with your near ones back home. Choose a hotel that provides good amenities and comforts for relaxing after a busy day. Follow your exercise schedule, explore the surroundings, and plan your work well.

Needs of business travelers

Business travel can be a tiring process. Hence, there should be clear needs and requirements of travelers to make the most out of trips. Here are some of the requirements of business travelers:

  • Time management for a work life balance
  • Being connected with the headquarter and managers during the travel
  • Comfortable and convenient trips
  • Flexibility of altering the schedule
  • Safer traveling conditions

How can you improve the business traveler’s experience

Though business trips are unavoidable for the expansion of the business, there are many ways in which one can improve the experience of the employees traveling places for the same. Here are some of the efficient ways to enhance the overall experience of the travelers:

  • Pre-trip planning
  • Streamlined check-ins
  • Customizable schedules
  • Flexibility in travel policies
  • Travel support
  • Booking high-end amenities

business-traveler

No matter what type of business trip you plan, adopting these attributes of successful business travelers will surely help you get the most out of each business trip. Business travel meaning is rapidly shifting with the rise of the techno-savvy and adventure-loving millennial generation. Business travel is embracing technology to automate travel booking and expense process .

Suggested Read: Corporate Lodging Solutions: Perks On Hotel Bookings

Business Traveler Meaning FAQs

What is the most common purpose of business travel.

Business development is the commonest aim of business travel.

Does a company reimburse all expenses on a business trip?

Companies reimburse all travel expenses of an employee except for personal expenses.

How does business travel benefit the employee?

Employees can visit different places, develop new business relations, and broaden their outlook by exploring the world away from the office

Why is business travel different from leisure travel?

Unlike leisure travel, business travel is non-seasonal. It has low price sensitivity and better service quality.

Which are the two challenges of business travel?

Managing the safety and well-being of business travelers and ensuring a high ROI are two challenges of business travel.

How do you identify a business traveler?

To identify the business travelers needs, one must keep factors such as business expectations, comfort needs, safety requirements, and costing in mind.

What are examples of business traveler?

Business travelers include sales representatives, executives, consultants, journalists, researchers, government officials, and more.

What do business travelers want from airlines?

Business travelers look for comfortable seats, in flight amenities, less to no delays, security, flexibility, and more such things.

How can I find the best deals on flights and accommodations for business travel?

The companies can integrate with travel management companies to find competitive prices in one place. They can also look at the booking platforms to find the best deals for flights and accommodations.

How can I stay productive and organized while traveling for business?

There are various travel management software and apps that can assist business travelers during their business trips. They can see and manage their entire travel itinerary in one place and make all the transactions directly through the software. It helps them to focus on their business objective and keep themselves organized.

What are the key factors to consider when choosing a hotel for a business trip?

Consider the location and its accessibility to various local locations, look at the reviews online from past visitors, look for various amenities, and make sure that they incline with your needs, and check with the hotel for its policies.

How can I maintain a healthy work-life balance while traveling extensively for business?

It must be clearly mentioned in the Duty of Policy that the work-life balance must be properly maintained. The employee should allot their time of the day for work and family separately. They must not work overtime and stress themselves.

How do I handle travel disruptions, such as flight cancellations or delays, and ensure minimal impact on my business plans?

If you have an integration with a TMC, they will guide you through the disruptions in travel. However, all airlines provide alternative flights in case of cancellations. You can always get travel insurance while booking your flights to ensure minimal to no impact on business trips.

A business traveler distinguishes themselves from a regular tourist by the purpose of their trip and their activities. Business travelers venture primarily for work-related reasons, such as meetings, conferences, or negotiations, while tourists seek leisure, exploration, and relaxation. Business travelers follow packed schedules, often staying in convenient hotels chosen for proximity to work, with expenses frequently covered by employers. In contrast, tourists select accommodations based on personal preference and budget, enjoying recreational and cultural activities. Business trips are typically short and focused on professional objectives, whereas tourists have flexibility for extended stays.

What are the common reasons for someone to be considered a business traveler?

Common reasons for being considered a business traveler encompass professional pursuits. These include attending meetings and negotiations, participating in industry-specific events like conferences and seminars, engaging in training or workshops, conducting market research, providing expert advice or consulting services, and overseeing company operations in different regions. Business travelers contribute significantly to their organizations by advancing business goals through these work-related journeys.

Are there any benefits or challenges associated with being a business traveler?

Being a business traveler has its benefits and challenges. Positively, it offers opportunities for professional growth, skill development, and networking with industry peers. Exposure to diverse cultures fosters cultural understanding. However, challenges include stress and fatigue due to frequent travel, disruptions to routines, and work-life balance. Logistical issues like travel disruptions and language barriers can pose hurdles. Balancing these aspects necessitates effective planning and a keen awareness of personal and professional needs.

What features should I look for in a travel expense tracking app?

When choosing a travel expense tracking app, prioritize features such as receipt scanning, expense categorization, currency conversion, and real-time synchronization. These capabilities streamline the process of managing expenses during your business trips, ensuring efficiency and accuracy. Look for apps compatible with both iOS and Android platforms to cater to your device preferences.

Consider popular expense tracking apps like Expensify, Concur, Zoho Expense, Xpenditure, and TripIt, all available on both iOS and Android. These apps offer various levels of automation and customization, making them suitable for a range of business travel needs. They simplify expense organization, currency conversion, and reporting, enhancing your ability to manage expenses effectively.

How can these apps help me manage my expenses efficiently during a business trip?

Expense tracking apps can significantly improve efficiency during business trips by digitizing receipts, automating data entry, handling currency conversions, and providing real-time updates. They help ensure compliance with company policies and enable easy generation of customizable expense reports. By reducing administrative burdens, these apps allow you to focus more on your work, ultimately making your business trips more productive and stress-free.

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Pratyush is a traveling enthusiast who always looks for innovations in business travel management. He has 5 years of experience writing content on corporate travel management and working closely with expert business travel facilitators.

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The New Business Traveler

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Paid partnership with Delta

There was a time when the term ‘business travel’ conjured images of navy suits, airport lounges, and hotel conference rooms. But in reality, all sorts of careers cause people to hit the road—and the skies—for a work trip. Perhaps even more so as we emerge from the pandemic, a time when remote work has given our schedules more flexibility, and shown us the endless potential in connecting with colleagues and collaborators all over the world—instead of just around the water cooler. And for those in creative fields, like chefs, designers, or writers, traveling for work is not just for meeting people, but a means of sampling exciting flavors, discovering new fabrics, or bookmarking alternative ways of thinking. It can also deepen connections to the places and people with whom you work with from afar, like Diaspora Co.'s Sana Javeri Kadri, who has used a recent string of trips to Kashmir to spend time with her spice company's farm partners: “[On] sourcing trips, we can share and connect resources. We’re becoming part of the community.”

Keep reading for more on how Javeri Kadri, who spends six months out of the year in Mumbai, gets the most out of her work travel—as well as conversations with Rashad Frazier, founder of Portland-based adventure company Camp Yoshi, and designer Hopie Stockman, one half of textile brand Block Shop Textiles, about the scouting trips that have inspired them recently. Plus, contributor Tariro Mzezewa reports on the challenges parents face as they begin traveling for their jobs again, and we tap a range of travelers, all with very different jobs, for their tips, tricks, and product recommendations to make work travel—no matter what it might look like—go a little bit smoother.

Diaspora Co.'s Sana Javeri Kadri on Building Friendships with Saffron Growers and Chili Farmers During Trips to Kashmir

The spice brand founder tells us about the responsibility that comes with participating in local communities as a visitor, being spoiled for life by eating Kashmiri cuisine at the source, and the beauty of early morning walks.  

For Working Parents, the Return to Business Travel Hasn't Been a Smooth One

Business travel today is not like it was before the pandemic—and there is no going back.

Camp Yoshi's Rashad Frazier on Making the Most of a Scouting Trip to Tanzania

Planning adventure trips where Black travelers and their allies can unplug and reconnect with the outdoors requires careful vetting of sites, routes, food supplies, guides, and more, says Frazier.

The Products to Pack for Every Work Trip, According to Writers, Dancers, Business Owners, and More

Including travel-sized steamers, de-puffing under-eye patches, hydration packets, and hair perfume.

Block Shop Textile's Hopie Stockman Plays Cribbage With a Prince's Kids on a Delhi Work Trip

And reports on the rhythmic sounds of Block Shop blankets being hand-woven on looms.

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What Is Business Travel? Importance and Types

frequent business traveller meaning

Business travel has always been an integral part of the corporate world. It provides opportunities to meet clients face-to-face, attend conferences and networking events, and explore new markets. 

However, as much as business travel can be exciting, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. From flight delays and cancellations to tracking approvals and keeping spending in check, numerous obstacles can make business travel stressful and overwhelming. 

In this blog, we will explore the challenges and solutions of business travel and provide insights on how businesses can optimize their policies and practices to make them more efficient, cost-effective, and enjoyable for everyone involved. 

Business Traveler

What is Business Travel?

Millions of professionals worldwide engage in business travel each year. Business travel is when you hit the road or take to the skies for work-related purposes. So, if you've ever traveled across state lines for a meeting or hopped on a plane for a conference, you've been on a business trip. 

According to  the Bureau of Transportation Statistics , Americans take over 400 million long-distance business trips yearly, accounting for roughly 16% of all long-distance travel.

What is the Importance of Business Travel?

It's clear that business travel is a significant part of many companies' operations, but what motivates them to send their employees on these journeys? There are several reasons why companies invest in business travel. Here are some of them: 

1. Closing Deals

Business deals often involve significant negotiation, and in-person meetings can be critical to reaching an agreement. When people meet in person, they can build trust and establish personal connections that are difficult to achieve through virtual communication. As such, closing deals in person is a common reason for business travel. 

2. Exploring New Markets

Companies looking to expand into new markets often send representatives to explore the conditions on the ground and conduct research. Visiting a new market can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior, local regulations, and cultural norms that can help companies tailor their products and services to a new audience. 

3. Building Relationships

One of the primary advantages of business travel is its opportunity to build stronger relationships with clients, partners, and colleagues. While email, phone, and video conferencing are convenient, nothing beats face-to-face interactions regarding establishing trust and rapport.

You can pick up on nonverbal cues during in-person meetings and establish a more personal connection. It can lead to a deeper understanding of the other person's needs and goals, which can ultimately help you provide better service or products. Additionally, in-person meetings can help address any concerns or issues more quickly and efficiently, preventing them from becoming more significant problems down the line. 

4. Networking

Attending industry events, trade shows, and conferences can provide networking opportunities, learning about new trends, and meeting potential clients and partners.

Networking can be invaluable for building relationships, finding new clients or partners, and staying up-to-date with industry best practices. For example, attending a trade show can provide opportunities to showcase your products or services, meet potential clients, and learn about the latest market trends. 

5. Competitive Advantage

Companies prioritizing business travel and investing in face-to-face meetings with clients and partners can gain a competitive advantage over those relying solely on digital communication. By meeting with clients and partners in person, companies can establish more personal connections and build trust, leading to more business opportunities and revenue. 

Here's a  business travel checklist  to make business travel for your employees less stressful. 

Business Transient

Different Types of Business Travel

Business travel can take many forms, depending on the purpose of the trip and the activities involved. Here are some of the most common types of business travel: 

  • Event and Conference Travel:  Companies often send employees to corporate events and conferences where attendees can learn and network with peers, potential clients, and service providers. 
  • Training and Education: Companies may send employees to conferences and workshops to learn about trends and best practices in their functional areas. These events can provide valuable opportunities for professional development and networking, helping employees stay up-to-date on the latest industry developments and build relationships with others in their field. 
  • Internal Meetings and Visiting Offices:  National and multinational companies may need to send employees and leadership to other offices to discuss specific projects and business strategies or to build a more integrated organizational culture. 
  • Company Retreats:  Some companies hold retreats annually or multiple times yearly to help teams grow stronger and build company culture through shared activities.
  • Client Meetings:  Maintaining solid relationships with existing clients is crucial for many businesses. Account managers and others may regularly visit their most prominent clients to check in on them, take them out for a meal or drink, and generally show gratitude for their business. These visits can strengthen relationships and potentially lead to additional business. 
  • Trade Fairs:  Many organizations attend trade shows and expos to display their products and services and connect with potential clients. Attending these events can effectively generate leads and build relationships with potential customers, especially in industries where face-to-face interactions are critical. 
  • Transfers and Offshore Work:  Long-term transfers involve relocating employees to a different city or country for a certain period, usually to work on a specific project or set up a new function or business process. 
  • Transient Travel:   Business transient  travelers typically refer to individuals who frequently travel for short periods, often for a business meeting or work-related. These travelers usually stay in hotels or temporary accommodations and frequently move between locations for work or other activities. 
  • Bleisure Travel:  This hybrid travel style combines business and leisure travel, allowing employees to extend their business trips to leave time for sightseeing and relaxation. Bleisure travel can benefit employers and employees, encouraging employees to volunteer for business trips more often and providing a relaxing break. 

