An expert gave five tips on how to save money on business trips

The total number of business trips in 2024 increased by 53% compared to 2023. At the same time, the share of domestic business travel amounted to 90% in 2024. The top business destinations include Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sochi and Novosibirsk, as follows from the data of the service for organizing business trips "Aviaceils for Business". Ivan Boytsov, an expert of the service, told Izvestia on February 2 how to save money on business trips.

According to him, an extra night in a hotel optimizes costs.

"If flights to a destination do not fly every day, sometimes it is more profitable to stay an extra day on a business trip. For example, direct flights from St. Petersburg to Novy Urengoy are operated only on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays. Instead of buying a more expensive ticket with a connecting flight on Thursday, you can postpone the departure to Friday and spend one night in a hotel - in the end it will be cheaper," he explained.

In addition, two separate tickets for a connecting route can be cheaper than a single connecting ticket. Thus, if you choose the right route and hub, you can save up to 18% on airfare. For example, for the direction Tyumen - Istanbul, buying two separate tickets (Tyumen - Moscow and Moscow - Istanbul) can be more profitable than a single ticket with a transfer, Boytsov specified.

"However, it is important to consider the risks. If the tickets are bought separately and the first flight is delayed, the second ticket will "burn" without compensation. According to the analysis, it is better to set aside at least two hours for connections in Moscow: the average flight delay is 49 minutes," he added.

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According to the service, every third employee tries to improve the conditions of the flight or accommodation at the expense of the employer.

"If the company does not control spending, there is a risk of overpaying. Travel policy, that is, a set of rules about traveling in the company, sets limits on the cost of tickets and accommodation. According to the service's data, this reduces business travel expenses by 15%," Boytsov pointed out.

Besides, he said, the refundable tariff "saves" money when plans are changed. According to the service's statistics, 10% of corporate tickets are canceled due to changes in work plans or employee replacement.

"A change of plans is not considered a reason for a forced return, so non-refundable tickets are not refundable. Exchanging these tickets for another date is most often accompanied by a penalty that can exceed the original ticket price. Refundable fares help to avoid overpayments," Boytsov explained.

At the same time, when traveling abroad, it is more profitable to buy a single round-trip ticket, the expert emphasized.

"For example, the route Moscow - Istanbul - Moscow, formalized by a single purchase, most likely, will cost cheaper, as the airline offers a discount for such a booking. However, in rare cases, separate purchase of tickets can save up to 9%. This is due to the fact that round-trip tickets are "glued" from the proposals of one airline or carriers from one alliance," he said.

According to him, if you look at each flight separately, you can find cheaper offers from different airlines.

In 2024, the demand for foreign business trips among representatives of Russian business increased by 13%, and their share of the total number of corporate trips reached 17%. This follows from the data of the Aeroclub company,