Do UN Employees Travel Business Class?

By Anna Duncan

It is a common question among those who are interested in working for the United Nations (UN).

The answer to this question is, generally speaking, no. The majority of UN employees do not travel in business class when they are sent on official business. This is because the UN has strict rules and regulations on the cost of travel and the way in which funds are allocated for such trips.

The first criterion that the UN looks at when considering how to fund trips for its employees is whether or not it is absolutely necessary for them to travel in business class. If there are other cheaper and more convenient options available, then these will be explored first before any decision about business class travel is made. This often means that UN employees will be sent on economy flights unless there is a specific reason why they must travel in business class.

The second factor taken into consideration by the UN when deciding how to allocate funds for employee travel is the purpose of the trip. If an employee must travel to attend an important conference or other event, then it may be deemed appropriate to fly in business class so that they can arrive feeling refreshed and ready to take part. On the other hand, if an employee is travelling just for leisure purposes, then it would not normally be allowed that they fly in business class as this would be seen as a misuse of funds.

Cost

The cost of flying business class can vary greatly depending on where you are travelling from and to, but it can often be at least twice as expensive as flying economy. As such, even if an employee must fly long-haul due to their work commitments, it may still not be deemed appropriate for them to fly in business class due to the high costs involved.

Conclusion

Overall, while some UN employees may occasionally travel in business class due to extenuating circumstances such as attending important conferences or events, most will usually fly economy due to organisational constraints and cost considerations.