Top Challenges To Manage Business Travel 

As many businesses need help managing company travel, several issues affect day-to-day operations. These include: 

1. Managing Large Numbers of Requests

When managing large numbers of travel requests, keeping track of all the information and ensuring that requests are processed efficiently can be challenging. It can result in delays and frustration for employees waiting for travel approvals or information. 

For example, imagine a small company with just one finance person responsible for managing all travel requests. They receive requests from various team members in different formats—email, Slack messages, and in-person visits. It can lead to confusion and delays in processing the requests and distract the finance person from other essential tasks. 

2. Tracking Approvals

It's a massive headache if your company's travel approvals are manually emailed. Tracking travel approvals can be time-consuming and prone to errors. It can result in missed approvals, delayed travel, and frustration for employees waiting for approval. 

Imagine a team member submits a travel request, and the finance person then sends an email to the manager for approval. If the manager is busy or forgets to respond, the request may be delayed or even missed altogether, causing frustration for the employee who is scheduled to travel. 

3. Keeping Spending in Check

Managing travel costs can be difficult, especially when employees book trips independently or through different channels. It can result in overspending and frustration for finance teams who aim to keep costs under control. 

For example, imagine a company where employees book travel through different channels. Some employees book expensive hotels and flights, while others find cheaper options on discount travel websites. It can lead to inconsistency in travel costs and make it difficult for the finance team to manage and budget travel expenses. 

4. Being Flexible

Flexible travel policies can result in consistency, especially when balancing cost control with employee satisfaction. It can result in frustration for both employees and finance teams. 

For example, a business with restrictive travel policies can limit employees to specific airlines, hotels, and routes. It may help control costs, restrict employee options, and make travel less enjoyable. On the other hand, if policies are flexible, employees may book expensive options outside the budget. 

5. Reducing Errors

Reducing errors in travel management can be challenging, but it is essential to ensure accurate tracking of expenses and approvals. This can help prevent delays and frustration for employees and finance teams. 

Travel Budget

How Companies Can Manage Business Travel  

Companies must make the process straightforward to ensure that team members comply with travel policies. If the process is simple, team members will find ways to circumvent the rules, and compliance will improve. The following are some common pitfalls to avoid: 

  • Too many rules:  Too many, incredibly confusing or contradictory, can be overwhelming and frustrating for team members. It can lead to non-compliance or errors. 
  • A high number of touches:  Too many touchpoints, like requiring additional emails to managers for approval, can slow down the process and make it difficult. 
  • Lots of manual steps:  Requiring team members to file printed documents and receipts can be time-consuming and create opportunities for errors. 
  • Unclear processes:  If team members are unsure of the steps or rules they must follow, they may become frustrated and disengage from the process. 

To ensure compliance and simplify the process, use  a corporate travel management system  that walks employees through each step. By automating the process and making it easy and intuitive, team members are more likely to follow the rules and comply with company policies. 

What is a Business Travel Solution? 

A travel management system is a software platform that helps companies manage their employees' travel-related activities and expenses. These systems can be purpose-built tools from third parties or developed in-house by large companies. However, building a travel management system from scratch doesn't make sense with the availability of corporate travel management tools out of the box for a relatively low cost. 

These systems aim to oversee, regulate, and coordinate a company's employees' travel activities and expenses. Previously, a company's office administrators or a dedicated travel manager would handle these tasks. However, with a travel management system, these manual tasks can be streamlined or automated, freeing up staff for more valuable work than monitoring others' travel plans. 

A  business travel solution  typically offers features such as online booking, expense tracking, policy compliance, travel budgeting, and reporting. They make booking, managing, and tracking business travel much simpler and more efficient for companies and their employees.  

As a business, it's essential to recognize the value of investing in business travel. There are numerous reasons why companies send their employees on these trips, including closing deals, exploring new markets, holding internal meetings, prospecting, educating, and visiting existing clients. These opportunities provide valuable experiences and insights to enhance your company's operations and bottom line. 

However, managing business travel can present challenges, such as managing large requests, tracking approvals, and dealing with changes in travel plans. To address these challenges, it's crucial to have a straightforward and streamlined travel policy outlining the process for requesting, approving, and booking travel and any expense and reimbursement policies. 

Another essential aspect of managing business travel is providing support and resources to employees while on the road. It includes ensuring they have the necessary technology and tools to stay connected and productive, providing guidance on safety and security, and offering access to travel support services in emergencies.

By recognizing the importance of business travel and implementing strategies to manage it effectively, your company can reap the benefits of enhanced collaboration, improved relationships with clients and partners, and increased opportunities for growth and success. 

So let your employees stay connected, build relationships and enjoy their next business trip!

John Hunter

John Hunter

John is the Senior Manager of Event Cloud Content Marketing at Cvent. He has 11 years of experience writing about the meetings and events industry. John also has extensive copywriting experience across diverse industries, including broadcast television, retail advertising, associations, higher education, and corporate PR.

frequent business traveller meaning

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Business Travel Statistics: Welcome Aboard, Frequent Flyer

G. Dautovic Image

People just don’t do business like they used to. With everything moving online, corporate executives are communicating via email and messaging apps around the globe, all day, every day.

But, there’s something about human interaction that will never go out of style. That’s why traditional corporate protocol still insists on face-to-face meetings. Whether it’s to close a multi-million dollar deal, or to simply attend an annual work convention, a good, old-fashioned sit-down does the trick.

Although business travel statistics showed a significant slowdown in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, business trips today are on the rise, proving to be one of the most valuable status symbols a company can afford.

So, let us walk you through the terminals of international airports, hotel lobbies, and high-class restaurants with these up-to-date business travel stats.

Airport - Business Travel Statistics

Revenue and Expenses

More than a quarter of global businesses rely on business travel..

(US Travel Association)

Nothing seals the deal like a good old handshake. Customers prefer to have in-person meetings, and companies owe them this privilege. That is why cutting on business travel is rarely posed as an option among big companies, as personal contact with clients is considered important.

According to Oxford Economics business travel statistics, if companies halted their travel policies and denied their customers meetings in person, they would lose approximately 25% of their current clients. This number fairs even higher when it comes to revenue, which would experience a drop of 28% if this nightmare scenario would suddenly turn real.

But that’s not all. An estimate of 36% of customers and 38% of the revenue would be lost in the manufacturing sector if companies were denied their right to use airplanes, trains, and cars to meet and discuss their businesses with clients in person.

Business travel made up about 26% of the total travel revenue in the United States in 2018.

(Global Business Travel Association) (US Travel Association)

The total travel output for 2018 was $2.5 trillion. While leisure traditionally takes up most of the revenue (around 74%), business travel is a constant contributor, with more than $292 billion in spending registered in 2017.

In 2018 US residents logged around 463 million domestic business trips, with 38% of the total number credited to traveling for meetings and events.

And the number is constantly increasing. According to US business travel statistics, the figure is set to rise to 493.7 million by 2022.

Compared to the global business travel revenue of $1.3 trillion in business travels, the United States is certainly a force to be reckoned with. With forecasters agreeing that this figure is to rise to more than $1.7 trillion by 2023, it seems that a huge chunk of the global revenue will still belong to American business travelers in the future.

Domestic business travel accounted for $111.17 billion in 2017.

While international spending averaged $31.6 billion in 2017, domestic business travel accounted for more than three times as much. However, while the average spending per domestic traveler was $949, international globetrotters spent an average of almost three times that much - an average person would spend as much as $2,600 on an international business trip.

But it is proven that business travel always pays off. For every dollar spent on business travel, companies see a $2.9 increase in profit and up to $9.5 increase in revenue.

Accommodation takes up an average of 13% of a business traveler’s budget.

(JTB Business Travel)

Hotel rooms can be expensive, especially when you’re doing business in a high-class metropolis like New York City. While motels, hostels, and Airbnb services are experiencing a rise in popularity among business travelers, hotels still reign supreme, especially within corporate business travel policies.

JTB Business Travel, which measures average prices per diem (per day) of hotels, transport, and meals purchased on business trips shows that New York is the most expensive US city for accommodation. An average New York hotel room costs $385.08 per diem.

If we consider that NYC is home to some of the biggest international hotel franchises like Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons, it’s no wonder that it takes up the flattering first spot. The second most expensive city in the United States is San Francisco at $379.37 per diem, with Boston coming third at $337.64.

In 2018, nearly 700,000 business travelers booked rooms with Airbnb for Work.

(Airbnb) (ZDNet)

Although hotels have a long tradition of accommodating business travelers, for the past few years, Airbnb is reversing the trend.

While domestic hotel rooms cost around $155 per night, Airbnb offers accommodation for only around $99. The company’s international prices are even lower - customers can book a room for an average of $75 as opposed to the $170 they would spend to book a hotel room.

78% of business travelers reported using Uber and other ride-hailing services.

(CNET) (Certify)

With a global market value of $72 billion, Uber has turned the world of taxi drivers upside down. They are becoming the number one choice for corporate travelers who need a lift on their business trips.

Taxi companies aren’t the only ones suffering from this surge of Uber popularity. The rental car service industry - which thrived on corporate executives traveling for business - is also feeling the blow.

Business Travel Statistics - Business woman inside a vehicle

In 2016, the market was still shared relatively fairly between ride-hailing and rental-car services. With 40% of travelers preferring to rent a vehicle, and 46% opting for ride-hailing, the only obvious losers were taxi services who only saw 14% the share.

However, in 2018, ride-hailing won the war with 78% of business travelers reporting to have used and preferred services of companies like Uber and Lyft. Rental cars saw a significant decline at 23% and taxi drivers were all but obliterated, falling to 6%.

In 2018 meals and incidental expenses made up $135.9 billion of total business travel spending.

Meals stack up 21% of expenses for an average business traveler. In addition to meals, companies also include incidental expenses into the traveler's allowance.

According to the 2019 edition of the Business Travel News Corporate Travel Index, meals are most expensive in New York, at $144.85 per diem. The runner-up is San Francisco with meal prices averaging $119.22 per diem, and Boston comes in third at $109.16 per diem.

At $495.1 million, Deloitte spent more on business travel expenses than any other US company.

As one of the Big Four accounting companies, Deloitte is a household name when it comes to expertise, professionalism and, of course, profit. When it comes to travel, Deloitte prefers to book flights, rather than any other means of transportation.

However, you don’t get to the top just by mindless spending alone. Due to its huge number of employees and a vast network of international divisions, Deloitte created a global procurement team in 2017 to handle the company’s global airline and hotel bookings.

Deloitte also implemented an automated airfare price assurance program, and strengthened its pre-trip review and approval processes, making booking faster, cheaper and easier. The majority of flights (72%) were conducted in the United States.

The second spot was reserved for IBM, at $430 million. The bronze went to PwC with $317.6 million spent to fund their employees' business trips. All of their business travel expenses were credited to various airlines.

Some airlines earn as much as 75% of their total revenue from business travelers.

(Investopedia)

Airlines get most of their revenue directly from passengers. While business travelers make up only 12% in numbers, they are every airline’s most valuable customer.

According to 2019 data, business travelers usually make up at least twice as much in terms of profit. With first-class tickets sometimes costing 10 times the price of coach tickets, business travel statistics like these come as no surprise.

The data implies that in some cases, airlines earn as much as 75% of their total revenue of trips booked by business travelers of all sorts.

This is mostly due to companies booking first-class tickets for their emissaries traveling across the country. While corporate travel policies have a history of saving money on business trips, in more recent years, this trend is being steadily reversed.

Managers now insist on providing their employees maximum comfort and convenience, since it reflects well on overall productivity. This has pushed airlines to compete with each other in terms of services they offer, continually offering new benefits.

In 2019, four US cities landed on the map of the world’s most expensive cities for business travel.

(CNN) (JTB Business Travel)

Los Angeles and San Francisco have landed on the list of the 10 most expensive cities for business travel. This is a significant jump compared to the year before when only Washington DC and New York held positions on the list.

NYC business travel statistics indicate that the Big Apple is the most expensive city for business travelers, mostly due to hefty hotel prices. Moreover, renting a hotel room in New York costs an average of $385 per diem.

Washington currently holds fourth place in expenses, with San Francisco, and Los Angeles, at seventh and ninth place respectively.

The other five cities worldwide are Zurich, Paris, Reykjavik, Basel, and Bern. The United States and Switzerland dominate the list, with four cities each.

Live chat with travel agencies, much like in-person meetings, improves business.

(Statista) (Kayako)

While this is not related to business travel exclusively, it is fairly indicative of which direction the travel industry is headed. Especially if we consider that 59% of US business travelers always book their hotel themselves and 30% usually book their hotel themselves.

In 2017, 79% of travel industry businesses reported an increase in revenue after enabling a live chat option on their website. Any way you look at it, investing in live chat has a huge influence on customer experience. In the short-term, companies that introduced live chat reported a significant increase in new customers. In the long-run, it does wonders for repeat business.

Business Travel Statistics - Passport

However, 38% of surveyed users consider a poor live-chat experience the number one reason for frustration when handling their travels.

Demographics and General Business Travel Statistics

Millennials are the fastest-growing group of business travelers in the united states..

