Should you bin your frequent flyer card?
Management Today asks leaders if business trip culture is gone for good.
Business trips came to a halt this year as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Even when restrictions were relaxed, many remained wary of the health risks of flying and besides, what's the point of travelling to the New York or Paris office if no one's there?
Coupa Software found that between July and September 2020 business spending on air travel was down 97 per cent on the same period last year. And those who do still travel are booking closer to departure date than before, with a 39 per cent fall in the average number of days a booking is made in advance of a purchase.
Leaders in global firms have therefore had an unprecedented opportunity to work sans jetlag, but for many of us Facetime meetings with clients and peers lack the conviviality and connectedness one gets from face-to-face meetings.
