AirPlus International Travel Management Study Shows Business Travel in State of Unprecedented Growth

United States Focuses on Travel Policy Compliance and Reporting

AirPlus International, the leading global travel payment provider today launches the U.S. version of its Global Travel Management Study. The study examines trends in business travel based on extensive interviews conducted by Ipsos Loyalty with over 1,000 travel managers in the United States and nine different European countries. Almost half of all survey participants predict their company’s travelers will take more trips in the future, up from 44 percent in 2006. Every country, except the U.S. ranks reducing costs at their top priority, while the U.S. ranks travel policy compliance and reporting as number one.

No fewer than 61 percent of American companies expect their employees to increase their travel. This is a higher figure than any other country that participated in the survey, and is up from 51 percent last year. The study confirms that U.S.-originating travel has not only fought back to pre-9/11 levels but well beyond as American businesses seek new opportunities.

“By examining the travel trends and views of more than 1,000 companies, we see that global businesses are traveling more and paying more for it,” said Richard Crum, president, AirPlus International, Inc. “Not surprisingly, they are also adopting more of the tools that can help them keep those costs under control.”

The U.S. continues to be the bellwether of innovation in many global travel management trends. More U.S. companies have policies covering all areas of travel than any other country – 87 percent, up from 73 percent in 2006. Policy is important for U.S. companies because of the ability to limit spend and attract negotiated deals. Travel policies and well managed travel data also support fiscal compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley.

AirPlus International is a global leader in business travel payment solutions, offering central payment accounts, corporate cards and online management information tools. AirPlus is the preferred payment partner of airlines around the world, including Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL), British Airways (NYSE:BAB), Lufthansa German Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines and TAP Portugal. AirPlus is the world’s largest issuer of UATP. Click here for more information.

For more information, contact: Amy Padgett at (703) 373-0947 or apadgett@airplus.com