Millennials are a rising force of the domestic economy in all sectors. This applies to business travel as well. According to a survey conducted by Skift, young adults in their late twenties/early thirties took 7.4 business trips in 2015.

Their older counterparts, popularly known as Gen Xers, were reported to have an average of 6.4 trips per year. Baby boomers came last with a 6.3 average.

While boomers prefer traditional accommodation, like hotels, younger travelers are more likely to go for non-chain hotels, Airbnb and other “room share” services. This is especially the case for millennials employed in the tech industry.

Also, travel statistics by age group suggest that the same target group most often uses low-cost air carriers, with 85% of them booking low-cost airlines in 2018.

On the other hand, ridesharing companies have experienced a huge growth in popularity among business travelers of all ages. As much as 81% of the survey’s respondents stated that they would take Uber or Lyft over taxis any day.

Millennials are 60% more-likely to purchase seats with extra legroom while flying, and spend some leisure time on their business trip.

(Forbes) (National Car Rental)

With 65% of millennials viewing business travel as a status symbol, additional legroom, as well as other benefits, are things they desire. That being said, they are also more likely to pay for additional headroom, roomier seats, and in-flight entertainment compared to the other two age groups.

Moreover, Millenials are most likely to consider business travel a perk when choosing a job, with nearly 90% of millennials seeking an advantage to extend their business trip into leisure. Other groups are not far behind, with 81% of Generation Xers and 80% of baby boomers also confirming that they like to make the most of the time they are given while away on business.

45% of millennials are prone to feeling guilty about mixing leisure with their business trips.

(Travel Agent Central)

While all business travelers like mixing business with leisure trips, they are also prone to feeling guilty about it. Around 45% of millennial respondents in a survey have reported having the so-called “bleisure travel stigma.” This means they believe they should avoid telling others about the fun times or personal activities they have on business trips.

While they are the least-likely to tell their bosses about their leisure time on business trips, millenials are most-likely to share photos of their adventures on social media.

However, regardless of their age or generation, managers (64%) and executive/senior leaders (67%) are also more likely to share their “bleisure” activities than non-managers (54 %) on social media.

This goes to show, as the employees become older and assume more senior positions within their companies, the stigma wears off. For example, 40% of Gen X respondents said they prefer keeping their personal activities during business trips private.

85% of frequent business travelers report having trouble balancing everyday work responsibilities while traveling for business.

(National Car Rental)

Employees that spend more than 88 days on the road per year showed an increase in breaking the business vs leisure barrier. “Bleisure” travelers reported working 9.1 hours a day, which is a whole hour less than the travelers who engage in strict travel for work purposes who clocked 10.1 hours on average per day.

The divide is real - 53% of business travelers state that finding time for leisure while on an official trip is next to impossible, as opposed to the 59% who manage to squeeze in some “me time” in the mix.

81% of all business trips in the United States are conducted by personal vehicles.

The majority of business travelers still prefer to use their personal vehicles as transport whenever they can. This is mainly due to the fact that 74% of all domestic business trips are conducted within less than 250 miles from the point of departure, with most of those being less than 100 miles.

However, as the distance gets longer, more people turn to air travel. Around 97% of 50-to 99-mile trips, as well as nearly 94% of 100-to-249-mile trips, are conducted by personal vehicles. Once the range reaches 250-to-499 miles, the personal vehicle share sharply declines to 67% while those in favor of airplanes surges to 31%.

While distances over 1,000 miles account for only 7% of the total number of business trips, they are almost exclusively conducted by air travel.

Attending a conference is the number one reason for business trips for all age groups.

Around 62% of all respondents in the Skift 2016 survey stated that the main reason for business travel is usually to attend a conference of some sort. This was the case with 74% of millenials, 61% of Gen Xers, and 53% of boomers.

The second biggest reason (56%) of travel was to attend a meeting with people from another company for the purposes of business planning or customer service. Millennials once again took the lead with 77%, with Gen Xers as second at 56%, and boomers at 39%.

The third reason is professional development or training, with an average of 44% of all respondents naming this as their purpose of business travel. Broken down into individual age brackets, the numbers come down to 63% of millennials, 43% of Gen Xers, and 25% of baby boomers.

Business traveler demographics report that women account for approximately 47% of all business travelers.

(Corporate Traveller)

While the usual stereotype implies that it is more common for men to take business trips, in recent years, the reality is closer to 50-50.

However, as women become more present in the business travel sphere, some specific safety issues arise. Female business traveler statistics focused on safety issues discovered that 90% of respondents named safety as the first thing that affected the activities pursued during personal time while on business travel.

The women who took part in the survey reported that such issues mostly affect their booking behavior (86%), where they prefer to exclusively book daytime flights, and rooms as close to the center of a city as possible.

Location is simply more important for women. For example, 84% cited that they tend to avoid cities and places that have a reputation for being unsafe. Furthermore, 81% indicated their travel frequency for business has also been affected by safety concerns, and 80% agree that such issues have had an impact on their productivity during business trips.

Nevertheless, the average business travel hotel user is still a middle-aged male.

As we’re all accustomed to seeing grey-haired men in suits and ties hanging around hotel lobbies, this fact is hardly a surprise. The average business travel hotel guest is male (63%), aged 35-54 (50%), employed in a professional or managerial position (56%) and earning an average yearly household income of $127,000.

As much as 78% travel alone, with the large majority of business travelers making reservations (95%). According to USA Today, The Hampton Inn and Suites was the favorite choice for corporate travelers in 2017.

Around 60% of companies have a travel policy, although employees prefer to handle booking themselves.

However, as much as 50% of surveyed companies allow travelers to book using any method they choose.

Furthermore, 46% of business travelers have reported preferring booking hotels on consumer sites and finding a better price, then relying on their company to do it for them.

As companies are led by other factors while choosing hotels, employees tend to think in more practical terms. That is why 37% of surveyed travelers reported having booked the hotels that were in the closest possible proximity of an established meeting place or conference location.

International Travel Statistics

China is the leading force when it comes to business travel spending..

(Global Business Travel Association) (CAPA)

With the United States spending more than $292 billion on business travel alone, China has reportedly reached a figure of $346.50 billion that funded their international corporate exploits.

China’s economic boom has launched the country’s corporate traveler to the very top of global business travel statistics. China dominates both regional and international statistics, with Japan and South Korea as traditional high-spenders in the region.

However, other players in the Asia-Pacific market, like India and Indonesia are making an appearance in the global business travel sector by growing at an incredible rate.

In 2014, India’s business travel market was worth $26 billion. Today it is forecast to reach $46 billion. As a country where economic activity is dominated by consumption, India’s business travel growth rate of 11.3 % is oriented more towards domestic than international.

On the other hand, Indonesia, which reported $17 billion in business travel spending in 2017, is a more trade-oriented country. This means that the country’s business-travel spending growth rate of 8.7% is focused on the international market rather than the domestic.

Europe is right behind China, holding 24% of total global business travel spending.

(Global Business Travel Association) (Blue Swan Daily)

Europe is home to some of the largest corporations in the world that rank the continent as second on a global scale when it comes to business travel spending. The largest part of this spending is attributed to developed Western European countries like Germany, the UK, and France.

In fact, a total of $364 billion in business travel spending was reported in Europe in 2017, with Western Europe claiming as much as $310 billion.

Traditional industrial powerhouses like Germany rated their business travel spending at about $72.07 billion in 2017, confirming the country’s unprecedented status in worldwide trade. France is also a powerhouse - the country spent more than $40 billion in 2016.

Spain spends around $20 billion in business travel, ranking 13th on the Global Business Travel Association’s list of the largest travel markets.

While most Western European economies have reported steady growth in business travel spending during the last few years, the United Kingdom has shown a 0.7% decline in 2017, largely due to the Brexit political crisis.

Further Reading

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. how often do people travel for business.

An estimated 1.3 million business trips occur in the United States on a daily basis – 463 million trips per year in the United States alone.

2. How many business travelers fly each year?

Around 12% of the total number of flights is reserved by business travelers. In 2017 the US Department of Transportation reported that US airlines and foreign airlines serving the United States hosted 965 million domestic and international scheduled service passengers.

3. What percent of airline travel is for business?

Although business travelers make up only 12% in numbers, they are every airline’s most valuable customer. The data implies that in some cases, airlines earn as much as 75% of their total revenue of trips booked by business travelers of all sorts.

4. Do airlines charge business travelers more?

No. However, the circumstances of a typical business traveler affect the price of a plane ticket. Factors that usually affect the cost of flying for a business traveler are: flying on short notice, arranging a flight at a desirable time of day, and flying to a popular destination.

G. Dautovic

I have always thought of myself as a writer, but I began my career as a data operator with a large fintech firm. This position proved invaluable for learning how banks and other financial institutions operate. Daily correspondence with banking experts gave me insight into the systems and policies that power the economy. When I got the chance to translate my experience into words, I gladly joined the smart, enthusiastic Fortunly team.

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Corporate Business Travel: Everything You Need to Know

frequent business traveller meaning

Katie Miller is a consumer financial services expert. She worked for almost two decades as an executive, leading multi-billion dollar mortgage, credit card, and savings portfolios with operations worldwide and a unique focus on the consumer. Her mortgage expertise was honed post-2008 crisis as she implemented the significant changes resulting from Dodd-Frank required regulations.

frequent business traveller meaning

Corporate business travel involves the movement of individuals representing their organizations for work-related reasons. Whether it’s attending client meetings, industry conferences, or sealing business deals, this practice covers a range of activities essential for professional growth.

In the interconnected global business environment, where face-to-face connections matter, corporate business travel plays a central role in sustaining and expanding enterprises across borders. Businesses face challenges in optimizing this crucial element of their operations. Strategic considerations must be taken into account to use this element of business to its greatest potential.

Key Takeaways

  • Corporate business travel can unlock new opportunities for business growth, offering the possibility of reaching new markets, connecting with a wider pool of prospects, or developing brand presence and reputation.
  • Traveling for business has many benefits for individuals as well, providing them the chance to meet fellow employees, grow their career by participating in different opportunities, and network within the industry, not to mention experience new destinations.
  • Business traveler safety and security are top priorities during corporate travel.
  • To ensure that travel goes smoothly and stays within budget, companies should implement corporate travel policies and best practices for employees traveling on behalf of the company.

Importance of Corporate Business Travel

There are many business-related reasons to travel. It can encourage team building, promote learning, offer different perspectives, provide connection to a wider network, open up new markets, and drive sales. And whether or not the trip is for a specific purpose (such as a conference or a retreat), the benefits for employees and companies alike can extend beyond the stated intent of the trip, building confidence, cultural competency, relationships, and company reputation.

Many employees consider the opportunity to travel for work a desirable job perk, as it can offer the chance to venture somewhere that they may not ordinarily go, or to have a trip paid for by their company. And although expenses are associated with travel from a corporate perspective, they may be well worth the return on investment in terms of potential leads or sales—plus, many travel expenses are tax- deductible .

Types of Corporate Business Travel

Corporate travel can take many forms, including the chance for employees and executives to attend events, such as meetings, conferences, industry networking sessions, and fairs. Or a trip may take advantage of educational opportunities such as training sessions, seminars, and workshops. Retreats and guided trips can make for valuable team-building time in new contexts that unlock different perspectives and strengthen working relationships.

Businesses may send their employees to a different location to network, sell, teach, learn from, or generally connect with external contacts or internal employees in regional offices, or to act on behalf of the company in some way.

Additionally, from a client perspective, business travel may occur as a form of due diligence , ensuring that your vendors or suppliers are legitimate, legal, and compliant organizations—for example, traveling for regular audits to confirm that what you think is happening at your supplier organizations is actually happening.

Creating a Corporate Travel Policy

From a company perspective, travel can be a challenge to administer and manage . Costs can easily balloon out of control; travel logistics can be time-intensive to arrange; employees traveling on behalf of the company must be granted a great deal of trust; and like any form of travel, business travel can open up risks to safety, security, and health.

No matter the size of the business or the frequency or complexity of travel, a corporate travel policy can be a helpful tool for any company to set expectations for its employees, communicate guidelines and processes, keep expenses within budget, and streamline booking and logistics.

In creating a corporate travel policy, companies might consider the following for both domestic and international travel, as applicable:

  • Purpose(s) of travel
  • Which employees are eligible to travel
  • Booking and expense approval processes
  • Risks and liabilities of travel and how to manage them
  • Expectations for employee behavior, including acceptable and secure uses of technology, personal vs. leisure time, communication, and entertainment while traveling
  • Eligible expenses for employees while traveling, including per diem rates if applicable
  • Determine if employees will be reimbursed for their expenses or given a corporate credit card to use
  • Financial tracking, record-keeping, and reimbursement processes
  • Acceptable booking practices and costs, including preferred agents or vendors
  • Travel insurance

Of course, policies must also be communicated and enforced to ensure compliance and fairness. Including a travel policy as part of a corporate handbook or reviewing it in an onboarding or training module can be a good way to ensure that all employees receive and understand the information. Making it easily accessible for future reference on a shared drive or company portal will encourage employees to refer to it often.

