A year ago, Jeanne Branthover wouldn't think twice of flying business class "almost anywhere." Now, the New York office-managing director of Boyden, the global executive search firm, asks her assistant to scour websites and other sources for the best possible airline and hotel deals.

The worldwide financial and economic plunge, she says, "have made me very cost conscious, especially when the client is paying for my travel." She has switched to JetBlue almost exclusively for U.S. trips and carries the airline's American Express card to rack up reward miles. Branthover only books international business class "if it's a really long trip, like to Asia, and even then we shop hard for the best price."

The same is true for her vacations. She flew round trip from New York to Santo Domingo in the Caribbean on her JetBlue miles and paid only $32 in fees and taxes. Besides its usually lower fares, she switched her loyalty from the big, so-called legacy airlines to JetBlue for its "huge legroom and the TV."

Overseas, Branthover says more of her large corporate clients are flying to London on Virgin Atlantic "for its pricing, value and its luxurious upper class (if a lower fare can be negotiated). Previously, client senior executives would usually fly the airline with the most convenient schedule."

Branthover, who also heads Boyden's Global Financial Practice, has switched her allegiance to hotels, too. "We've joined Hilton and Marriott for lower prices and their frequent-stay programs. If the hotel's occupancy is low, I won't hesitate to ask for a free upgrade to a better room."

A year ago, the congenial Branthover was staying in Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons hotels. She still does occasionally, but only if her assistant can wangle a rate lower than a Hilton or Marriott in the same city. "If you shop today," she insists, "you can save unbelievable amounts of money."

Frugality on the fly is just smart business these days, Branthover contends. Particularly for consultants who usually work with CEOs or chief human resource officers. "I'm an extension of my client's business," she said. We're a partnership through all economic cycles. This is a critical time for clients to show their employees and shareholders they take cost cutting seriously. And I travel like they travel." Continued...