New survey shows most employees expect top executives to set corporate flying reduction targets
In the past, the full-fare airlines especially got a lot of their income from business travellers, who paid more than those in coach class, and were less price sensitive than individual passengers. But with growing awareness of the global climate permacrisis, and also the changes to working practices due to the Covid pandemic, there has been a reduction in business travel. And it may be a permanent change. A new survey of staff at a large number of businesses in the US, the UK, France, Germany and Spain found that at least 60% thought there should be less business flying, and that companies should have the appropriate travel policies. Due to Covid, a high proportion of business meetings can be done online, using Zoom, Teams etc, and many staff prefer this. There has been realisation that staff are more productive – and happier – if they do not have to waste time taking flights, especially for internal company meetings. The old days of business flying being a mark of status, gaining respect and kudos, may be gone.
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Majority of employees expect top executives to set corporate flying reduction targets – new survey
November 3, 2022
By Travel Smart Campaign
Three in five business travelers report having curbed their flying habits as a result of the pandemic in a new survey by the Travel Smart Campaign conducted by Ipsos.
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77% of corporate employees believe that a business has an important role to play in the fight against climate change. In a poll of 2,506 employees across the United States (U.S.), the United Kingdom (U.K.), France, Germany and Spain, an overwhelming majority of employees surveyed say that their employer should act in the fight against global warming. To qualify for the survey, respondents had to be employed full-time at an organization with at least 50 employees and be between ages 18-74.
While most respondents are willing to make changes to their travel patterns for sustainability and also believe they have an important role in shaping their company’s travel policies, even more believe businesses must set corporate flying reduction targets. 74% of employees in this survey believe that to reduce levels of corporate flying, a business must set targets and include travel policies. The survey also finds that nearly three-quarters of employees believe that an important factor for reducing a business’s carbon footprint is curbing levels of corporate flying. Results across all European countries confirm this.
“Corporate flying habits have changed and employees want a new normal where businesses take responsibility for reducing their share of emissions,” said Denise Auclair, corporate travel campaign manager at Transport & Environment. “Change will happen with clear targets and policies that align with employees’ expectations. This can only help businesses in the current race to recruit and retain top talent”.
The survey comes at a time when there is a growing sense that lower levels of business flying are here to stay. Of those who report flying for work currently or before the pandemic [1], 62% say they have curbed their flying habits compared to before COVID-19. Only 27% say that they fly as often as they did prior to the pandemic, with 11% saying they are now flying more.
The pandemic has shown the ease with which business travelers can reduce corporate flying, turning to expanded choice in other low-carbon alternatives. When asked their preference for how to reduce the environmental impact of business air travel, business travelers in this survey were most likely to say they prefer virtual collaboration technologies (53% of respondents). Less frequent flying (36%) and other means of transport (32%) received around a third of intentions.
The shift toward collaborating remotely is predicted to have a great impact on the return of internal meetings [2]. A large majority of business travelers in this survey (72%) say that they are willing to take fewer business flights for internal meetings in order to reduce their environmental impact. 67% of business travelers in this survey report they are willing to plan more local meetings than global meetings, and therefore potentially avoiding long-haul flights.
“Employees understand the climate impact of long-haul flying and are willing to curb their travel. But they expect top management to lead by example and set ambitious business travel reduction targets. And there has never been a better time, just as COP commences. Corporate leaders who claim to care about the climate should first examine their own flying habits, and seize the moment to pledge to keep their company’s air travel to under 50% of pre-pandemic levels, as a key measure to cut corporate emissions”, concluded Denise Auclair.
Download the topline results by Ipsos
Note to editors
The survey was conducted online by Ipsos, using a sample of 2,506 adults in five countries – U.S., U.K., France, Germany and Spain. To qualify for the survey, respondents had to be employed full-time at an organization with at least 50 employees and be between ages 18-74. The sample of employees was further broken down to reflect business travelers only. Business travelers in this study refers to those that say they flew for work before COVID or currently fly for work. The sample of business travelers was 1279 people. Fieldwork was undertaken between 6 – 10 October 2022. Demographic weights were applied at the country level. The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points for all respondents. The poll also has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points business travelers.
[1] The sample of employees was further broken down to reflect business travelers only. Business travelers in this study refers to those that say they flew for work before COVID or currently fly for work. The sample of business travelers was 1279 people, across the U.K., U.S., France, Germany and Spain.
YouGov poll shows 45% of business travellers (in 7 European countries) planning to cut future flights
April 12, 2021
A YouGov poll surveyed business travellers in 7 European countries including the UK, in December 2020 and January 2021. It found overall 45% said they would be flying less often in future – when Covid restrictions end – and 38% said their air travel would be about the same as before. The reduction would be because of videoconferencing. The reduction in the need to take business flights and travel abroad had been seen as positive by 20% of business flyers, and it had not negatively affected their work life or productivity. Business fliers tend to fly far more often than most holidaymakers, with 10% of those in the poll taking more than 10 flights in the year up to the first lockdown in March 2020. Business passengers provide a huge part of legacy airline income, so without them, the price of air tickets would have to rise. Carbon emissions from aviation were growing at 5.7% a year before the pandemic, despite many countries committing to cut all emissions to net zero by 2050 to tackle the climate crisis. Green campaigners argue that the aviation shutdown provides an opportunity to put the sector on a sustainable trajectory. The poll was commissioned by the European Climate Foundation.
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Changed future for air travel with likely 20 -30% (or more) fall in business passengers
For airlines other than low-cost, business passengers – paying hugely more than those in economy class – have been vital for revenues. Business travel may have generated over 75% of airlines’ revenue on some international flights. Due to the huge rise in Zoom and other internet calls, due to the pandemic, there is very likely to be a fall in business air travel. Nobody knows how large this fall could be – perhaps 30% or more. Without the large income from premium business travellers, ticket prices would rise overall. Economy passengers would have to pay more. That could mean a reduction in the size of airlines. The growth in business travel had been slowing globally, according to the Global Business Travel Association. In the UK, the fourth-biggest economy in terms of business travel expenditure, for example, data from the Office for National Statistics shows that while international air travel for leisure increased 3.4% per year between 2000 and 2019, international business travel grew just 0.2% annually. Companies have been hit by Covid. One survey indicated m any will reduce discretionary spending such as travel even further in 2021.
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