Business travel managers estimate, on average, that spending on domestic and international corporate travel is at 77% and 74%, respectively, of where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Setting a Corporate Travel Policy

frequent business traveller meaning

Corporate Business Travel Best Practices

There are many best practices that both employees and companies can keep in mind around corporate business travel to ensure that it is a successful experience. These encompass everything from administration and financing to employee behavior and well-being.

Booking Corporate Travel

Booking travel can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. To improve the booking process, save on costs, and streamline expense reporting, it can be helpful to designate preferred travel agencies, online platforms, vendors, and lodgings for employees and executives to book with. If the size of the company allows, it can also be helpful to hire an employee or team specifically to oversee and administer corporate travel, or designate this duty as part of an employee’s broader job description.

Managing Travel Expenses and Budgeting

There are many financial considerations when it comes to corporate business travel, and expenses and budgets must be carefully managed to keep costs under control. Many travel expenses are tax-deductible and can be written off, representing potentially significant savings for a company. Setting a budget and clear guidelines for employees about what can be an expense and what cannot is a must, as is creating and enforcing policies and procedures around tracking and reporting expenses.

Many corporate credit cards offer travel rewards and cost-saving opportunities for business travel, as do many other vendors and suppliers in the corporate travel industry. Businesses can take advantage of these to reduce inefficiencies and save on costs.

How to Manage Corporate Travel

frequent business traveller meaning

Ensuring Traveler Safety and Security

As with any trip, business trips are not without safety and security risks, including the potential for political or civil unrest, crime, illness, injury, accidents, emergencies, natural disasters, cybersecurity breaches, or theft.

To protect their employees against unexpected and undesirable circumstances, at a minimum, businesses will want to have a travel insurance plan in place. It’s also helpful for businesses and employees to undertake some form of travel risk assessment to aid them in navigating potential risks, and outline safety and emergency preparedness guidelines within a corporate travel policy.

Employees should also know how to call if something goes sideways, such as hotel booking issues. A travel agent? A supervisor? If there’s a hurricane, you don’t have a car, and your flight is canceled, can you book another last-minute flight to get around the weather to get home? These details should be planned ahead for.

Maximizing Productivity During Business Trips

The overlap of business and leisure, sometimes referred to as “bleisure,” is one of the main draws of corporate business travel. However, there can also be pitfalls associated with this gray area. It can be difficult to stay productive while working remotely, whether due to the many distractions of a new environment (positive and negative), or because the trip entails an increased workload or time spent away from day-to-day job duties.

Employees looking to manage their time efficiently while away should get clarity on the intended purpose and expected outcome of their trip, and their employer’s and teammates’ expectations for their workload and communication frequency. They can also plan ahead to make the most of their travel time and downtime, and anticipate time zone differences to ensure smooth communication and adjustment to jet lag.

It’s important for employees to maintain work-life balance while traveling on behalf of work. Researching food, entertainment, and fitness options and preparing accordingly can pay off in terms of mental and physical wellness, especially for frequent travelers.

Tips for Business Travel Etiquette

Traveling anywhere, whether domestically or internationally, comes with responsibilities and expectations regarding employee behavior. Perception is one of the most important factors to remember when traveling as a representative of your company. You represent your company out in the public, so you need to ensure you’re displaying any key values that your company represents when interacting with vendors, clients, and peers.

This applies to cultural sensitivity as well. Travelers should do research in advance of their trip to ensure that they can be mindful of local customs and professional etiquette and behave with awareness and respect. Even the basics, such as learning appropriate forms of greeting or how to handle money and payment, and committing a few common words or phrases to memory can go a long way toward demonstrating good intentions and building a new relationship across cultures.

Sustainable and Responsible Business Travel

Recognizing that corporate travel can have a negative impact on the environment, many businesses and individuals are reexamining their travel practices and policies to see where they can make improvements. One example is reducing emissions by booking different means of transportation when possible. In general, seeking out vendors or companies that promote sustainable travel practices and responsible tourism, and that support local communities and ecosystems, can be a good first step to reduce environmental impact.

Technology and Tools for Corporate Business Travel

Software and technology tools can be immensely useful across all aspects of corporate business travel. Travel management and booking platforms; apps for tracking expenses, navigation, or converting currency; and translation and communication tools are all things that employees and businesses alike can take advantage of before, during, and after traveling.

When it comes to technology, it’s important to account for cybersecurity risks and only bring what is necessary to reduce the potential impact of damage, loss, or theft.

Managing Business Travel Expenses

frequent business traveller meaning

What Is an Example of Corporate Business Travel?

There are many work-related reasons to travel, but many businesses will have their employees travel for conferences, events, sales and networking, seminars, meetings, team building, retreats, and to open up new business growth potential.

How Does Corporate Business Travel Work?

Corporate travel is simply travel for business-related purposes, so the nature of the trip will depend on its length and purpose. Companies whose employees travel frequently on behalf of the business should consider creating a corporate travel policy with information and guidelines for their employees.

Who Handles Corporate Business Travel?

Some businesses employ internal teams or individuals to manage corporate travel and business trips. At other times, employees are responsible for making their own arrangements within guidelines laid out by the company. There are also corporate travel agencies that businesses can leverage to streamline and optimize their bookings and costs.

The Bottom Line

Corporate business travel can be an invaluable path to both business growth and individual career development, building strong relationships and teams. No matter what form it takes, it’s prudent for companies to collect, implement, and communicate best practices for business travel to their employees in a company handbook or corporate travel policy. This should incorporate areas such as expense and booking management, safety and security, productivity, sustainability, technology, and employee behavior and etiquette.

Michela Buttignol / Investopedia

Internal Revenue Service. “ Understanding Business Travel Deductions .”

Global Business Travel Association. “ GBTA Business Travel Industry Outlook Poll .”

Harvard Business Review. “ How to Work and Travel at the Same Time .”

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Fewer trips, fewer planes: business travellers rethink old habits

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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Nicola Lomas spent years carefully collecting frequent-flyer points to protect her British Airways “gold” status as she flew dozens of times a year for work.

A consultant in the business travel industry, she enjoyed the perks. The queue jumps at check-in, access to lounges and priority boarding for gold members helped soothe the rigours of a hectic schedule.

So she was surprised to feel a sense of relief last year when the airline delivered the news all frequent flyers had dreaded. Lomas had been downgraded all the way to “blue”, the bottom tier, losing her benefits after progressively cutting work trips over the past few years.

“It is like a break-up in a relationship. I thought, ‘Fine, I don’t need you anymore,’” she says. “But it was a good thing. Because it has made me really think in a fresh way.”

Lomas is one of thousands of business people who have changed their travel schedules as habits have been reshaped by the rise in video conferencing during the pandemic, heightened environmental concerns and employers looking to cut costs.

Some big European and US companies have cracked down on non-essential trips, while many staff are taking longer trips to minimise repeat visits.

“You have to have a real story behind the trip to have it approved now,” one London-based banker says. Another notes that senior staff are travelling nearly as regularly as before the pandemic, but junior staff have had trips curtailed.

Business travel is not dead. Global bookings reached 70 per cent of 2019 levels in October 2023, up from 63 per cent in April, according to survey data released by the Global Business Travel Association.

You might have a big global media company flying more than ever [while another] is not flying at all . . . We have never seen anything quite like it

Bankers and lawyers are still travelling to close deals. Sales representatives continue to value face-to-face meetings and many sectors, such as oil and gas or mining, cannot operate without shifting huge workforces around the world.

But industry executives say the forced break from business trips during Covid-19 restrictions allowed a once formulaic part of the travel industry to adapt and as a result the experience has changed.

For Lomas, the post-pandemic business landscape can be characterised as a new focus on “purposeful travel”.

For companies attempting to keep business travel costs down, this can mean getting the best value for money by making sure multiple meetings or events are crammed into a single, longer trip. This also helps to cut down on air travel, which is typically one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions for companies.

Marriott International last year said the average length of a business trip in the US had increased by 20 per cent compared with 2019.

American Express Global Business Travel, one of the world’s largest travel management companies, has also found that travellers are taking slightly longer trips and booking further in advance.

For some travellers, the changing environment has meant trading down. The rethink on business travel has come as the price of trips has increased sharply since before the pandemic. More than half of the companies surveyed by Deloitte said they had tried to mitigate the costs of trips by opting for cheaper accommodation or lower-cost flights.

Towards the end of last year, PwC imposed restrictions on UK partners travelling business class, in an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint and cut costs. Only people travelling on long-haul night flights or those flying for “business-critical” reasons are now allowed to sit in business class.

Marissa Thomas, managing partner at PwC UK, told the Financial Times at the time of the announcement that flights accounted for the majority of the company’s carbon emissions. “Given a business-class seat is roughly 50 per cent more carbon-intensive than one in premium economy, we’re asking partners and directors to think carefully about [whether] they need one,” she said.

US clinical research group Parexel has, meanwhile, introduced a travel policy that encourages employees to go by train instead of by air where possible. In Germany, where it has more than 750 employees, 96 per cent of all relevant domestic trips are now taken by train, the company says.

Chris Pouney, an independent consultant in the travel industry, has consciously begun to choose the train over a plane, even when this results in longer journeys.

While only a fraction of flights across Europe can be conveniently replaced, Pouney says the train can compare favourably with air travel on “cost, carbon and convenience”, particularly as remote work is easier on board.

His trips have included an overnight journey between Munich and Milan, which he says was “an absolute joy”.

“I ordinarily would have flown that 1-1.5 hour [journey] on [a] low-cost airline . . . It was really good value on the train, and I arrived ready for business into the centre of Milan,” he says.

With employee wellbeing in focus, another growing trend is to allow employees to tack a few days’ holiday on to a business trip, or to extend their stay by working remotely from a hotel or rental apartment and enjoying the local area.

Business travel company Navan says there has been an “explosion” in these so-called “bleisure” trips, thanks to flexible travel policies and the rise in flexible working. It reported a 72 per cent increase in blended travel bookings in 2023, compared with a year earlier.

“By extending their stays for leisure activities, travellers prioritise their personal physical and mental wellbeing, which leads to higher job satisfaction and overall productivity,” the company explains.

The recovery in corporate travel since it ground to a halt during Covid restrictions has been led by small and medium-sized businesses, according to Paul Abbott, chief executive of American Express Global Business Travel, which manages corporate travel and expenses for companies.

He says using travel management services — rather than relying on employees to make their own plans and reservations — gives companies greater control over bookings, and more granular information on who is travelling and when.

“Cost pressures mean more scrutiny of budgets. Capturing travel-related emissions data is also necessary for those with carbon-reduction targets,” he says.

Oliver Ranson, managing director of consultancy Airline Revenue Economics, notes that every company has restarted business travel in different ways, making sweeping conclusions on the future of corporate travel difficult.

“It is not sector or role-specific. It is company-specific. You might have a big global media company that is flying more than ever before. Meanwhile, the other big global media company is not flying at all . . . We have never seen anything quite like it before,” he says.

For Pouney, the overarching message is to “encourage travellers to be more considered when they travel, rather than just go at the drop of a hat”.

“Sometimes you have to drop everything and get somewhere, and that’s fine but it is not every time. We all came back after Covid and saw it as an opportunity to restart with a blank piece of paper and say, ‘Let’s not go back to habits we had before.’”

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22 Business Travel Tips for Frequent Corporate Travelers

If you’re frequently on the road for work, use these tips to make the most of your time away from home.

Business Travel Packing Tips

1. Use only carry on bags. Lugging a large suitcase through a foreign city or having your luggage lost before your destination is no way to start a business trip. Pack light to keep all your belongings in your allotted carry on bags.

2. Keep essentials packed between trips. Having extra toiletries, chargers, office supplies, and business cards already in your bag can save you time each time you travel.

3. Pack dress shirts in plastic garment bags. The plastic bags your dry cleaning is delivered in can help keep shirts from wrinkling in your suitcase.

4. Include casual clothes, not just suits. Having business-appropriate clothing is important. However, you’ll likely have time to explore your surroundings on foot and have a casual dinner one night. Packing gym clothes is also important.

5. Pack with security checkpoints in mind. Depending on where you’re traveling to, you will have to follow various security protocols. Your liquids and electronics should be easily accessible.

6. Invest in good luggage and accessories. A suitcase that is easy to pack and maneuver is worth the investment. A small digital scale that fits in a side pocket can help you avoid costly charges for a suitcase over the airline’s weight limit.

7. Pack items that help you sleep. Prioritize a pillow, headphones, or eye mask to help you sleep while at a hotel or on the plane. A good night of sleep is more important than a fourth pair of shoes.

8. Products like packing cubes can help you stay organized so you can easily find items when you need them. Each cube can hold a day’s outfits or contain a particular type of garment like evening wear or swim gear for that nighttime dip in the pool. Cubes can also keep dirty clothes sequestered from clean ones and make packing the morning of departure less chaotic!

Tips for Smooth Business Travel

9. Join rewards programs. Take advantage of your corporate travel to gain points or miles on your airline, hotel, or travel credit card of choice. You should also choose a credit card without foreign transaction fees.

