How group air travel has changed since the pandemic
Group travel has undergone significant changes since the COVID-19 pandemic.
There have been shifts in policies, behaviours and industry practices aimed at increasing hygiene and keeping travellers safe.
These changes have impacted both leisure and commercial travel, affecting group dynamics, pricing and the overall experience. In this guide, we’re going to take a look at how things have changed since the pandemic.
A reduction in travel demand and group size
During the pandemic, when travel was often impossible, virtual meetings via video calls became the norm. Since then, business travel has become more blended.
Post-pandemic corporate travel tends to combine in-person business meetings with virtual components. Many companies now send only a portion of their team for these in-person meetings rather than the whole team. Those who don’t go can continue to join virtually.
This hybrid model has reshaped how large business groups plan and execute travel, as businesses are prioritising the most important trips, those that are crucial for client and team relationships.
Adjustments to travel booking, boarding and other key processes
During the pandemic, airlines reduced flight capacity to maintain social distance between passengers. Although most airlines have now returned to full capacity, there have been certain adjustments to the boarding and deplaning processes that have stuck. For example, staggered boarding groups remain to help reduce crowding.
Similarly, to accommodate the uncertainties of travel during the pandemic, many airlines introduced more lenient cancellation and rebooking policies.
This has continued even post-pandemic, and group bookings, in particular, have benefited from waived change fees and greater flexibility in modifying reservations.
Technology and contactless travel experiences
Contactless check-ins have also remained since the pandemic. Group travellers now benefit from more self-service technology, including mobile boarding passes, online check-ins and contactless bag drops.
What’s more, airlines are increasingly using AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants to manage group flight bookings, rebookings and other customer service inquiries. This reduces the need for face-to-face contact.
While this may have been necessary during the pandemic, it is not without its problems. Sometimes, you need to speak to a person in order to get answers or tackle issues like missed or cancelled flights.
At BTG Travel Management, we believe that human interactions (even over the phone) are critical for a seamless and stress-free travel experience, as you can see from our corporate incentive trip case study here.
Although technology and contactless travel experiences have many benefits, these should not completely remove the human element in the future.
Change in group travel pricing
As the industry recovers from a couple of turbulent years, more airlines are offering special deals to encourage group travel. This includes discounted rates for educational and corporate travel, as well as special packages that include accommodation and transport.
Plus, the pandemic has led to more unpredictable travel demand, prompting airlines to use dynamic pricing models to adjust group travel fares more frequently. This is done based on real-time demand and capacity. As a result, group airfares tend to fluctuate more than pre-pandemic prices.
If you’re planning a group trip, you can use this to your advantage to help you secure the best airfares. This is something we can also assist with at BTG Travel, helping you to secure the best prices for your group trip.
Increased sustainability and eco-consciousness
One of the most important things to come from the pandemic was the big realisation that humans are having such a damaging impact on the planet. There was a popular narrative that as the world slowed and, in many cases, shut down, the planet had a chance to heal.
Although this has been debunked by many scientists, it has certainly made more people aware of their impact on the planet.
What does this have to do with group travel?
Well, as more travellers, especially corporate groups, become aware of their environmental impact, airlines have seen an increase in demand for eco-friendly travel options.
Some airlines have introduced carbon-offset programs, fuel-efficient planes and more to appeal to these groups.
Many companies have also integrated sustainability goals into their corporate travel policies. For example, reducing unnecessary business trips, as we said earlier, or selecting flights with lower carbon emissions for employee getaways and incentive trips.
In summary
These changes illustrate how airlines, businesses and group travellers have adapted to the lasting effects of the pandemic.
The travel industry is recovering and is now more flexible, tech-driven and health-conscious than ever before, catering to the evolving needs of group travellers.
If you’d like to know more about group travel or how we can help with booking your group flights, get in touch with our team today.