Nearly two-thirds of corporate travel buyers never allow
their travelers to book basic economy fares, according to a survey of 168
travel buyers conducted by the Global Business Travel Association and Airlines
Reporting Corp.
Additionally, 79% hide basic economy fares in their booking
tools when travelers are not allowed to use them.
"These fares pose a challenge for travel programs,
creating difficulty for spend visibility and comparison shopping when add-ons
are factored in," GBTA executive director and COO Michael McCormick said. "Additionally,
travel buyers are increasingly factoring in traveler preference and convenience
as they recognize the important of their role in employee retention and
recruitment in a strong economy with low unemployment."
Besides the restrictions basic economy fares put on
travelers -- which can include placement in the last boarding group, no seat
selection and, in some cases, no carry-on luggage -- basic economy fares could
bring extra costs to travel programs, as they generally cannot be changed or
exchanged.
The survey also showed premium
economy fares are finding a place in travel programs; 58% of buyers said their
policies always or sometime allows travelers to use premium economy.
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Source: Business Travel News