At a time when companies across Australia are frantically cutting costs to offset the impact of the global financial crisis, business travel is getting cheaper as major airline carriers go head to head on popular corporate travel routes such as Sydney to Los Angeles.
Four carriers are now flying from Sydney to LA following Delta Airlines and V Australia’s entry into the trans-Pacific sector, with flights expected to go as low as $320 one way before tax, according to US analyst Rick Seaney of Fare Compare.
A Flight Centre survey shows international fares are more than $200 cheaper on average compared to five years ago. The Sydney to Los Angeles business travel route is now 41% cheaper than in 2004. Corporate travellers flying from Sydney to Bangkok are now flying for 29% less, according to the survey.
Airfares are now cheaper than ever before – providing much needed relief for organisations requiring staff to undertake regular corporate travel. However, current corporate travel fares are not sustainable for carriers and prices will likely rise, experts say.