10. Charge electronics before you fly. Your phone, laptop, and tablet should all have plenty of battery to help you pass time productively in the airport and on your flight. You won’t need to fight for an outlet at your gate either.

11. Use programs that speed up your travel. Check in to your flights online and print your boarding pass before heading to the airport. Apply for TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry to gain access to faster-moving security and customs around the world.

12. Book non-stop flights. Layovers lengthen trips. A two-or three-hour stop mid-trip can mean spending an extra day on the road, waking up earlier than necessary, or having a suitcase that didn’t make the same transfer you did.

13. Pay for an airport lounge membership. Most airlines provide lounges with plenty of food, outlets, and quiet space for a reasonable cost. Spend your time waiting for your flight away from the hustle and bustle of everyone waiting for your flight.

14. Print important confirmation numbers. While no one likes to think about losing their phone, it is possible to run out of battery just as you need your boarding pass or confirmation number. Print your itinerary and keep a copy in each of your bags.

15. Find (or pack) healthy food. Travel is hard on your body, and you need to continue to do your job well on the road. Packing or buying healthy snacks will help you stay well while traveling.

16. Use a travel management company (TMC). TMCs can help your company save money and optimize business trip itineraries. They can also simplify expensing and other forms of record-keeping required by business travelers.

Tips for More Business Travel Fun

17. Combine business and leisure. Add a few personal days to the beginning or end of a business trip to make it a “bleisure” trip! Bleisure trips are cost-effective and can help you be at your best personally and professionally!

18. Make more time for fun. Business trips can be stressful, especially when there are multiple locations or venues to visit. Plan ahead or use a travel management company to optimize itineraries. Renting a car instead of using ride sharing apps or waiting for cabs can save a lot of time and money.

19. Skip the hotel gym but don’t skip working out! Instead of staying on hotel grounds, use your daily jog as an opportunity to explore your surroundings. Research which areas of a location are safest and consider sticking to public areas like parks. Let family members or coworkers know you plan on venturing out on your own.

20. Find workspaces that double as leisure spaces. Hotels are converting rooms into WFH spaces complete with thoughtful amenities to accommodate the remote work revolution. Perks could include discounted meals and relaxing surroundings like poolside cabanas.

21. Avoid jet lag. Jet lag can really throw a wrench in your trip, especially when traveling internationally. Trying a melatonin supplement or any one of these tips can help you overcome jet lag and better enjoy your downtime.

22. Explore your hobby. Expand your horizons by researching what connections your destination has to your favorite hobby. Maybe there’s a museum dedicated to your hobby’s history or a unique retail store devoted to selling hobby-related products and services.

Want to Learn More?

Contact our dedicated corporate travel experts by filling out the form below or calling 1-877-357-4471.

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11 Business Travel Tips From Frequent Business Travelers

June 24, 2019

by Rob Browne

frequent business traveller meaning

From figuring out what to pack to scheduling an itinerary,, preparing for a business trip can be more stressful and overwhelming than actually going on the trip itself.

Alleviating the pain of business travel begins with your preparation. Experienced business travelers begin preparing for trips days before they leave to ensure they are able to put their best work forward while conducting business on the road.

11 business travel tips from frequent business travelers

We surveyed leaders in the business travel industry to get their takes on how to best prepare for a business trip. They offered some insightful commentary that should quell your worries regarding any business travel on your horizon.

1. Never run out of juice

“Bring a portable battery (power bank) to recharge your cell phone, especially if you're going to be on a plane for a long time. Make sure it's in your carry-on luggage so you can use it on the plane. You don't want to risk a dead phone when you need it most!”

- Miguel A. Suro, Miami attorney and lifestyle writer at The Rich Miser 

“I attended a marketing conference a couple of years ago and neglected to pack a portable charger. I didn't realize how quickly I would drain through my phone's battery while I used the event app and live-tweeted from conference sessions. While several of the expo booths had chargers available, none of them worked with my phone, so I ended up needing to walk back to my hotel for my charger and wait there for it to regain battery life, missing a couple of valuable sessions in the process.”

- Kathryn Hawkins, principal, Eucalypt Media

2. Carry on the essentials

“The first and only key is to make sure everything fits in a carry on, like a great soft tote bag to carry extras, including your computer or tablet. Everything should be able to be folded and if your carry on has a place for suits, even better. Usually, three changes max is enough with two or three shirts. One pair of shoes to go to all meetings and another for travel. Cosmetics, toiletries, etc. can be in your suitcase or tote bag depending on how much room there is. I have gone all over the world like this and it works.”

3. Avoid shipping essential materials

“Never ship your business cards with any other collateral you might be shipping as you never know where the shipment will end up or how long customs will retain the package, etc. I once showed up to a trade show in Berlin and I had a small stack of cards with me and my assistant had shipped over a new box of cards, along with brochures, a little later (after the new order of biz cards had arrived.) Well, we never saw that box and I had to be super stingy with my cards, to the point it was quite embarrassing!”

4. Look into the benefits of frequent travel

“If you find yourself traveling by air for business on a regular basis, a travel rewards credit card could prove advantageous by making your journeys far more comfortable as well as netting you substantial savings.

When choosing a travel credit card for business, contemplate what kind of traveler you are. If you’re someone who regularly finds themselves sitting in airports, a high-tier, high annual fee credit card could bring you substantial value in the way of lounge benefits, expedited screening, steep rewards, and more. Access to such amenities will make business travel less stressful and far more comfortable. If you are someone who travels by air infrequently, a travel card with a high-annual fee will likely not be worth the cost.”

how to prepare for a business trip

5. Don’t check a bag on your flight

“Don’t check a bag. Aside from the fact that bags can be lost, the time spent checking bags and waiting at baggage claim is a huge waste. It’s important to be efficient on business trips, and you can lose so much time if you check bags. Also, if you don’t have to wait for a bag, you can get way ahead of everyone who does, thereby avoiding long customs lines (if traveling internationally).”

6. Be smart about hotel location

“Book a hotel close to the client or business location to avoid early morning commutes, traffic delays, etc. Before booking, try asking your client if they have a preferred hotel in the city and if there's a discount that you’d be able to use.”

7. Prepare for international travel smartly

“If it is a longer trip, make sure you have an international driving license. You never know when you may need to hire or borrow a car. Check your documents the night before you fly, such as your passport, visa (if required), travel insurance, and tickets. You can usually check these via travel management software if you booked through work.

See the best travel management software of 2019

I always print them, as not every international airport allows you to scan from your phone. If necessary, make sure you have the hotel address written in the local language of your destination.”

8. Make a detailed itinerary

“Put together a schedule that includes your flight, your meetings, and the time you're expected to arrive at the hotel. Budget extra time to visit something fun at your destination. You'll regret missing the opportunity later on.

Share your itinerary with a friend or family member that you plan to stay in touch with. You can contact them if you lose information, and they will know where you're meant to be if your phone goes silent.”

TIP: Traveling to a unique destination and looking to add some personal time onto your trip? Check out our guide to bleisure travel!

9. Make sure you eat enough

“Even on the road, you have to keep your belly filled. Having been stuck waiting unexpectedly at airports and on airplanes, and having arrived at hotel rooms at haunting hours or found the only time to eat is in a taxi between meetings, I always pack a filling emergency snack.

That typically means a few energy bars. They are the most compact food that doesn’t make a mess and can be stuffed into a pocket. They are not the nutritional nirvana, but they are filling. And who can eat a salad in a taxi anyway?”

10. Find the right workspace

“If you’re one of those people who doesn’t get car sick, then lucky you! That means you have found some time while traveling to prepare for meetings and get things in order. Otherwise, make use of your hotel facilities in order to get a nice space to think. Of course, you can always use your hotel room, but many hotels have a business center or lobby as well that could be good for being productive. Or, feel free to explore the new city and find a cute coffee shop or park to do your work.”

11. Double check the dress code

“Always find out in advance where you may be visiting while you’re on your trip. I traveled to Hong Kong once with a very casual start-up company who had no dress code. The last thing I expected was to end up in a very dressy hotel restaurant where they had to make special dispensation for me to wear my shorts and flip-flops!”

Time to hit the road

With these tips in tow, you’ll be able to travel for work with the peace of mind that you’re equipped to handle any unforeseen issues. The ultimate goal of any business trip is to perform at your peak when conducting your business obligations, and a failure to prepare to perform your best on a trip is preparing to fail. If you're still overwhelmed, maybe it's time to look into hiring a travel management company ?

Business trips require a lot of moving parts. Read up on the 8 most common business trip mistakes to better prepare you for your upcoming trip! 

Rob Browne photo

Rob is a former content associate at G2. Originally from New Jersey, he previously worked at an NYC-based business travel startup. (he/him/his)

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Business Travel 101: What is Business Travel? And Why Use a Travel Management Company?

If you’re wondering why to use a travel management company, discover the many benefits partnering with one can deliver..

When you’re just getting started with business travel, you may encounter the term “travel management company,” or TMC for short. Why use a travel management company? There are many benefits that companies discover when they partner with a TMC.

To help you accelerate your journey into business travel. Here’s a look at the motivations behind business travel as well as the benefits of working with a TMC.

frequent business traveller meaning

What is Business Travel?

Business travel is when an employee leaves his or her primary office to work elsewhere. This can include short trips, like leaving your home in Los Angeles to visit a prospective client in San Diego. And this can include long trips, like flying from Chicago to London for meetings with your company’s UK office. 

Americans make more than 400 million long-distance business trips each year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics . Those trips account for about 16% of all long-distance travel. What motivates companies to send their employees on these journeys?

There are a number of reasons to travel for business:

  • Closing Deals: It’s common to close large and important deals in-person.
  • Exploring New Markets: Companies looking to expand into new markets will visit them to explore the conditions on the ground and to conduct research.
  • Internal Meetings: In an age of remote work, companies may ask employees to travel for internal meetings or other collaboration events.
  • Prospecting: Organizations often attend expos to display their products and/or services and to find prospective clients.
  • Education: Companies may ask employees to travel to conferences where they can learn more about trends and best practices in their functional areas.
  • Visiting Existing Clients: Account managers and others may regularly visit their largest clients. They can check in on them, to take them out for a meal or drink, and generally to show gratitude for their business.

These are just several examples of reasons why companies may ask employees to travel. There are countless motivations for workers to leave their primary offices for several days at a time.

frequent business traveller meaning

Who Manages Corporate Travel?

The actual people who manage travel fall into two categories: internal and external.

Internally, a company may use someone in the human resources department to help book trips for Travelers and otherwise manage the travel program. Companies with more intensive travel schedules may have a dedicated Travel Manager or someone who arranges travel for employees.

Companies also work with third parties to manage travel. Organizations can completely outsource their travel to a third party. But it’s more often a hybrid approach where someone internal (like a Travel Manager) works in tandem with a third-party (like a TMC).

frequent business traveller meaning

Why Use a Travel Management Company? 

As you explore business travel for your company, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the many tasks and responsibilities associated with managing travel. That’s why so many organizations choose to work with a TMC.

TMCs work with everything from small businesses with limited travel needs to large enterprises with enormous travel budgets.

These companies choose to work with TMCs because of the many benefits a third-party management company can deliver, including:

  • Greater efficiency: A TMC can help the business and its Travelers do everything faster and more efficiently. You have a team of travel experts in your corner so that your employees can focus on doing their work.
  • Lower costs: TMCs often have access to discounts that aren’t available to just anyone. They can also help organizations negotiate favorable contracts with vendors.
  • Managed risk: Risk management is how companies live up to their duty-of-care responsibility to keep employees healthy and safe while away from the office. Many TMCs offer risk management services that help companies live up to that responsibility.
  • Comprehensive policies: It’s hard to create a comprehensive travel policy from scratch. TMCs can help your organization develop a travel policy that meets both the company’s needs and the needs of its Travelers.
  • Technology implementation: The right technologies can help you maximize your investment in business travel. A TMC can help you identify and implement the right technologies for your organization.
  • Custom reporting: Optimizing travel spend is only possible when you have access to your travel data. TMCs can help you accrue and analyze your travel data so you can optimize your program.
  • Assistance with trip disruptions: Things happen during business travel. A weather event might close an airport, for example, or mechanical issues may delay a flight. TMCs can step in and help when those disruptions occur.

As noted in the previous section, TMCs often work with a Travel Manager or another point person at their clients’ companies to get the most out of business travel. For example, a TMC may develop a system for custom reporting. Then a Travel Manager will present data to executives when making important travel-related decision. Or a Travel Manager may work with internal parties to create a travel policy. Then a TMC will review the policy and make recommendations on how to improve it.

Looking for the Best TMC?

If you’re looking for a TMC, you’ll find two different payment structures. Some TMCs will charge fees for booking and other activities, which can quickly add up and make your travel program more expensive. Others create inclusive contracts at a fixed cost so that they can serve as a true resource to their clients without worrying about expensive fees.

At JTB Business Travel, we take the latter approach of creating inclusive contracts that allow us to serve as a true resource to our clients. We help the companies maximize their spend on business travel, while also ensuring Travelers enjoy the most productive and comfortable trips possible. Behind everything we do is a common-sense approach to business travel.

Contact us today to discover what we can do as your TMC.

