You deplore employees traveling in Business Class??? Try and fly 24 hours to Sydney and then get off the plane at 6.30am and be in the office for 9am to do a productive day's at work on site with a client that earns your company £1250 minimum!
Then go a day earlier. Even a nights hotel won't bust the bank comparing the difference between business and economy fares. When my old company went through the cost cutting regime, we did this and it wasn't unpleasant at all.