Global Business Survey Foresees Increase in Travel
Business travelers place security lines and flight delays on the top of the list of events that most negatively affect travel. And, the majority does not want cell phone use allowed in-flight. As for travel managers, they say expectations from top management are cost savings and globalization of the travel program.
These are among the findings of the Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) global business travel survey, the “CWT Business Travel Indicator.” The survey was commissioned by the travel management leader to gauge attitudes and perceptions of business travelers and corporate travel managers about the current and future state of business travel. The survey randomly sampled opinions of 2,100 business travelers and 650 travel managers, both CWT and non-CWT customers, in 12 countries.
“Business travel is increasing,” said Hubert Joly, president and chief executive officer of CWT. “This is a reflection of strong economic growth around the world and the globalization of the economy and corporations.”
According to the study, the majority of business travelers and corporate travel managers believe business travel will stay the same or increase in 2006, with travel managers even more optimistic than their travelers. Nearly 60 percent of travel managers say travel expenditures will increase this year. Slightly more than 30 percent of business travelers say they anticipate traveling more, while 48 percent believe they will travel the same amount as last year.
When asked about the most common expectation from company leadership, the majority of travel managers answer cost savings, the number-one response across every region.
Airport security lines top the list as having the most negative impact on business travel (25 percent of business travelers), with flight delays coming in a close second (24 percent), followed by work-life balance and customer service tying for third (21 percent).
If airlines are listening to their most frequent travelers, they may want to shelve any thought of allowing cell phone use during flight. Whether they are hesitant to give up their “alone time” or they simply don’t want to put up with noisy flights, 61 percent of business travelers surveyed said they are not in favor of allowing people to talk on cell phones in-flight.
Europeans are most adamant about not allowing cell phone use with 70 percent responding unfavorably, while North Americans appear more tolerant with just 57 percent opposing their use.
Of all the annoyances business travelers face, the biggest pet peeve on a global basis is fellow travelers not checking luggage when they should (18 percent), followed closely by crying babies (17 percent), and those travelers who stow luggage far forward from their seat (14 percent).
Travel managers most often believe technologically advanced security check-in procedures, such as fingerprint or iris scans, will be a part of business travel in five years. An interesting second choice indicates 83 percent foresee virtually all bookings online in that time frame.
As for airlines, the study shows that business travelers are resigned to the fact that airline food and beverage service will continue to be limited five years down the road. Additionally, nearly 70 percent of travelers say it is very or somewhat likely there will be fewer major airlines and more discount carriers in five years, while 61 percent predict flight crew-size reductions.
Fifty-eight percent of business travelers extend their business trip to include leisure or vacation time, at least one time a year, either at the beginning or end of their trip. Of those, 47 percent said they occasionally or frequently have family or friends join them for the leisure portion of the trip.