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Best frequent flyer programs for US travelers

Kyle Olsen

For frequent and infrequent air travelers alike, a reliable and rewarding frequent flyer program can truly enhance your travel experiences. Fortunately, all major U.S. carriers offer loyalty programs that let you earn miles on flights but also for various non-flight activities. These programs provide various benefits, including priority boarding, airport lounge access and complimentary upgrades, depending on the airline you choose (and how frequently you fly).

With numerous airline programs, it can be challenging to determine which frequent flyer program is truly the best fit for your travel needs.

Today, we'll delve into the high-level details of each program, highlighting the opportunities to earn miles, enjoy exclusive perks and make the most of your loyalty. We'll look at network coverage, partner airlines, award availability and the overall value provided by each program. We'll share strategies for maximizing your miles, achieving elite status and capitalizing on program benefits to ensure you get the most out of your travels.

Whether you're a frequent business traveler or a leisurely vacationer, this guide will provide valuable insights to help you select the best frequent flyer program for your needs.

What is the best US frequent flyer program?

frequent business traveller meaning

As expected, selecting the best U.S. frequent flyer program depends heavily on individual preferences and personal travel patterns. However, there are some details you can consider to help you make a more informed decision.

American Airlines AAdvantage: Best for earning status without flying

Despite moving to dynamic pricing on American Airlines flights (instead of offering fixed, predictable award rates), AAdvantage continues to offer some of the best redemption rates on partner carriers. AAdvantage members can redeem miles to travel on highly coveted airlines like Japan Airlines, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways. You earn miles and AAdvantage elite status by earning Loyalty Points . Some popular ways to earn miles and Loyalty Points include flying American and its Oneworld partners , spending on an American Airlines cobranded credit card , shopping through the AAdvantage shopping portal and linking your World of Hyatt-American AAdvantage accounts.

United MileagePlus: Best for long-haul upgrades

United Airlines has historically offered the most extensive route network of the U.S. carriers. Although United recently increased global award rates without notice , MileagePlus miles and United Premier status remain valuable for the airline's patrons. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance , the largest airline alliance. Members can earn miles through flights, credit card spending and partners. The airline's top elite members receive PlusPoints , which you can use to confirm upgrades to premium cabins like Polaris business class .

Delta SkyMiles: Best for making your status count

Delta Air Lines shocked travelers when it announced major changes to Medallion status by removing flight-based metrics and shifting entirely to spending requirements. This has led to elite status requirements increasing by 75% for Diamond Medallion members, 50% for Platinum and Gold Medallion members and 100% for Silver Medallion members year over year. To earn top-tier Diamond Medallion status on Delta starting in 2024, you must earn at least 35,000 Medallion Qualification Dollars. If you earn your status solely on Delta-issued tickets, that's roughly double the spending requirement of earning American and United's top-tier statuses. That likely means there will be far fewer upper-tier Medallion elite members in the future, so you can hopefully expect more upgrades and better status recognition.

But there's bad news for non-elite Delta SkyMiles members too. Delta SkyMiles ranked among the least valuable airline miles on our recent data-backed valuations . Members can earn miles through flights, credit card spending and partners — but the program has minimal opportunities to maximize your rewards.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan: Best for Alaska travelers in the Pacific Northwest

Mileage Plan is best for frequent travelers who fly with Alaska Airlines or its partner airlines. With an extensive partner network and a generous (but increasingly devalued ) partner award chart, it offers great value for the airline's loyal flyers. The airline also offers traveler-friendly policies such as free stopovers on award tickets . Its Mileage Plan elite status offers perks like complimentary upgrades on Alaska and some American Airlines-operated flights , lounge access on select international itineraries and priority boarding. You can earn Alaska miles on transactions like flying, spending on the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® card or initiating online purchases on the Mileage Plan shopping portal .

JetBlue TrueBlue and Southwest Rapid Rewards: Best for simplicity

JetBlue TrueBlue and Southwest Rapid Rewards are the best simple options due to their straightforward and user-friendly programs. These loyalty programs stand out for their uncomplicated earning and redemption processes.

TrueBlue members earn points based on the cost of their flights, and there are no blackout dates for award travel. It overhauled its elite status program earlier this year, adding a variety of new tiers and benefits. It also launched long-haul international service, with flights from both Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW). It also flies nonstop from JFK to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG).

Southwest Rapid Rewards also offers a simple points-based system, with no blackout dates and the ability to earn the buy one, get one free Companion Pass . It serves a variety of destinations in the Caribbean and Central America along with frequent flights from the West Coast to Hawaii.

These programs prioritize transparency, lack complex rules and provide clear benefits, making them ideal choices for travelers seeking straightforward loyalty programs.

Related: What exactly are airline miles, anyway?

How do you choose a frequent flyer program?

frequent business traveller meaning

Here are some factors to consider when selecting a frequent flyer program.

Hub cities and where you fly

Airline hubs play a crucial role in connecting flights across the U.S. If you live in a hub city, choosing your hometown carrier for more nonstop options may be the way to go. When selecting a frequent flyer program, consider the proximity of airports near you, as this can impact your decision.

Here's a look at the major airlines and their hubs:

  • Alaska Airlines : Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Portland International Airport (PDX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
  • American Airlines : Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), LAX, Miami International Airport (MIA), JFK, New York's LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
  • Delta Air Lines : Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), BOS, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), JFK, LGA, Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and SEA
  • JetBlue : BOS, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), LAX, JFK, LGA, Orlando International Airport (MCO) and San Juan, Puerto Rico's Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)
  • Southwest Airlines : ATL, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Chicago's Midway International Airport (MDW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), Denver International Airport (DEN), FLL, Houston's William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), LAX, Nashville International Airport (BNA), MCO and PHX
  • United Airlines : ORD, DEN, Guam's Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM), Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), LAX, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), SFO and Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD)

Beyond that, consider whether you have any frequent travel spots. If you're traveling the same route for work at least once a month, or if you're flying to see your parents or grandkids in the same city multiple times per year, you should pick an airline that serves those destinations.

Is it easy to earn your airline miles?

Earning airline miles can vary in ease depending on various factors. Carefully consider your priorities. If it's important for you to hold top-tier status and have a credit card with no annual fee , you can spend $200,000 annually on everyday purchases on the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® card and subsequently earn 200,000 Loyalty Points without any flight activity. Lower annual spend amounts unlock lower tiers in the AAdvantage elite program (i.e., $40,000 for AAdvantage Gold, $75,000 for AAdvantage Platinum and $125,000 for AAdvantage Platinum Pro members).

Similarly, if you spend $350,000 annually on the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card , you'll earn the 35,000 MQDs required for top-tier Diamond Medallion status without any flight activity. Like AAdvantage, lower spend amounts unlock lower tiers in the Medallion elite program (i.e., $60,000 for Silver Medallion, $120,000 for Gold Medallion and $180,000 for Platinum Medallion).

But if you go with these elite-status-centric options, you'll sacrifice the value of your redeemable rewards. For example, all purchases (outside of Delta) on the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card earn just 1 mile per dollar, a marginal 1.2% return based on TPG's latest valuations. Meanwhile, all purchases on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card earn at least 2 Capital One miles per dollar, which is a 3.7% return based on our valuations (or at least a 2% return if you use your miles to cover travel purchases).

And by carrying multiple credit cards and spending on whichever earns the most, the difference can be even more significant.

For example, the American Express® Gold Card earns 4 Amex points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, plus 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 in spending each calendar year), both of which represent an impressive 8% return at our valuations.

You might also consider airlines with transfer partners so you can transfer credit card points to airline miles. You can transfer Bilt Rewards points from the Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees ) to programs like American AAdvantage and United MileagePlus. For Delta SkyMiles, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards from cards like the American Express® Gold Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express at a 1:1 ratio. Note that a transfer excise tax applies.

Is it easy to use your airline miles?

While earning airline miles can be relatively straightforward, redeeming them can sometimes be challenging. It's important to carefully review an airline's policies, restrictions and fees when redeeming miles for flights. While many airlines have eliminated blackout dates, they have implemented dynamic pricing , which means the number of miles required to book flights during peak travel periods or holidays can be significantly higher.

For example, you can book flights on United from SFO to the Big Island's Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) from just 9,800 United miles. However, during peak dates, these economy-class award rates can increase to 90,000 miles one-way.

If you don't have the time, flexibility or interest in dealing with airline saver award space, you might be better off applying your credit card points toward the cash price of an airline ticket. Cardholders with a Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Venture X can reimburse themselves for eligible travel purchases made within the last 90 days at a fixed 1 cent per Capital One mile rate (i.e., a $100 reimbursement costs 10,000 miles.). Book your flight with the airline, pay with your Capital One card and follow these steps to reimburse yourself .

Alternatively, Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can redeem their points at 1.5 cents apiece in the Chase travel portal . A $450 flight would cost 30,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Although this isn't the best use of Capital One miles or Chase points, you'll generally still earn frequent flyer miles and work toward elite status since airlines recognize these purchases as paid tickets.

Consider how easy it is to redeem airline miles with your travel patterns, especially if you travel during busy travel times.

Related: 5 reasons I pursued elite status with a foreign airline

Are airline frequent flyer programs worth it?

frequent business traveller meaning

Even if elite status is out of reach, you should earn miles on all your eligible tickets. These programs offer benefits like earning miles through flights, credit card spending and partner activities. Depending on the program, you can redeem your hard-earned miles for award flights, upgrades and other perks. Additionally, many popular currencies — including Delta SkyMiles, JetBlue TrueBlue points, Southwest Rapid Rewards points and United MileagePlus miles — never expire. Even if it takes you years to earn enough miles to book anything meaningful with them, there's no risk to joining.

Frequent flyer programs often provide perks such as priority boarding, complimentary upgrades and enhanced customer service for elite members as well. For frequent travelers or those who can strategically maximize their mileage earnings and redemptions, these programs can provide significant value and enhance the overall travel experience. However, it's important to consider your travel habits and preferences to determine if the benefits outweigh the cost of elite status.

Related: The best airlines in the US for 2023

Bottom line

If you're ready to select the best airline program, consider your home airport, targeted destinations and which airline(s) best meet your needs. Additionally, consider the ease of earning and redeeming miles when evaluating an airline rewards program.

Regardless of the airline loyalty program you select, it might make sense to hold your carrier's cobranded credit card to supercharge your mileage balance with a welcome bonus. Airline cobranded credit cards often include benefits like a free checked bag and no foreign transaction fees , which can be cost-saving tools when you travel.

American AAdvantage offers excellent partner airlines and award rates, while United MileagePlus provides valuable long-haul upgrades. Delta SkyMiles focuses on making elite status count (especially in 2024), and the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is ideal for travelers in the Pacific Northwest. JetBlue TrueBlue and Southwest Rapid Rewards offer user-friendly programs with clear benefits for those seeking simplicity.

Selecting the right program will enhance your travel experiences and reward your loyalty — but why stop there? Joining all of these programs is completely free, so you have nothing to lose by signing up.

See Bilt Mastercard rates and fees here . See Bilt Mastercard rewards and benefits here .

Updated as of 4/18/2024.

frequent business traveller meaning

Defining the Global Business Traveler

Keys for understanding the evolving definition of global mobility assignments -and the visa and immigration compliance concerns that accompany these shifts.

By Jennifer Igva

Most companies today are in expansion mode, sharpening their focus on growth inside and outside their home country; they are positioning their workforce to take full advantage of regional opportunities everywhere in the world. It is an exciting time, but also one that brings with it a range of global assignment types and added demands for visa and immigration compliance.

There are some decided shifts in the types and lengths of global assignments, with a continued trend away from “fully loaded” long-term assignments to more shortterm and commuter assignments; international transfers, localisation and intra-regional assignments, as well as a rise in the visibility of extended business travelers (EBTs) and frequent business travelers (FBTs).

Long-term assignments usually last three to five years and are costly, in part because they come with a higher tax commitment, include numerous benefits and allowances, and support accompanying dependents. SIRVA’s 2015 report, “ Long Term Assignment Policy: Best Practices Among Global Companies ,” reported that 44 per cent of respondents noted a maximum assignment duration of five years, while 42 per cent noted their long-term assignments lasted three years.

Companies have found increasing agility in short-term assignments, which last less than 12 months and are seen as cost-efficient, with a basic assistance level that is usually less substantial compared to long-term assignees, are usually single-status and have fewer tax implications. In SIRVA’s 2015 “ Short Term Assignment Policy: Best Practices Among Global Companies ,” 89 per cent of the respondents addressed assignment duration and of those; 75 per cent said their short-term assignments lasted a minimum of three months.

The recognised advantages of shorter-term assignments to meet business objectives has led to the industry accommodating alternatives that do not abide by the parameters of traditional global long- and short-term assignments. These alternatives include:

  • commuter assignments, where employees work in a foreign country but return home with some frequency;
  • localisation, which involves cross-border moves where the employee is either immediately or gradually transitioned to permanent local status;
  • local “plus,” whereby employees work under a local package with some limited expatriate benefits; and
  • intra-regional assignments, where depending on the regions involved; compensation may be situational and mobility benefits are more limited compared to a traditional long-term assignment.

