Restrictions during the past few years on travelers' use of
business class and higher-tier hotels have tightened globally, according to a
new study from the Global Business Travel Association Foundation and Egencia.
The Travel Policy Trends survey of 1,665 travel buyers from
around the world, conducted between May 21 and June 15, showed 79 percent of respondents'
corporate travel policies limit the ability of travelers to fly in business
class. North American policies were the most restrictive, with 81 percent of
policies limiting business-class air travel, an increase from 69 percent from
the 2011 edition of this survey and 66 percent in the 2010 edition. Europe was
similarly high, with 79 percent including business-class restrictions, up from 73
percent in 2011 and 72 percent in 2010. Asia was slightly more lax, with 75
percent of policies restricting such travel.
Policies restricting preferred hotels to certain tiers were
less common—only 45 percent of buyers surveyed indicated their companies had
such a policy—but had increased since 2011.
European respondents' companies were the most likely to cut
upper tiers out of their programs, with 58 percent saying they restricted
preferred hotels to certain tiers. Only 38 percent of European travel buyers
had such a policy in 2011. In North America, 35 percent had such restrictions,
up from 28 percent in 2011. About half of travel buyers in Asia have hotel-tier
restrictions, down slightly from 2011 levels.