Business Travel Tips

Despite the economic downturn, the flight cuts and the reduction of business trips, business travel to Asia is experiencing continued growth. Several airlines are profiting from business travel to Asia.

According to Air Transport Association analyses compiled for The New York Times, American Airlines‘ revenue for flights to and from Japan and China grew 12.8 percent for the first three months of 2008, greater growth than in any other region. That region also saw the biggest growth in average fares paid, 12.2 percent.

The report shows that 996 nonstop flights a week were scheduled in the third quarter of 2008 from the United States to Asian countries, more than ever before. Los Angeles is the most popular departure city from the United States, with 180 flights a week. Narita Airport in Tokyo is the most frequent destination, with 380 arrivals a week.

Among the factors driving this growth, there is the economic boom in China and India translating to more business travel between East and West.
However, The New York Times reports, Mary Tabacchi, a Cornell University associate professor who has tracked airline trends for 15 years, attributes this growth also to another factor, the new bigger planes used for long-haul flights. They can carry more fuel, eliminating the need for extra landings and takeoffs, which use more fuel.

The newspaper says major airlines are asking the Department of Transportation to negotiate with Asian countries to open traditionally restricted rights to sky routes in the East.
Gary Dorman, an airline expert and senior vice president with NERA Economic Consulting, says: “If they (the airlines) can establish brand dominance now, they will be one step ahead of their competition as conditions improve”.