When the economy stumbles, some industries are hit harder than others. One sector that is invariably affected by economic slowdowns is the airline industry. Since vacations are often viewed as luxuries when times get tight, people tend to put them off or cancel them altogether.

Airports in the UK reported a 7.4 percent drop in total passengers in 2009. It was the largest annual decline since World War II! Of particular concern to the airlines is the precipitous drop in business travel. Business trips fell by an astonishing 15 percent last year. Why so much?

When the economy contracts, businesses must take immediate steps that will help them survive. This means cutting budgets to the bone and getting rid of all the unnecessary expenses. Business travel and company marketing are typically the first items on the list for company management departments.

Rarely the most popular workers in the office, members of the team are expected to reduce travel budgets for travelling salesmen. Sometimes this means cancelling trips, other times it means shortening them. The bottom line is that budgets must be cut and money must be saved.

A talented company manager is able to keep the salesmen and the accountants happy. He does this by scouring the internet for bargains on flights and hotel accommodation and by making sure that he does not cancel more trips than he has to. After all, important clients like to do business face to face and salesmen depend on commissions for their pay.