The cost of budget holiday flights is set to skyrocket as business travel continues to be grounded by the virus.
Holiday air fares kept low by subsidies from top-price business class tickets are likely to increase as professionals shun international flights in favour of online meetings.
Last night a poll of business people found 79% thought their company’s travel budgets would be slashed by at least a third even after lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Mike Peirce, Director of Corporate Partnerships at the Climate Group, which conducted the research, said the news was good for the environment because millions of tonnes of Co2 would be saved.
He said: “Businesses have seen there are many digital solutions available to them that allow for remote working to be effective and collaborative, while cutting costs and emissions from travel - something we all thought was in the hard-to-do box before the pandemic.
"It makes sense that they carry this mentality forward after travel restrictions have lifted.”
But consumer experts have warned families will feel the pinch, as flights on socially-distanced planes force operators to increase ticket prices.
Martyn James, of consumer website Resolver, has warned a collapse of business travel will see some holidays double in price.
