Alexandria, VA (June 28, 2005) -- The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) today provided members with an update to an analysis of the impact of airfare changes implemented by the U.S. network airlines in January. The initial study compared fare data from December 2004 and February 2005, to show the immediate impact of the new fares. This update tracks fare changes from December to June, allowing travel managers to see how fares have changed in the months since the new fare structures were introduced.
The study’s primary finding is the average network airline domestic published fare dropped by $3 from December 29, 2004 to June 6, 2005. Negotiated corporate discounts are not included in these findings. The changes made by network airlines in January included fare structure simplification, reduced fares and looser restrictions on tickets. This update, available to NBTA members at www.nbta.org, aids travel managers as they gauge the impact for their companies of the fare changes, inform their programs’ stakeholders and work with carrier partners to provide the best travel value to their organizations.
NBTA President and CEO Carol A. Devine, CCTE, said, “The NBTA airfare change analysis update shows travel managers a national picture of fare changes over six months, providing them a context for evaluating their companies’ travel data. This is one more tool for travel managers as they collect travel data, evaluate it, and manage airline relationships based on their findings.”
This study was commissioned by NBTA and conducted by Travel Analytics, Inc., under the direction of CEO Scott Gillespie. NBTA will provide members further updates in the coming months. Members of the media interested in obtaining a copy should contact Caleb Tiller at [email protected] or 703-684-0836 ext. 138.
The study analyzed published fares in more than 2,500 domestic U.S. city pairs on December 29, 2004; February 6, 2004; March 6, 2004; April 6, 2004; May 6, 2004; and June 6, 2004. To determine average net change in fares, the analysis took into account fare changes, fares that did not change and newly introduced fares, with booking classes weighted to represent typical corporate purchasing patterns.
The National Business Travel Association is the source for critical information on the business travel industry. For more than 35 years, NBTA has dedicated itself to the professional development of its members through advocacy, education and training, and networking opportunities. NBTA represents over 2,500 corporate and government travel managers and travel service providers, who collectively manage and direct more than $170 billion of expenditures within the business travel industry. For more on NBTA, visit www.nbta.org.
