If you've found yourself booking and arranging less business trips than usual lately, you're not alone. According to the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, 70 percent of companies have cut their travel budgets by between 10 percent and 20 percent in 2009. And, if your company is still flying employees on business, these individuals are more likely to be sitting back in coach, rather than enjoying the comforts of first or business class.

An Economic Casualty

Airlines are one of the biggest casualties of the poor economy and the overall decline in business travel. After all, business passengers who tend to pay full fare have always been their bread and butter.

Most U.S. airlines have trimmed their flight schedules by up to 20 percent during the last year or so, a trend that seems likely to continue. Whereas, for example, there used to be a dozen United Airlines flights each day between LaGuardia and O'Hare, today there may only be eight. Also, some smaller destinations have virtually no service at all. In fact, air service was completely discontinued to more than 50 airports in 2007.

All of this means less choice, more crowded and oversold flights, and fewer seats available to be purchased at the last minute. For the business traveler, this can mean that their flight of choice has to be booked ahead of time - something that isn't always possible with the typical last-minute business trip. Fewer seats also mean more over-sales. Although this is ideal for those who can afford to take the voucher and a seat on the next available flight, it's not good news for most business travelers.

Less Amenities and More Fees

Any business traveler who is still taking regular trips has probably noticed that flying is more challenging than ever. Not only have airlines cut back on their schedules, they've also reduced their number of amenities. As any regular traveler knows only too well, it's now commonplace to be charged for extras such as drinks, snacks, checked luggage, pre-reserved seats, even pillows and blankets. At least one airline has proposed to charge extra for overweight passengers - a move that understandably has been met with a lot of criticism.

However, these extra fees and charges can add up significantly. United Airlines, for example, estimates that it makes around $1.2 billion a year from these various fees. It all helps to offset the huge losses that U.S. airlines have suffered during the last few years. (American Airlines alone lost around $2.7 billion in 2008.)

Southwest Airlines is about the only major U.S. airline that doesn't assess these extra fees. In fact, the airline is going out of its way to attract more business travelers with improved seating, priority boarding, and free cocktails for those flying on full-fare tickets.

The Good News

There are signs that the recession has bottomed out and that the economy may slowly be recovering. And if you travel enough to be an elite or premier flyer with your airline, it isn't all doom and gloom; you can still enjoy perks such as extra mileage accrual, a dedicated phone line, and preferred seating. You don't always have to pay those annoying extra fees and charges that apply to lesser mortals. Perhaps things aren't so bad, after all!