Flight bookings were up and costs down, hotel stays were shorter and the average daily spend on car rentals was $78, according to the 2024 Year in Review Report from Corporate Traveler, the small- and-medium-sized enterprise division of Flight Centre Travel group. The findings were sourced through an analysis of bookings made by the company’s US clients, offering, according to the company, “a true reflection of the SME business travel landscape across the country.”
Charlene Leiss, president, Flight Centre Travel Group Americas. “This year was truly an exciting, successful, and transformative year for the business travel industry, especially in the small-to-medium-sized enterprise market.” With more companies embracing business travel, she said, Corporate Traveler has seen remarkable growth across cities nationwide, As we move into 2025, said Leiss, “I’m optimistic about building on this momentum to further enhance business travel programs for our clients.”
Details of the finding include:
- Air travel up, costs down – flight bookings increased by 9% year over year, while the average cost of a flight decreased by 4%, from $930 to $891
- Economy tickets were the top purchased ticket at 93% of domestic and transborder flights, and 69% of international flights
- Premium economy tickets are growing at one of the fastest rates, up 27% year over year
- Short hotel stays – the average hotel stay was for 3 nights, with the average cost at $190 per night
- Car rental snapshot – the average daily spend on car rentals was $78, with the top vehicle selection being intermediate, followed by full-size and standard
- Self-booking for trains on the rise – the average train ticket price was $238, with 49% of trips booked by the traveler
John Van den Heuvel, president, Corporate Traveler USA , said that in 2024, the company saw record usage of new technologies—from dynamic airline booking tools to 24/7 traveler support via Melon Chat (Melon is Corporate Traveler’s platform). Businesses, he said, “increasingly expect a smooth, efficient experience that prioritizes timesaving and cost management.”
Corporate Traveler also shared the top destinations for business travel in 2024, based on an analysis of around 625,000 total trips taken throughout the year by approximately 185,000 different travelers.
Some of the highlights from the report include:
- Top five domestic air routes – Boston/New York LaGuardia, New York LaGuardia/Chicago O’Hare, Boston/Philadelphia, New York JFK/Los Angeles, Boston/San Francisco
- Top five international air routes – New York JFK/London Heathrow, Boston/London Heathrow, Newark/London Heathrow, Washington DC/London Heathrow, Los Angeles/London Heathrow
- Top five US hotel cities – New York, Boston, London, Chicago, San Francisco
- Top US train route – New York/Penn Station to Washington DC.
Image: Shutterstock
