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Johannesburg – Travel buyers and travel managers are, once again, navigating interesting times. The Middle East crisis has meant new routes, new hubs and a renewed focus on duty of care. Volatile oil prices and capacity constraints are squeezing costs at the same time. Travellers themselves are warier than they were a year ago, and the journeys they are being asked to take are often longer, with more stopovers and less margin for error.

Against that backdrop, travel perks carry more weight than usual. A flat bed, a lounge shower and a late checkout matter more when you have just flown an extra five hours via a new connection.

What makes this moment especially interesting is the picture sitting just behind it.

Before tensions escalated in February, airlines were betting big on premium economy and business class cabins – overhauling their fleets and offering passengers more space, connectivity, state-of-the-art inflight entertainment and, in some cases, hotel-like privacy. Hotels themselves are pouring investment into luxury and lifestyle properties, with the global luxury hotel market forecast by Skift to more than double to $369 billion by 2032.

All while travel programmes are balancing safety and traveller wellbeing against value and cost management. Competing priorities, all playing out in the small print of what your company will and won’t cover.

The airline perks you might not know about

Status used to mean miles flown. Today, it increasingly means money spent. As The Points Guy puts it, the “hamster wheel” of chasing flights is being replaced by credit card spend, shopping and bookings through an airline’s network of partners (including car rentals) rather than simply bums in seats. 

The perks are varied too – many unseen and underused. Most major programmes now let you extend priority boarding to companions, share lounge access with a plus-one, and occasionally use complimentary upgrades on partner airlines. Lounge access through the right credit card sits in the same category: a perk most eligible travellers underuse.

The biggest unseen perk, though, is corporate. As Herman Heunes, GM of Corporate Traveller South Africa explains, two passengers in the same business class cabin may have paid wildly different fares, depending on how the corporate fares were negotiated behind the scenes.

“Corporate contracts often come with soft ‘perks’ the retail flyer rarely sees,” says Heunes. “Including guaranteed availability, waived change fees, volume rebates, and sometimes even chauffeur transfers on carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways. This is exactly where a managed travel programme adds value beyond rate.”

What business class actually gets you

The world’s top airlines are getting very serious about their business class offering. Qatar’s QSuite offers sliding doors, “Do Not Disturb” indicators and customisable ambient lighting – not to mention a turndown service complete with pillows, a quilted mattress, plush blanket and PJs. Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suite (winner of the World’s Best Business Class in the 2026 AirlineRatings Awards) has privacy pods, plenty of cubby storage, a 24-inch, 4K in-flight entertainment screen, free Wi-Fi and a 5-star, restaurant-style dining experience.

For Heunes though, business class is often misunderstood.

“While lie-flat seats are great, what corporate buyers are really paying for is productive time: the space to work on a laptop, sleep on an overnight flight, and arrive functional,” says Heunes. “For staff travelling on the long-haul routes that South Africans know so well, rest, productivity and morale means business class pays for itself before the seatbelt sign goes off.”

Hotel perks worth knowing

Hotels are arguably winning the perks race – with many designed around health and wellbeing.

The Wall Street Hotel in New York, for example, has partnered with the ness, a trampoline-based movement studio, to bring intentional, low-impact wellness directly to your room (complete with trampoline and sessions streamed on your in-room smart television). Shangri-La Singapore’s Horizon Club Business Rooms come with adjustable standing desks, dual 4K monitors on request, and complimentary pressing of business clothes. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has implemented acoustic doors and heavy soundproofing, while Hyatt’s premium properties supply white noise machines.

Quieter perks are worth knowing about too. Pillow menus, once an outlandish luxury, are now pretty mainstream at upper-tier establishments. The Benjamin Royal Sonesta has a 10-choice pillow menu, and guests can choose from anti-snore, buckwheat, cooling pillows, and Swedish memory foam tailored to their sleep positions.

More mainstream? Most hotels are happy to offer all sorts of things if you only know to ask: chargers, adaptors, sewing kits, toothbrushes and toothpaste, yoga mats, boardgames and even weighted blankets, sleep masks and slippers. Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel in Florida, USA, even runs a “Forgot it? We’ve got it!” programme, letting guests borrow accessories like sunglasses and handbags.

Again, for Heunes, it’s the more practical perks that make the difference.

“Early check-in and late check-out are huge for long-haul travellers,” says Heunes. “Flights out of South Africa often seem to land at unfriendly times. Always check with your travel management company what’s possible, and what can be negotiated. Some hotels also provide a complimentary shuttle service, which is a big perk in anyone’s language!”

What your company will and won’t pay for

Luxury hotels’ concierge services are well-versed in special – often eccentric – requests (including Evian baths, egg-free omelettes and VIP access to shows and events) but, in truth, when it comes to business travel things are far more boring.

