Business Travel Bookings Increased 5% for International Flights in the United Kingdom in 2024

UK residents continue to embrace international travel, and according to the latest ONS general travel statistics for 2024, residents of Great Britain made an estimated 25.3 million visits outside the UK from April to June 2024. This marks an increase of 8.6 million trips from the previous quarter.

At SAP Concur, we’ve seen a similar increase in business travel bookings. “Overall, international air travel volume for business trips is up 5% year over year in the UK,” said Charlie Sultan, president of Concur Travel at SAP Concur. “The return to business travel is driven by business travellers’ enthusiasm. This year’s SAP Concur Global Business Travel Survey revealed that 76% of global business travellers enjoy business travel and 67% feel it’s critical for career advancement.”

To get a sense of the state of business travel, SAP Concur analysed domestic and international air travel bookings in Concur Travel between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, and compared airfare and overall travel volume to the same timeframe in 2023. It found: 

• Overall international travel volume increased by 5% year over year. The largest increases year over year for international business travel were in January (11%), February (14%), April (19%), July (10%), and December (10%).
• Overall domestic travel volume is down by 1% year over year. February, April, and July were popular months for domestic business travel however volume declined in the second half of the year. Whereas April saw the greatest increase in travel bookings compared to last year with an 18% increase.

2024 Travel Volume

• Business travellers on the move in May. May was the busiest month for domestic business travel in 2024.
• Business travel dipped in December. Despite year-over-year increases, December was the slowest month for international business travel as people slow down and prepare for the festive break.

• Domestic airfare remained inflated from 2023 prices. Average airfare for domestic trips was consistently up this year compared to 2023. The only exception was a 2% decline in February and a 3% decrease in April.
• Looking at 2024 airfare only, average ticket prices increased over the second half of the year. September was the most expensive month for domestic airfare at an average of £564 per ticket, while January was the cheapest month costing £452 per ticket.

• International travel costs increased in the second half of the year. Similarly to domestic rates, international airfare increased in the latter half of 2024 with the increase accelerating from a 5% increase in July to an 18% increase in December.
• Looking at 2024 airfare only, average tickets are more expensive in the fourth quarter and rising compared to 2023. While the lowest average international ticket price was £1,104 in February, the highest ticket price was £1,437 in December. 

The future of business travel is bright. International business travel is on the rise in the UK, and as inflation appears to cool, domestic prices will hopefully normalise as well. At SAP Concur, we share business travellers’ enthusiasm for the next trip.

Methodology: SAP Concur analysed travel booking data from UK-based travellers in Concur Travel between January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024.