Gaining more attention – and more scrutiny – is the incidence of EBTs, who do not relocate, but travel outside of their home country to conduct business for extended periods briefer than a short-term assignment, or FBTs, who do not relocate, but travel frequently outside their home country to conduct business.

Not Always a Standard Answer

To this day, EBTs and FBTs are often not clearly defined as belonging under a particular function or department in their companies and most companies are without a formal policy to manage them. When a policy does exist, most will cover work permits, visas and immigration costs, limited to the employee.

As a result of the undefined nature of EBTs and FBTs, they often fly under the radar when it comes to mobility and compliance issues. Tracking these types of employees is a strong concern and consideration, both for compliance and consistency in treatment. When they are tracked, it usually occurs through the tax provider, relocation provider, or travel management company. Without tracking and sometimes even despite it, noncompliance is a significant possibility.

Increasingly, companies are reviewing business travelers who cross into “mobility territory” as a population that should be assessed in that light. There are more global and regional tax and immigration regulations, heightened government and border inspections and a trend toward clients and customers incorporating language in their business agreements to limit their liability when connected to the extended travel of a business partner.

The EBT/FBT scenario is one without a standard answer when it comes to immigration and visas. Requirements often vary from country to country and sometimes regionally within countries. As with more traditional global assignments, it is important to understand the types of initiations that relate to the business traveler -is it a visa-only situation, or does it require other documentation and intervention? Cost and processing times are also critical to consider, making it even more important to apply for the correct visa from the very start of the process. In addition, different countries and locations may define “work” versus “business” in different ways.

Ignoring or failing to educate your company and employees on immigration regulations can lead to additional taxation, and that is just the beginning. In extreme cases there is potential for your employee to be turned away from entering the country, losing the investment in that business trip and the opportunity for revenue and future business relations. The company might also incur other penalties, fines and even legal action from a foreign government – and could also damage its brand in a global setting with unfavorable media coverage. Compliance is a concern for assignees and traveling employees as well, and their comfort and peace of mind is reinforced when they know the company has a well-defined compliance and risk-management process in place.

To minimise risks for your global business travelers, your company should consider the following:

  • Secure and follow the recommendations of relocation management advisors, employment and immigration experts for immigration and visa requirements.
  • Develop a clear and comprehensive EBT/FBT policy.
  • Define and limit the activities of EBTs/FBTs to the appropriate business actions when out of the home country.
  • Identify all compliance issues and educate all affected employees and stakeholders in your company and partner networks of the potential risks, how to avoid them and what to do if they occur.
  • Establish a tracking system for EBTs and FBTs.
  • Incorporate methods to receive regular updates on regional and country laws where you do business.

Regional Roundup

Global mobility is constantly changing, impacted by new or shifting regulations and requirements, protection and location-specific issues; and with EBTs in particular, there are some regional changes on the horizon to understand. Three current issues are surfacing in Australia, Brazil and Hong Kong.

  • Australia will deliver changes to the Temporary Work (Skilled) (Subclass 457) Visa, the main work visa for the country. In 2014 , the Australian government announced an independent review into the 457 visa programme and toward the end of the year, an independent panel released their report, titled “Robust New Foundations – A Streamlined, Transparent and Responsive System for the 457 Programme,” outlining 22 recommendations.

In March, the Australian government released its response; an intention to act on recommendations of the 457 Integrity Review to strengthen integrity in the programme, whilst also reducing cost and burden on employers needing to access the program to address genuine skill shortages.

  • Brazil is experiencing concerns with business visas and technical visas, as these types of assignees are not engaged in the local payroll and are often managed by a client, causing workforce and regulatory challenges.
  • In a 2015 Policy Address, Hong Kong announced suspension of the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, and that there will be some new relaxation/enhancement measures for various types of visas in the region later this year.

As companies become increasingly global, clearly detailing and defining the global mobility programme enables companies to apply best practices, to emerging relocation alternatives such as EBT and FBT. Partnering with a knowledgeable relocation management company can help companies manage risk, incorporate cost efficiencies and address these recommendations for a strong programme: developing clarity around business strategy; understanding all of the assignment options; viewing extended business as part of mobility; designing a tailored immigration programme; incorporating a solid system for data tracking; ensuring a process to manage risk; and avoiding unnecessary visa/immigration renewals. And – finally and perhaps most importantly – planning well in advance to avoid delays and ensuring your company’s workforce is in place -and in compliance.

Jennifer Igval is vice president, global consulting for SIRVA leading SIRVA’s consulting practice globally. Igval provides strategic thought leadership to SIRVA’s global services delivery and business development teams, leads a team of subject matter experts to deliver best-practice mobility program analysis, benchmarking and policy development and provides consulting support to clients in various areas of global mobility. Also contributing to this article were: Maria Hrambanis, service delivery manager – visa & immigration, SIRVA Australia; Oliver Schilling, director client services, SIRVA Germany; Renato Lima, director, SIRVA Brazil; and Patrick Fok, on-site visa support, SIRVA Hong Kong.

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frequent business traveller meaning

Hello, how can we help you?

Frequent traveller – begin your journey into the world of frequent flyers.

As a Frequent Traveller, you enjoy benefits that make travelling even more enjoyable for you. You can enjoy these benefits when flying with Lufthansa Group airlines, co-issuing Miles & More airline partners and Star Alliance airlines.

How to become a Frequent Traveller

To achieve or renew your Frequent Traveller status, you need to earn at least 650 Points and 325 Qualifying Points in a calendar year. You can view your current progress under your status in your Miles & More account at any time.

The simple earning system lets you quickly see how many Points and Qualifying Points you’ll get for a flight. This makes your journey to becoming a Frequent Traveller entirely transparent.

Earning Points is simple: It works like this

Easily calculate your status using the  Points Calculator

Key benefits for Frequent Travellers

Frequent traveller status card and bag tag.

When you qualify as a Frequent Traveller, you get a silver status card that is valid for at least one year, as well as a high-quality bag tag in the status colour.

Business Class check-in

Regardless of the travel class you have booked, when travelling on scheduled flights operated by Miles & More airline partners you can use the Business Class check-in counter.

Please note the check-in deadlines for your chosen travel class. It will be even quicker for you at airports which have a priority check-in area (currently Frankfurt/Main and Munich).

Access to the Business Lounge

Relax before your flight, for example in Austrian Business Lounges, Brussels Airlines Lounges, the exclusive Lufthansa Business Lounges and the SWISS Business Class Lounges.

Higher free baggage allowance

With frequent flyer status, many airlines will allow you to fly with more baggage. For more details about baggage regulations, please see the information of the relevant airline.

Unlimited mileage validity

As long as you remain a status member, your miles will not expire, meaning you can save them for something special.

Additional benefits for Frequent Travellers

Additional miles on every flight booking.

With certain airline partners, you get up to 50% more miles that you can redeem for attractive awards.

Higher waiting list priority

The third highest waiting list priority on all flights operated by Star Alliance. This does not apply for upgrades and award flights.

Star Alliance Silver status

Also enjoy status privileges on all flights operated by Star Alliance airlines. Learn more

Extra Benefits

When you achieve a certain number of Qualifying Points per calendar year, you automatically benefit from additional perks such as upgrade vouchers or mileage exchange.

Service hotline

We’ve set up a hotline in many countries especially for Frequent Travellers. This means we’re available for all your queries, award bookings, criticism and suggestions. Help and contact

Status Events

As a status customer with more than 10,000 Qualifying Points, you benefit from exclusive invitations to premium experiences, known as Status Events.

All status levels in comparison

Compare all the benefits and privileges that come with each frequent flyer status: Frequent Traveller, Senator and HON Circle Member.

See overview

Frequently asked questions

In Ihrer Region stehen relevante Angebote für Sie zur Auswahl. Leider liegen diese teilweise auf Englisch und nicht in Ihrer ausgewählten Sprache vor. Weitere Funktionen und Informationen können Sie selbstverständlich in Ihrer gewohnten Sprache nutzen.

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It’s late May, the birds are singing and the flowers are in bloom… and you have a sneezy, stuffy nose. Is it allergies, a cold, or – perish the thought – SARS-CoV-2. Nowadays it can be downright difficult – even for a physician –  to distinguish between seasonal allergy symptoms, early signs of Covid-19, and the common cold. On the off chance that it is Covid – odd because we still appear …

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Officials Across the U.S. Issue Water Safety Warnings as Fourth of July Holiday Approaches. Beware Rip Currents and Weeds as Both Can Prove Fatal.

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Iceland’s Latest Volcanic Eruptions ‘Could Last Decades or Even Centuries’

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frequent business traveller meaning

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After traveling to over 40 countries, I have no plans to return to these 4 places around the globe

  • After traveling to over 40 countries, there are a few places that I'm not in a rush to return to .
  • Although I loved traveling to Venice, I'd rather explore different places in Italy next time.
  • I also thought Phuket was gorgeous, but would prefer other options for a beach vacation  in Thailand.

Insider Today

When traveling, I always try to approach each destination with an open mind and a desire to experience the culture, meet the locals, see the guidebook recommendations , and get off the beaten path whenever possible.

More and more people are choosing to travel in 2024 — a record number of about 15.9 million Americans have already traveled internationally in the first quarter of the year — and I'm on the same page.

I've been lucky enough to visit more than 40 countries and have traveled to six of the seven continents. Although I'd love to revisit some of my favorite places that have made an indelible impact on me, not all destinations have left me with the same desire to return.

Of the places I've visited so far, these are the ones I probably won't return to.

I loved Los Angeles, but one visit was enough.

frequent business traveller meaning

Growing up in Australia, I dreamed of visiting Hollywood — the place where so many movies are made. When I was 14, my mom said she was taking me to Los Angeles , and I thought I was the luckiest kid on the planet.

Beforehand, we spent a few weeks road-tripping around Mexico, checking out the Mayan ruins, eating local cuisine, and going to dance parties on the beach. When we arrived in Los Angeles, it didn't have the same allure as Mexico did for me.

We had a wonderful time exploring the movie studios, walking along the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and driving by celebrity homes. But once I'd seen LA, I didn't feel the need to go back.

I actually did end up returning with my husband when we were in our 20s, as he was keen to tick off those experiences, too. But he felt the same way I did — there are other places we'd rather revisit.

Monaco was glitzy and glamorous, but it just wasn’t my kind of place.

frequent business traveller meaning

When we were in southern France, we decided to take a day trip to Monte Carlo, Monaco. My husband was desperate to see the Monaco Grand Prix , so I spent the day exploring the city with his mom while he and his dad checked out the Formula 1 race.

Walking around Monte Carlo, we were blown away by the opulence, which isn't surprising, considering it's ranked one of the top cities in the world on a wealth-per-capita basis . I don't think I've ever seen so many luxurious yachts or flashy cars.

The gardens were perfectly manicured and the streets were spotlessly clean. However, it just wasn't my kind of destination.

We were constantly surrounded by wealth but I prefer visiting places where I can interact with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

I’m glad I’ve seen Venice, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

frequent business traveller meaning

Venice is one of those places that has to be seen to be believed. Built on a group of islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea, there really is nowhere else like it in the world. The absence of cars gives it a particular charm, and it almost feels like the buildings are floating on water.

I traveled to Venice on a European vacation with my now husband when I was 23 years old. We splurged on a gondola ride through the canals and marveled at the Renaissance and Gothic architecture. In Piazza San Marco, we bought an overpriced ice cream and checked out St Mark's Basilica.

Venice is definitely worth putting on your bucket list, especially considering it's predicted to sink as soon as 2100 . However, it's probably not the kind of place I'd visit multiple times because I found it to be crowded and expensive.

If I go back to Italy, there are other places I'd like to see, such as Lake Como.

Phuket is beautiful, but I'd rather explore other areas of Thailand.

frequent business traveller meaning

Phuket is home to some of Thailand's most popular beaches, seaside resorts, restaurants, and bars, making it somewhat of a tourist hot spot.

When I was 17, my parents took me there for a weeklong vacation, and we stayed in a resort in Patong. Although it was fun swimming in the resort pool and parasailing around the bay, I didn't leave wanting to return.

On return trips to Thailand , I've found other places I've enjoyed more. For example, I loved Krabi, a province in southern Thailand known for its limestone cliffs and sandy beaches. It was less crowded than Phuket and, in my opinion, much prettier.

frequent business traveller meaning

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frequent business traveller meaning

Frequent Facebook outages and fixes you can try now

F acebook doesn't work flawlessly, and you may often encounter issues that prevent posting, scheduling entries in Meta Business Suite, or the proper functioning of Messenger. While Facebook outages are frequent, some problems can be resolved independently.

Facebook outages are often caused by server-side errors , meaning the user has no direct control over them. These problems can usually be verified by checking the Downdetector service, which continuously receives reports from users unable to use many well-known services, including Facebook.

If the number of reports is large (in the case of Facebook, counted in hundreds or thousands), it can be safely assumed that the outage is more significant . In such a situation, it’s best to be patient and wait for the problem to be resolved.

