Business travel costs increased by 4.5% in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, partly because of growing operational costs for airlines and a growing demand for air travel, according to the latest edition of Business Travel Pulse from American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT).
The report also showed that airlines are offering more Premium Economy seats. In 2017, just 42 airlines offered a Premium Economy cabin. In 2025, that number has more than doubled to 88 airlines. Premium Economy capacity hotspots include US to Asia, US to UK, US to EU and EU to Asia.
In North America, the fastest-growing airline routes for business travelers were Las Vegas to San Jose and Las Vegas to San Francisco. That trend is also reflected in Amex GBT’s recently published top meetings destinations list – as a part of its annual Meetings & Events Forecast – where Las Vegas tops the list as the projected top meeting destination in North America in 2026, surpassing Chicago (ranked 2nd) and New York (3rd).
