Business travel demand returns
US airlines predict that business travel will rebound slowly but steadily through 2022, reaching 55% of 2019 levels by the end of the year. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom reported that the airline’s corporate bookings are about half of 2019 levels, but overall, business travel has rebounded to about 80% of pre-pandemic volume. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines says business bookings are up significantly, driven by Seattle-area tech companies.