However, remembering that a Facebook outage does not always mean no access to the service through all channels is worth remembering. A non-functioning phone app does not mean the web service isn’t working simultaneously . If you need to use Facebook, you can try logging into the service on a computer. It may work flawlessly this way.

Facebook not working - how to check the app?

If Facebook has stopped working on your smartphone and reports on Downdetector do not indicate a global outage, it is worth checking if the problem is with the app itself. First, you should force it to close (on Android, you can do this from the app settings in the system) and restart it.

If the Facebook problem persists, check the availability of updates and, as a last resort, delete all data from the app’s cache , then log back in after restarting. In most cases, this set of operations should resolve known software issues.

Facebook outage in a browser

Similar steps should be taken when Facebook does not work in a browser. If there is no indication that the service problems are nationwide or worldwide, it is necessary to look for the problem on your computer. The basic step is to delete Facebook-related cookies and cache data in the web browser.

After reopening the site, you must log back into the service. This operation should eliminate errors appearing on the user’s side for no apparent reason.

Facebook problems

Facebook often operates erratically even when there are no widespread malfunctions. Remember that the service is very complex and integrates many features. Minor errors are part of everyday life, appearing at different stages, and cannot be classified as "outages" but rather as issues needing developer improvement.

In this case, the only option is to report issues to Facebook’s technical support and hope they will be resolved with upcoming patches. Dedicated Facebook users can confirm that many errors in the service have been known for years, and despite time, no patches have been released to fix them.

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B Corps can help us travel more responsibly—but what are they?

The number of B Corp-certified companies is growing, but what does this mean and can initiatives like this really help us

Travel has incredible potential for good. It can boost local economies, provide much-needed funds for conservation and offer employment opportunities. But not all companies operate in a way that benefits the regions they work in, and over recent years this is an issue that’s been thrown into the spotlight.

Travellers have increasingly been seeking more responsible experiences. According to Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, 76% of respondents want to travel sustainably over the next 12 months, while 2021 research by Google found that 71% of people think travel companies should offer more sustainable choices.

But while a majority of travellers want to book more responsible trips, only about a quarter do. This is known as the ‘intention gap’. Factors such as price and convenience play into this, but it can also be because travellers simply don’t know where to turn for accurate and reliable information.

The situation hasn’t been helped by tenuous sustainability claims and jargon, which have flooded brochures and social media feeds in recent years. This is where certifications come in, which try to cut through the noise by providing a badge that lets customers know a company is doing all it claims to be doing.

But, with over 100 certifications in the travel industry, even this can be tricky for consumers to navigate. Some involve rigorous checks to ensure a company does what it says, while others involve little more than box-ticking, with no ensuing verification. Some look for generic impact indicators, like recycling initiatives and workplace diversity, while others are tailored specifically to social and environmental risks and opportunities in the travel industry. Working out what each claim means can be tricky for industry experts, let alone the average traveller. Here we unpack one of the fastest growing certifications: B Corp.

Business with purpose

Founded by three friends in the US in 2006, B Lab — the not-for-profit body that certifies B Corporations — aims to help businesses have a better social and environmental impact. To help achieve this, it’s designed a process to verify if a company is acting in the best interests of people and the planet. The certification is available to any company in any sector; B Corp brands range from ethical clothing company Patagonia to ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry’s. In travel, certified B Corps include hotels, tour operators and sites listing self-catering options. But what does becoming a B Corp actually involve?

Three things, in short. First, the company must score at least 80 out of 200 in an online assessment that covers governance, workers, community, environment and customers. Each answer is awarded points based on best practice. For example, if at least 40% of managers are women, a company can earn 1.03 points; if it offsets its carbon emissions, it can earn 0.48 points; and by collaborating with other businesses (for example, providing data for research or speaking at events) to help improve environmental performance, it gets 0.41 points.

A group of people laughing together while walking

Next, the company must legally commit to considering its impact on the environment and society rather than just making a profit. This is known as a ‘triple bottom line’ approach or ‘mission lock’. In some parts of the world, like the US, this requires a legal status change to a benefit corporation, which means that profit is not the only goal of the company, and that they simultaneously seek to address social, economic and environmental needs.

Elsewhere, like in the UK, companies must instead change the wording of their governance documents to declare that they hope to ‘have a material positive impact on society and the environment’. When making decisions, board members must also consider a range of aspects, including employees, suppliers, society and the environment.

Finally, every B Corp must be transparent about its impact. As a starting point, each has a profile on the B Lab website outlining how it measures up to the standards. These profiles include a report listing the answers to every question in the assessment, although most businesses don’t actively promote them.

A growing movement

As the only multi-sector environmental and social certification, B Corp is in demand. So much so that there are waiting times of up to two years for assessment. However, that hasn’t put many companies off, particularly in the UK, which is one of the fastest-growing B Corp regions globally.

Reasons for going through the B Corp process vary. Some travel companies might want to be part of a community of sustainability leaders, while others might believe it will help to sell more trips to increasingly ethical travellers. Despite the intention gap between people saying they want to book a more sustainable trip and actually doing so, there’s no doubt there’s rising awareness of social and environmental issues. In a 2023 Nielsen IQ survey, for example, data showed that 46% of consumers wanted brands to lead in creating change.

But for many companies, it’s a means of finding points that need improvement and documenting what’s been achieved. Zina Bencheikh, EMEA managing director for Intrepid Travel, says, “The B Corp process helped us to identify areas we could improve. For example, we realised we didn’t have the right gender balance among our tour leaders, so in 2019 we doubled the number of female tour leaders we worked with.”

Intrepid Travel also launched a collection of Women’s Expeditions (all-female trips led by local female guides) following the B Corp process. Other businesses say that certification has made them more transparent — for example, by telling travellers how much carbon each trip is responsible for, or producing the annual Impact Assessment highlighting work across environmental and social indicators. Every B Corp must reapply for assessment every three years, too, so becoming certified can mean embarking on a continual journey of improvement. Mike Bevens, managing director at Sawday’s, says, “When we recertified last year, we improved our score to 122.3 [out of 200]. We want to improve in our next certification.”

Much Better Adventures, a high-scoring travel B Corp, has found that becoming certified has had some other benefits, too, such as finding new like-minded suppliers. As a result, it’s now working with Chilean wildlife tour operator Birds Chile to create a new trip in Patagonia. Co-founder Sam Bruce says, “Knowing that we share an ethos for travel to be a force for good helps build a strong working relationship.”

So far, 60 travel businesses have attained B Corp status in the UK, among them Inside Travel Group, Luxury Cottages, Travel Matters, Steppes Travel and Mr & Mrs Smith. About half have joined collective Travel by B Corp to promote the B Corp badge and work more closely together. Co-chaired by Thomas Power, founder of Pura Aventura, which organises tours in Spain, Portugal and South America, and Rochelle Turner, head of sustainability at group tour operator Exodus, the community includes rail specialist Byway and the tour operator Steppes Travel, among others.

For Power, this collaboration is part of the appeal. He says, “The open, collaborative nature of the community is remarkable. We all run individual businesses, but together we can have a greater impact.” An example of this cooperation was when the group recently commissioned research from behaviour change specialist Behaviour Smart to better understand how to get travellers to choose more sustainable trips.

A complex reality

While the B Corp badge indicates that a company is trying its best to benefit the places it operates in, unpacking what it actually means for travellers booking a specific trip is a little more complicated. “Sustainable travel is nuanced,” Megan Devenish, head of adventure at Much Better Adventures, explains. “Most of a tour operator’s environmental and social impact sits in the supply chain — the businesses, people and services you choose to work with in a destination; for example, a local hiking company or a lodge. So understanding and influencing it can be a complex task.”

The B Lab assessment could be more thorough in unpicking a travel business’s impact in the places they operate — according to a report in the Financial Times, a company may commit to paying its employees a fair wage, but there are no requirements under the existing process that it should extend this further down the supply chain. That means that, for example, a company could agree to pay its employees at head office a fair wage, but it doesn’t have to consider the workers in the hotel they send travellers to, which they don’t own. Currently, profits don’t have to be reinvested back into the local communities, either.

Changing the assessment process would be a positive step in an industry where economic leakage — money seeping from local communities into the hands of international businesses — is a concern. According to the UN World Tourism Association, US$95 of every US$100 spent on tourism in the developing world leaves host countries.

Exterior of a building with palm trees

According to Paul Easto, founder of Wilderness Scotland, these concerns were the reason the company avoided seeking B Corp certification. “We decided to instead channel our energy and resources into tackling issues where we could have the most impact, such as adapting our product and operations to reduce emissions or eliminating all single-use plastics and food waste on our trips.”

But certifications like B Corp have their uses. Xavier Font, professor of sustainability marketing at Surrey University, says: “What the certification provides is a seal of approval that you can probably trust what this company says because it has its house in order.”

Justin Francis, founder of Responsible Travel, agrees: “The best certifications, like B Corp, should give travellers some confidence, but none should be taken at face value. We should instead encourage travellers to be curious and actively energised instead of blindly accepting certification.” He continues: “Tourism is unique in that what is most important to address varies greatly by destination.”

Examples of this can be found worldwide. For example, water conservation is a pressing issue for hotels in Cape Town, where drought is commonplace, whereas protecting mangrove forests is a priority in Indonesia, where coastal erosion puts local communities at risk. This context is difficult to address in a standardised certification like B Corp.

Rochelle Turner, head of sustainability at Exodus, acknowledges this: “There are some other certifications that are specific to tourism and therefore more aligned to it, like The Long Run’s Global Ecosphere Retreats standard and other Global Sustainable Tourism Council-recognised certifications.”

These tend to drill a little deeper into a business’s impact by asking more questions about, for example, its choice of suppliers and the social and environmental risks and opportunities in the destination they send travellers to. Being accessible is a strength of B Corp, creating wider awareness and uptake, but also a potential weakness, diluting what it ultimately means.

B Lab is attempting to address this criticism. The assessment process is currently under review by its Standards Advisory Council (which includes a mix of businesses, independent experts and government bodies) and is open for public consultation. The exact date is yet to be announced, but the first updates are expected to be available later this year and include a shift from the flexible 80-point system to requiring every company to meet minimum standards across multiple issues, such as fair wages and environmental stewardship. This commitment to continual improvement certainly provides hope in the imperfect world of sustainability stamps. Whether B Corp and other certifications can improve quickly enough to meet the increasing scrutiny of savvy consumers and shifting regulation remains to be seen, but in the meantime, as Thomas Power puts it, “It sounds grandiose, but if we all spend our money with B Corp-type businesses, then our world is likely to be a better place to live.”

Related Topics

  • SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
  • SUSTAINABILITY
  • EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL

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Trump Hush Money Sentencing Delayed to September, Weeks Before US Election

Reuters

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump walks outside Trump Tower after the verdict in his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2024. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/ File Photo/File Photo

By Luc Cohen and Susan Heavey

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump's sentencing for his conviction on criminal charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star was delayed on Tuesday until Sept. 18, less than seven weeks before the U.S. election.

Justice Juan Merchan pushed back the sentencing date so he can weigh the former U.S. president's argument he should have been immune from prosecution under Monday's landmark Supreme Court ruling that presidents cannot be criminally prosecuted for official acts.  

The new timeline means Merchan could decide the Republican presidential candidate's punishment, including whether to jail him, in the thick of the campaign season before the Nov. 5 election.

The sentencing had previously been set for July 11, just days before the July 15 kickoff of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Trump faces an uphill battle getting the hush money conviction overturned, since much of the conduct at issue in the case predated his time in office.

Trump's lawyers on Monday asked Merchan to allow them to argue his conviction should be overturned due to the justices' 6-3 ruling on July 1, which also held that evidence related to presidents' official actions cannot be used to help prove criminal cases involving unofficial actions

Prosecutors with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office said earlier on Tuesday that Trump's argument was "without merit," but agreed to delay the sentencing to give Trump the chance to make his case. 

A Manhattan jury on May 30 found Trump guilty of falsifying business records to cover up his former lawyer Michael Cohen's $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter until after the 2016 election, in which Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton. 

Prosecutors said the payment was part of an illicit scheme to influence the election.

Trump denies having had sex with Daniels and has vowed to appeal the conviction after his sentencing. 

'A PURELY PERSONAL ITEM'

In their letter to Merchan, defense lawyers argued that prosecutors had presented evidence involving Trump's official acts as president, including social media posts he made and conversations he had while in the White House.

"This official-acts evidence should never have been put before the jury," lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote. 

Last year, Trump made a similar argument as part of an unsuccessful push to move the hush money case to federal court. In denying Trump's request in July 2023, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein wrote that the payment to Daniels "was a purely personal item." 

"Hush money paid to an adult film star is not related to a president's official acts," Hellerstein wrote.

Trump's lawyers appealed Hellerstein's decision, but later abandoned the effort. 

In his  written ruling, Merchan said he would rule on Trump's request to set aside the jury's verdict by Sept. 6, with sentencing to follow less than two weeks later should the judge decide to uphold the conviction. Trump's lawyers must submit their arguments by July 10, and prosecutors face a July 24 deadline to respond. 

(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Howard Goller and Daniel Wallis)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

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