Swiss businessmen flying more often again. This is the conclusion of a survey by the B2B payment service provider, AirPlus in the Swiss Confederation. The payment specialist bases its analysis on data relating to airline tickets sold to Swiss companies.
In the first half of 2024, the The number of tickets purchased by Swiss companies rose from 10% compared with the same period in 2023. In fact, Swiss business travel is increasing more strongly than elsewhere in Europe. AirPlus estimates this difference at +1.6%.
Sharp fall in Premium Economy fares
This favourable trend can be attributed to a number of factors. The most important is the fall in the price of air tickets, linked to a return to air capacity and the strengthening of the Swiss franc.
According to AirPlus, the decline affects all booking classes. In the first half, a business class ticket cost an average of CHF 4,230This represents a fall of 4.7% (€1 = CHF0.95). Economy class tickets recorded the smallest fall at 603 CHF (-1.3%). However, the biggest fall was in the Premium Eco class. With an average price of 709 CHF, Premium Eco down 27.2% from one year to the next.
Another factor in the decline is the combination of a business trip with a leisure stay. Nearly 23% of Swiss business travellers started their trip at a weekend.
In terms of booking class, 17.3% of Swiss business travellers chose business class in the first half of the year, roughly the same number as in the same period last year.
