[alainboy56]

Was in LHR T2 just 2 weeks ago, and whilst there was no reading material in the Biz Lounge (I was impelled to use Plaza Premium with AY/BA and there never is – this is the old normal), there are, I’m pleased to say, BTs at the gate area.

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Tom Otley

[nevereconomy]

I would have to confess that of all the many hundreds of longhaul trips I took in my working life, there were actually a very limited number that were desperately necessary.
I think that, if people really analyze their needs from a purely business point of view, business travel will definitely see a permanent decline.

[CathayLoyalist2]

Nevereconomy, I remember many years ago, what was then called tele-conferencing, was flagged as the death knell of business travel and of course it wasn´t. Business travel will return albeit it will take a while to get back to pre Covid levels. Skype, Zoom, Go to Meeting or whichever platform is preferred clearly have a place but I do not believe they will replace business travel.

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cwoodward

[IanFromHKG]

I agree with CathayLoyalist – I worked for an American bank for some years (in Hong Kong). Every time I went back to head office (about four times a year) for three or four days, I achieved more than in the intervening three months in terms of getting movement from head office, decisions made, and traction on initiatives. Our regional COO commented on one occasion, when I reported back, that if this was what I could achieve in a week, I should go every month!

If congregation in person weren’t so valuable, organisations would never have offsites (not that it’s really feasible at the moment), but given the huge cost and logistical/administrative burden, the fact that so many organisations held them is testament to their value.

And that’s all just talking about internal meetings…

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esselle, cwoodward

[cwoodward]

[postquote quote=1014135][/postquote]

You make mention of ‘longhaul’ trips and in the context of your post and this thread one rather draws the conclusion that these were mostly you largely unnecessarily swanning about the world on company expenses. If so I believe that you are/were in the absolute minority. I have been travelling frequently for business reasons for many years traveling,I estimate, in excess of 8 million miles in the process and never have I taken a trip that was not prompted by business necessity. All were of course not fruitful but all were necessary and I am reasonably certain those of my business friends and acquaintances were similarly prompted. Thus I am in total disagreement with your opinion that business travel will experience a decline permanent or otherwise.

[cwoodward]

Apologies all,I quoted above the wrong post. It should have been this one

[postquote quote=1014143][/postquote]

[SimonS1]

I agree. Years ago most financial institutions had layers of management that seemed to spend their time travelling around in premium cabins, staying at top hotels, drivers waiting and generally doing sweet FA apart from believing in their own self importance.

These days those people are thankfully mostly gone, I think a much higher percentage of trips serve a genuine purpose.

[RoyJones]

I am retired but I still do a lot of work for various Charities. I used to fly long haul at least twice a month with the approval and support of my management. In 20+ years I never had a trip questioned as unnecessary, in fact probably the contrary. Oh and it was always in First Class unless the flight time was less than 2 hours. I look at these trips now and think about 60 to 70% of them could be done via ZOOM or TEAMS or similar. The problem would have been to get the client’s attention and the lower priority of virtual over physical meetings. Because of enforced lockdowns and restricted travel many people have embraced this technology, hence its importance has improved.

My travel, although typical of a “road warrior” as are many contributors to this Forum would not disappear but be hugely reduced. Even when things get back to “normal” I see business travel down by 30% and leisure travel down by 20 to 25% as “stay at home” or “stay in my country” vacations become the norm [as they already are in the US]. In my opinion air travel will not get back to 2019 levels until the end of this decade and then at a lower ratio of full fare business travel.

[PatJordan]

This morning my friendly postman delivered a most welcome item: the latest Business Traveller magazine. A great read as usual.

Many thanks to Tom and his team for keeping the forum open and producing a very welcome magazine during a very challenging and unprecedented period.

Stay safe everybody.

Pat

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IanFromHKG, MartynSinclair

[Author]

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