AirPlus International, an award-winning business travel payment provider, launches its UK edition of the 2008 AirPlus International Travel Management Study. The study goes global for the first time, featuring extensive survey results from 15 countries across all continents. Six new countries are introduced this year, offering a global perspective of business travel trends. The study compares trends within UK and other markets and draws on resounding similarities - identifying cost savings as the top priority for all companies in 2009.

“The AirPlus Travel Management Study continues to be an important annual benchmark of industry trends. In the current demanding economic conditions, companies of all sizes need reliable policy control and robust data to keep travel costs low”, said Yael Klein, Managing Director of AirPlus International Limited.

The study shows that almost half of all survey participants predict their company’s travellers will take more trips in the future despite the tough economic times. Although the practices vary based on the size of company budgets, the majority (58 per cent) of the travel managers interviewed share the view that the cost of business travel will rise in 2009, in particular the accommodation sector. The study also reveals that the trends appear to be changing towards long-haul business travel in the UK, after enjoying the deflationary influence of low-cost carriers in recent years more than any other country in the world. Therefore, the cost of air travel is also predicted to rise. The one exception to this trend is car hire, where costs are predicted to fall.

“By examining the travel trends and views of more than 1,500 travel managers, we see that global businesses are traveling more and their travel budgets are increasing accordingly” said Ms Klein “It comes as no surprise that businesses are looking for tools that can help them uncover their savings potential and build compliance to their travel program.”

Since last year, the UK has moved towards automation slightly faster than the rest of Europe, however, it lags behind the average for all 15 countries featured in the study. Only half of all UK companies interviewed receive either all or some of their travel invoices in electronic form. The study shows that in total 17 per cent receive electronic-only invoices, 36 per cent a mixture and 46 per cent paper-only invoices.

“The UK is generally regarded as one of the more mature markets for travel management, yet British companies have a relatively small number of deals with airlines which does not allow them to yield their full savings potential” said Ms Klein in response to survey results which show that one-quarter of companies in the UK still have no travel policy. Only 49 per cent of British companies organise their travel centrally, falling behind the study average of 62 per cent. However, the majority of interviewees (65 per cent) recognise this weakness, with plans to manage travel programmes on a more consolidated basis in future.

On a more positive side, the UK leads the rest of the world on Corporate Social Responsibility issues. The study suggests that British businesses have the highest level of awareness in Europe about the environmental impact of their travel. Furthermore, more than any other market in this study, the UK ranks the provision of traveller support more emphatically than the other countries, ranking it after the number one priority - cost reduction.