Aussie workers are beating the rules to fly business class

ONE in three work trips taken in or out of Australia last year was in business class as employees found ways around a corporate crackdown on travel.

EXCLUSIVE

A CORPORATE crackdown on business class flights by workers is having little impact on the number of people flying in the pointy end of the plane.

Research undertaken by business travel app Locomote found one in three workers flew business class when travelling for work last year either within Australia or overseas.

The figure was an increase on 2014 data compiled by Roy Morgan Research, which found just three per cent of domestic work trips were taken in business class, and 20 per cent on international flights.

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Despite the relatively high proportion of workers flying upfront, some of Australia’s biggest companies have tightened travel policies in an effort to reduce costs.

Telstra enforces one of the strictest policies, permitting employees to fly business class only when travelling on routes of nine hours or more.

BHP Billiton will only approve business class seats for flights of more than six hours, or when the combined sectors of travel have a total flight time in excess of six hours.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia employees need management approval for business class, and then only on overseas flights excluding those to New Zealand.

A CBA spokeswoman said “in all instances of travel we ask our employees to think carefully about the purpose and the benefit it will bring so that we minimise unnecessary travel”.

“The only exception to economy flights is for our most senior executives who often elect to fly economy particularly on domestic trips,” said the spokeswoman.

The Federal Government allows employees to travel business on international flights but demands an explanation for flying upfront on domestic trips.

Exceptions are made for those “with entitlement” as in the case of MPs and Senators, and workers with medical conditions.

Locomote CEO and Executive Chairman Philip Weinman said their data showed business travel was growing in Australia with employees travelling to both local and international destinations more often.

“With companies signing agreements with international organisations, and global firms opening new offices in cities around the world, employees need to travel to a large number of destinations,” said Mr Weinman.

“The demand for flights to the US has already motivated Qantas and American Airlines to expand the number of routes between Australia and North America, providing more flights to New York, which is the most visited city in the US by Aussie business travellers.”

Businesses spent an average of $211 a night on accommodation for travelling employees, and booked trips 29-days in advance to lower costs.

Sunday was the most common day to travel for business, followed by Monday and Tuesday.

“We are looking at a maturing Australian business travel industry that is being mindful of budgets as it continues to grow,” said Mr Weinman.

Originally published as Aussie workers are beating the rules to fly business class