Business class is back open. In a report released this weekConsulting firm Deloitte says U.S. business travel is on track to surpass pre-COVID-19 numbers, a sign that frequent “travel warriors” are returning to the skies. Of those surveyed, 73% expect to travel more this year, up 15 points from 2023.
“By the end of 2024, US-based corporate spending is expected to reach and possibly exceed 2019 levels,” Deloitte said in its annual corporate travel survey.
On the one hand, the report said, the number of people traveling is decreasing. However, the number of people traveling travel more often. Half of those surveyed who are responsible for travel budgets and expenses said their teams will travel more in 2024 than they did last year. One in five “frequent travelers” respondents, those who travel more than 10 times a year, take at least one trip a month. (Plus, Deloitte said, flights and accommodations are more expensive than ever. In its earnings commentary this week, United Airlines said (that street fighters are key to his business diversification efforts.)
During the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing efforts, remote working and meetings, and fear of contagion severely limited business travel. Some business travelers said they never expect to travel for work again.
But amid client demands, increased conference attendance and competitive pressures, Deloitte says, those factors have taken a back seat.
