Business Travelers Prefer Convenience over Expense

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Business Travelers Prefer Convenience over ExpenseNowadays, business travelers value convenience over cost. Many are willing to dip into their own funds if it means they can choose their own hotel or airline seat upgrade. It appears some corporate travel policies may need to be re-worked to allow for flexibility in traveling and newer trends.

Why Do Business Travelers Want Control of Their Own Bookings?

Business travelers prefer booking their own travel itineraries mainly for loyalty reward points, especially from credit card companies.  This is because on some airlines, such as United Airlines, a round trip flight from New York to London is around 2,000 miles and cost about $1,000. Depending on the time of year, you could earn at least 3000 points and more if you booked your hotel and transportation at the same time.

Luckily, only a few company policies are extremely rigid, stating that employees must only use “certain suppliers” and that’s it. Most travel policies are becoming more flexible, suggesting ideas, but allowing employees to book itineraries on their mobile devices.

What Do Business Travelers Really Value?

Business travelers spend even more time traveling than ever before. Therefore, around half of them valued direct flights and convenient departure and arrival times over saving money. Business travelers also want to stay in hotel in hotels that offer premium amenities, such as free Wi-Fi, a quiet office setting, and healthy room service options.  A recent study revealed that nearly all business travelers comply with current corporate travel policy. However, nearly 80% of employees said that they’d prefer to work for an organization that implemented a travel management plan with more flexibility.

How Business Travel Managers Can Adapt to Trends

Nearly 60 % of business travelers said that their 2018 business travel budget increased since 2017. This trend is expected to grow and reach $1.6 trillion by 2020. With ever-changing trends, it’s important that your company keeps up and offers flexible options. Providing convenience is essential. Providing employees with perks like pre-check in services or complimentary Wi-Fi services is a good place to start. In addition, a corporate travel service will have information on the latest trends and can help you update policy.  With mobile services taking off in popularity, business travelers prefer to book some of their travel itineraries by mobile.  Travel managers can assist them by allowing employees submit expense reports through their smart phones.  They also need to take advantage of the mobile shift and ride sharing apps and offer travelers discounts on Uber or Lyft.

Currently, many employees still deem business travel as a perk, and several want to work for corporations that allow them to travel frequently on business. Right now, the challenge is to find the balance between cost and flexibility and analyze who is paying for what. At GTI Travel our business travel consultants can help you sort all of that.

Should Business Travel Managers cut costs on Airfare?

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In the past, travel managers only worried about getting the best deal, but times are changing. Nowadays, with tighter security, longer lines, and airline cramped seating, business travel agents value their employee’s comfort just as much as saving money.

Economy Flights Cause Stress

Should Business Travel Managers cut costs on AirfareMany corporations do not want their employees traveling on economy flights for business trips. The Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) did a recent study and discovered that 63% of large companies do not permit their employees to book economy fares. The study also revealed that 79% of corporate travel agencies hide the basic economy rates. This is because travel managers feel their employees sometimes seem overwhelmed, since they couldn’t choose to sit with their colleagues and would often arrive at their destination exhausted.

Perks of Flying Business Class

There are many perks of flying business class that travelers do love. Many enjoy using the online check in app and priority boarding, which allows them to skip several lines and board first. Business travelers also enjoy taking advantage of roomier seating and complimentary lounge access on the plane. Many business travelers feel tired and stressed after a long flight and enjoy taking advantage of shower facilities in the lounge.

What Business Travelers Really Want

Business travelers crave ease and comfort. They prefer non-stop flights versus cheaper flights with layovers. This lessens the amount of time they wait around an airport, as well as the time in the air. They also value convenient flight times. Some business travelers would prefer to complete a trip in one day when possible, leaving early in the morning and returning the same night. Travel agencies can make business travel easier, in many ways, including hassle-free flight itineraries so that employees can relax. Business travel agencies also know how to get employees upgrades on their flight. They can also assist them in rescheduling a flight.

What the Future Looks Like for Business Travel and Airfare

Some airlines are just as interested in being creative as they are competing with other markets. Your corporate travel agency can tell you which airlines and airports offer specialized check-ins for large corporations, such as Microsoft or Amazon. They can also inform you which airlines offer their business class travelers extra perks, such as complimentary pajamas to wear on overnight flights.

Since so many business travelers say their job performance and satisfaction is based on their overall travel experience, it’s imperative that they feel relaxed and comfortable. Using travel management companies that are available 24/7 is a great way to start. These agents can help your corporation analyze their spending habits and make changes to your travel policy accordingly. It keeps employees involved in the process, and it allows for upgrades for their comfort. You’ll often find while the cost of savings may vary, you’ll have happier, more productive team members.