Business travelers are rarely concerned with the price of their tickets, unlike their companies! What they insist on, however, is the maximum speed and comfort so they arrive at their business destination looking and feeling ready to work. This is more likely if they travel in First Class and Business Class, rather than in Economy.
Aircraft are usually divided up into different 'Classes'. When buying the ticket, you state which class you want; First Class, Business Class or Economy. Later in this unit, we will explore their differences.
As you work through this unit, you'll notice that different airlines have different names for the same class. You need to be aware of these:
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Economy Class is also called Coach Class and Tourist Class.
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Business Class is also called Club Class and Executive Class, as well as a lot of 'brand names'. E.g. Singapore Airlines call it Raffles Class.
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First Class is just called First Class... always!
Business Travelers like as much luxury and comfort as their company will pay for. Let's look at the difference in prices:
Flight Number JL 402 leaves London Heathrow, UK for Tokyo, Japan.
There are 342 seats inside the aircraft. Let's meet three travelers:
Mr. Desmond Guilford is sitting in the Economy Cabin. He has paid £674.00 for a one way ticket.
Miss Michiko Ichikawa is in the Business/Club Cabin. She has paid £2227.00 for her one way ticket.
Mr. Isao Hideyoshi is in the First Class Cabin. When he was appointed as Chief Executive his contract stated that all necessary international travel must be in first class. His one way fare is £3564.00.
That is a big difference in fares! They're all on the same aircraft so why would the first class fare cost £2890 more than the economy one? Do you always get what you pay for?
This is very much a matter of opinion. Unfortunately for the traveler, many businesses are also asking whether the extras you get in Business and First Class justify the much higher prices. Unit 1 shows that most companies have policies deciding which class travelers will use. The most recent OAG Business Travel Lifestyle Survey showed that more than half of business travelers had flown First or Business Class on their last trip.
* Note: 1% did not reply to the survey
However, the pattern is changing and many large companies now expect their travelers to fly in Economy. Some even have tickets with fares that are cheaper than normal economy - discounted economy. We will see why later in this unit.
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