As Heunes notes, internal scrutiny of spend has increased and buyers are expected to show financial control while supporting productivity, safety and traveller wellbeing.

Depending on the size of your company (and travel programme) the budget could expand to premium economy or business class on flights over six hours, full board, hotel Wi-Fi, laundry, reasonable tips, and increasingly, properties that support hybrid work with ergonomic desks and good connectivity.

What companies almost universally will not pay for is the minibar, in-room movies, spa treatments outside an approved wellness stipend, seat upgrades without pre-approval, alcohol outside client entertainment, traffic fines, anything for a travelling partner, and direct bookings outside the managed channel.

Which could leave modern business travellers in a slightly awkward position: flown upfront to Heathrow, ergonomically supported at the hotel, and quietly paying for their own packet of cashews from the minibar.

“This is where travel policies are so important,” says Heunes. “Even companies with small travel programmes need to agree on perks and spend – and how reimbursements are managed. It is a core part of any travel programme.”

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MEDIA CONTACT

For more information about Corporate Traveller, or to interview Corporate Traveller South Africa GM Herman Heunes, call Sonnette Fourie on 081 072 2869 or email sonnette@bigambitions.co.za.    

About Corporate Traveller

Corporate Traveller is a division of the Flight Centre Travel Group, dedicated to saving businesses across Southern Africa time and money. Corporate Traveller has the benefit of being part of the world’s third-largest travel retailer, leveraging its global negotiating strength. It has access to over 50 of the world’s leading airlines and deals with more than 100 000 hotels around the world to guarantee savings for clients. Corporate Traveller provides clear, consolidated reporting of all its clients’ travel activities, helping them to control travel spend and identify opportunities to save costs.

Issued by:

Big Ambitions

Sonnette Fourie

sonnette@bigambitions.co.za

+27 81 072 2869

Table of Contents

JOHANNESBURG – At first, out‑of‑town work trips might have felt like a promotion: you represented the company, were sent to “make things happen”, flew Premium Economy, stayed in a fashionable hotel, networked and hopefully, secured new business.

But after some time, red‑eyes, quick turnarounds and other travel pressure started wearing thin. So, you start checking out mentally, wondering why this could not have been a Teams call. And why every “quick” trip requires intense preparation, domestic juggling, and days of unscheduled recovery time.

It all feels like it’s not on company time, it’s all on you.

That’s because much of it is. Business travel has a tax, and your staff are paying the heaviest price.

The fatigue isn’t imaginary

Tourism management expert, Professor Anneli Douglas from the University of Pretoria, has described business travel as a double‑edged sword, linking travel stress to “presenteeism” – being physically present but mentally absent. Citing an earlier Stats SA estimate that presenteeism costs the economy R89 billion a year, Douglas’s own research among 400 business travellers found that about 2.3 days are lost to presenteeism each month due to business‑travel stress, draining capacity, output and judgement.

A recent burnout report from Mental Health UK shows 79% of professionals report significant burnout symptoms, with frequent travellers at high risk of stress‑related absence. And research linked to the International SOS Foundation shows business trips contribute to marked behavioural changes, with 45% of travellers reporting increased anxiety and emotional exhaustion.

This doesn’t only happen on the road. Douglas says the stress peaks before the trip, when travellers are managing their home life, work cover and admin, which then follows them on their travels. This pressure is often worse for travellers from the Global South, who are also up against distance, long-haul flights, safety concerns and travel disruption. Once they return, they encounter back-to-back meetings, time spent “catching up at night”, until it develops into burnout.

It’s not just the formal workload either. Studies on the division of labour and the domestic mental load show that coordinating childcare, school runs and household security from a different time zone can be particularly draining for parents. Add in general day-to-day  expectations (keeping your normal inbox and outputs going while on the road) and you effectively have travellers doing two jobs at once.

Business travel fatigue isn’t a personal gripe, it is a management issue, affecting how people think, decide and represent the business away from home.

Mummy Mafojane, General Manager of FCM South Africa, says organisations are now changing tack:

“They are much more deliberate about building resilience now. Where possible, clients are avoiding red-eyes and back-to-back meetings, adding in time to reset because they’ve seen what exhausted travel does to performance, outcomes, and especially to people.”

When a reset day becomes company policy

Combining business travel with downtime used to mean “make it a weekend, if you can”. In practice, most travellers can’t, because they have a life outside work and limited leave.

The new approach is different. It treats recovery as part of the itinerary. Deloitte’s 2025 Corporate Travel Study notes a sharp turn from pure cost‑control towards “traveller experience” to improve performance and retention, with multinationals like Citigroup experimenting with structured “reset” periods and company‑wide breaks to combat always‑on culture.

