UK corporate travel budgets are holding broadly steady, but the way those pounds are being spent is undergoing a rapid realignment. New data from Spendesk, based on card payments from 454 UK-registered companies, shows total business travel spending from January to September 2026 reached £10.83 million, a 1.2% decline compared with the same period in 2025.
That headline stability masks significant movement beneath the surface. British Airways, the UK's flag carrier, saw a 7.7% increase in corporate spend, while low-cost carriers easyJet and Ryanair suffered drops of 30.8% and 19.1% respectively. The divergence suggests a clear shift in supplier preference among UK businesses, with full-service carriers gaining ground at the expense of budget operators.
Premium shift in flight purchasing
The data also reveals a notable move toward higher-value tickets. Flights priced above £1,000 now account for 51.1% of total flight spend, up from 48.2% a year earlier. This trend aligns with the growing share of premium cabin bookings and reflects a broader willingness among corporate travel managers to invest in more flexible or higher-comfort options.
Axel Demazy, CEO of Spendesk, commented on the evolving patterns: “The headline budget can look reassuringly familiar whilst the way a business spends changes completely. Catering is growing, vouchers are taking a bigger share of gifting, and travel spending is moving between suppliers.”
The shift is not limited to airlines. Spending on booking platforms rose 16.9%, with TravelPerk—a key player in the corporate travel tech space—seeing a remarkable 46.8% increase. This suggests that UK businesses are consolidating their travel procurement through digital tools, a trend that has been accelerating since the pandemic.
Conversely, Airbnb spending fell by 23.8%, indicating a move away from alternative accommodations toward more traditional hotel bookings or managed corporate housing. This could reflect changing preferences for reliability and service consistency in business travel.
Implications for suppliers and agents
For travel management companies and corporate agents, the data underscores the importance of adapting to a more fragmented supplier landscape. The rise of platforms like TravelPerk signals that businesses are increasingly comfortable with self-booking tools, but the growth in high-value flights suggests that human expertise remains valuable for complex itineraries.
British Airways' gains are particularly noteworthy given its recent network expansions, including new routes to Colombo and Melbourne and a codeshare with Viva that opens 13 Mexican cities to UK travellers. These moves may be resonating with corporate clients seeking broader connectivity.
The overall decline in spend, albeit slight, comes against a backdrop of global travel growth. According to the WTTC, Asia-Pacific is driving global travel spending to $2 trillion, yet UK corporate travel appears to be bucking that trend, possibly due to economic uncertainty or shifts in how businesses allocate travel budgets.
For the MICE sector, the data offers a cautionary note. While overall budgets are stable, the redistribution among suppliers means that venues and event organisers must compete harder for a share of the pie. The Thailand MICE sector's focus on digital visibility could serve as a model for UK players looking to adapt.
As 2026 progresses, travel managers and suppliers alike will need to monitor these trends closely. The Spendesk data suggests that while the total pot may not be growing, the winners and losers are being decided by how well they align with evolving corporate preferences.
