In last month’s issue, we explained how domestic airlines’ Business Incentive Plans (BIPs) can help companies reduce travel budgets by earning points toward free seats and upgrades, while allowing their traveling employees to retain their frequent flyer miles.
For companies doing buisness in Europe, travel costs weigh even more heavily on the bottom line, and BIPs can be even more important as a means to help keep expenses in check.
Of the carriers offering BIPs to Europe, Northwest’s takes the top spot for requiring the fewest trips to earn a free seat or an upgrade (it was best in the U.S. comparison, too). U.S. carriers American, Continental, and Delta also fared well. United, though, repeats its BIP flop across the pond with the highest free-ticket redemption levels in our survey, earning “also flew” status (see chart).
Two European airlines we generally hold in very high regard, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, differ greatly in effectiveness of their incentive plans.
BA offers rewards that are competitive with those from the better U.S. programs.
Virgin, on the other hand, appears to have little sympathy for the plight of businesses fighting a brutal economy. Its BIP, like United’s, is barely worth the bookkeeping.
Links to European airlines programs:
British Airways: http://www.britishairways.com/travel/smeprepinhome/public/en_us
Virgin Atlantic: http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us/corporateandtrade/flyingco/index.jsp
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