Practically, that can mean:

• Mandatory landing buffers for long‑haul flights – for example, a 24‑hour reset before the first face‑to‑face engagement.
• A shift towards wellness-oriented accommodation and lifestyle hotels that support sleep, recovery and “digital detox” zones, instead of treating the hotel purely as a bed near the venue.
• Family‑support measures such as cleaning or meal‑delivery vouchers to ease the domestic load during heavy travel cycles.

There is a duty‑of‑care dimension as well. Industry bodies like the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) say wellbeing belongs inside duty of care and risk management because mental and physical health affect safety, behaviour and work performance on the road. If risk management only covers disruptions and physical security, it misses equally important risks associated with fatigue and stress – impaired judgement, reduced concentration and the knock‑on effects on productivity.

For Mafojane, a reset day, when done properly, is about designing travel so people can do the work they travelled to do – and ensuring their company gets full value from every trip.

How to build this in, without inflating costs

Her answer, then, is being more selective about designing travel. Reset time is not required for every domestic business trip, but it should be reserved for longer trips that are likely to have an impact on performance – those requiring overnight flights, multi-city schedules, and trips that require critical engagement immediately upon arrival. In such cases, a buffer is often cheaper than the risk of diminished output and strained client outcomes.

Connectivity is part of the problem. Laptops, Wi‑Fi and mobile tools mean work doesn’t pause when someone is in transit; it follows them through airports, taxis and hotel rooms, putting travellers under more pressure.

The Flight Centre Travel Group says nearly half of corporate customers expect to increase travel budgets in the coming year, raising the stakes for getting real value from each trip.

“It’s not difficult to accommodate a traveller’s needs,” says Mafojane. “You can widen property selection, update profiles with preferred travel times, and allow for a bit of wiggle room in the schedule. Ultimately, companies that recognise this shift are protecting judgement, relationships and retention.”

**ends**

For more information about FCM Travel call Sonnette Fourie on 081 072 2869 or email sonnette@bigambitions.co.za.

About FCM Travel:

FCM Travel, the flagship corporate travel brand at Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), is the business travel partner of choice for large national, multinational and global corporations. We are an award-winning global corporate travel management company ranking as one of the top five by size around the world. We operate a global network which spans more than 100 countries, employing over 6000 people.

FCM are transforming the business of travel through our empowered and accountable people who deliver 24/7 service and are available either online or offline. Leveraging FCM’s negotiating strength and supplier relationships in conjunction with our tailored business travel programs, our expertise delivers more for our clients where it matters most to them.

Visit us at www.fcmtravel.co.za

Issued by: Big Ambitions

Contact: Lori Cohen

Tel: +27 79 641 4965

Email: Lori@bigambitions.co.za

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About The Lux Collective
The Lux Collective (“TLC”) is a Mauritian-born global luxury hotel operator and manages brands LUX*, SALT, TAMASSA, SOCIO and Café LUX*. At the heart of its purpose, TLC makes each moment matter and cares about what matters. Putting people first is the core of TLC’s culture as well as staying true to the values of being passionate, responsible and innovative in all that it does. By providing comfort through thoughtful and exquisite designs, TLC creates experiences that make each moment matter for all guests. It is committed to operating in a considered and respectful manner that is mindful of future generations.

Through its signature Groupwide sustainability project Tread Lightly, The Lux Collective promises an eco-conscious stay throughout its hotels. Its partnership with Altruistiq, a group of CO2 experts, focuses on the environmental footprint and ensures that emission sources are tracked using the highest international Science-Based standard.

Growing the global presence, TLC currently manages 18 operating resorts and hotels in Mauritius, Maldives, Ile de la Reunion, China and Tanzania, and with 16 more hotels in its development pipeline in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

An affiliate member of IBL, a major economic player in the Indian Ocean and a public-listed leader of the “Top 100” Mauritian companies, IBL is active in key sectors of the Mauritian economy, with a global portfolio of approximately 300 subsidiaries and associated companies.

About LUX*
At LUX*, time is luxury. LUX* helps people to celebrate life by delivering consistently on the promise of a different kind of luxury. In a world where a deeper sense of connection can be hard to reach, even on vacation, it enables guests to break from the ordinary. Staging exceptional experiences in different locales – whether on the Beach, in the City or in Nature, it transforms the everyday into the extraordinary through elevated service, contemporary spaces and crafted escapes to truly disconnect and relax – with Life Extraordinary.

About SALT
SALT is a humanistic approach to hospitality launched in November 2018, connecting modern explorers with meaningful travel experiences. It introduces a new breed of hospitality for the culturally curious. Devoted to the wonder of all things local and sustainable, SALT takes guests to people – not just places. Unveiling the heartbeat of destinations and their communities, it gets them out there exploring – the SALT way.

Corporate Traveller has teamed up with Healthwise Global to pick the top seven tips for travellers who want to protect their health and wellbeing when flying.

“Business travellers are definitely prioritising their health this year,” says Herman Heunes, GM Corporate Traveller South Africa. “But the reality of early flights, back-to-back meetings and room service can quickly derail even the strongest resolutions, making it particularly difficult to stick to the promises you made yourself on New Year’s Eve!”

As Heunes explains, the Flight Centre Travel Group makes use of the services of Healthwise Global – an in-house employee wellness programme – to motivate, inspire and assist their staff to live their happiest and healthiest lives.

Healthwise’s Global Business Leader, Tod Horton, says: “Healthwise is proud to look after the health and well-being of Corporate Traveller employees, especially when they are on the road at home and abroad.”

For Heunes, Healthwise Global are the perfect people to go to for advice.

“As our corporate travel teams benefit from the support and insights of Healthwise Global, we decided to ask them for a list of easy and practical ways travellers can keep their health and fitness levels in check,” says Heunes. “And when it comes to your well-being, every little step helps.”

1. Hydrate early. It is so important to rehydrate your body after a few weeks of Christmas and New Year’s cheer before travelling. Aiming for your eight glasses of water each day will help you feel better, think more clearly, aid digestion, improve your skin, and help prevent headaches. Yes, you may need to go to the bathroom a bit more often, but your body will thank you for it once you land.
2. Perfect your pre-airport routine. Use the night before your flight to prepare for the hustle and bustle of airport check-in and security. Pack yourself a healthy snack for the flight, have a quick but balanced breakfast, such as Bircher muesli or egg white frittata, ready for the morning, and get an early night’s sleep. It is also worth checking your journey to the airport the night before in case there are scheduled roadworks on your route. These extra steps will help reduce unplanned stress ahead of departure.
3. Use seat selection to your advantage. Once you have made it on board, it is easy to sink into your seat and settle in until landing time. However, remaining immobile for several hours on your flight will cause your body to work harder to pump blood from your legs back to your heart. By selecting an aisle seat at the time of booking, you will ensure you can get up as you please (when safe to do so) and use the aisles to stretch your legs.
4. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks are a tempting option when travelling; it’s common to feel the need for a few cups of coffee after an early start or a glass of wine on the flight home to decompress. Their diuretic nature, combined with the humidity levels on planes, however, increases the risk of dehydration. It’s best to stick to bottled water when flying, and if you’re travelling on a long-haul flight, consider taking a hydration tablet with electrolytes to help with water absorption.
5. Eat balanced meals, in moderation. It’s easy to slip into unhealthy food habits when travelling, with the enticement of hotel breakfast buffetsand restaurant meals on offer. Foods with processed sugars, such as pastries, energy drinks, and chocolate cake, can cause our energy levels to peak and crash, so they are best avoided if you want to optimise your energy levels. In addition, moderation is key. If you’ve had a meal of lean protein, vegetables, and wholegrains, and aren’t completely satisfied, a scoop of ice cream won’t hurt and may help to curb the cravings.
6. Stay on the move when on the move. There is no reason to pause your exercise routinewhen travelling and staying active can help your body acclimatise to your new location. Consider going for a walk after you check in to get the blood circulating before your flight, or consider packing compact fitness items, such as resistance bands, that you can use in your hotel room. Simple exercises such as squats, burpees and bicycle crunches can all be performed in small indoor spaces.
7. Sleep well. It is super important that you use the travel time to catch up on some sleep or at least try to adjust to new time zones, so you feel fresh and more focused upon arrival. Use eye masks and earplugs and try to avoid screens right before sleeping.

-ENDS-

MEDIA CONTACT

For more information about Corporate Traveller, or to interview Corporate Traveller South Africa GM Herman Heunes, call Sonnette Fourie on 081 072 2869 or email sonnette@bigambitions.co.za.    

About Corporate Traveller

Corporate Traveller is a division of the Flight Centre Travel Group, dedicated to saving businesses across Southern Africa time and money. Corporate Traveller has the benefit of being part of the world’s third-largest travel retailer, leveraging its global negotiating strength. It has access to over 50 of the world’s leading airlines and deals with more than 100 000 hotels around the world to guarantee savings for clients. Corporate Traveller provides clear, consolidated reporting of all its clients’ travel activities, helping them to control travel spend and identify opportunities to save costs.

Issued by:

Big Ambitions

Sonnette Fourie

sonnette@bigambitions.co.za

+27 81 072 2869