Flight disruption biggest irritant for business travellers

Flight delays and cancellations are the biggest irritant for business travellers, according to a new poll.

More than half of those asked by online travel community TripAdvisor identified delays as the biggest hassle, up from 48% last year.

Thirty-one per cent said recent airline delays and cancellations will affect their future business travel.

As an alternative, British travellers on business are more likely to go by train than others.

Twenty-seven per cent of UK business travellers said they would consider taking a train as an alternative, compared with only nine per cent overall.

Twelve per cent will consider driving and seven per cent will consider more video conferencing. 

But 39% of all business travellers said they have no option but to fly and 30% said they choose to fly regardless of the delays and cancellations. 

A quarter said they would pay a five to 20% premium for a “business traveller-only” flight.

Conversely, 24% said their business travel is always based on lowest fare and 16% said they fly into less convenient “secondary” airports to save money.

Six per cent admitted to occasionally taking longer routes to build up their frequent flyer miles.

The annual business travel survey of more than 1,500 travellers worldwide found that 62% of respondents “often” enjoy business travel and 18% “always” enjoy it. 

Almost half often tie leisure time to business trips to take advantage of company-expensed travel.

But the British are least likely to tie leisure time off with business travel, with only 28% admitting to combining business with a little R&R, compared with 53% of Americans in the survey.

Thirteen per cent of Brits admitted to visiting a strip club while on a business trip.

Thirty-four per cent of those surveyed spend more on food and drink when their company is paying. An additional 36% said they tip more generously when on a business trip than they ordinarily would.

Almost half “often” stay at the same hotel chain, while seven per cent “always” do. 

Americans are particularly brand loyal, with 66% often staying at the same hotel chain, compared to 61% of Europeans. The greatest motivation to stay at the same hotel chain is the hotel rewards programme, according to more than a quarter. 

Location was the next most popular factor (18%) followed by comfort of rooms (16%), rates (13%) and familiarity with the brand (13%).

Marriott was the top choice for business for the second consecutive year, followed by Hilton, Sheraton and Holiday Inn, which tied for third. 

New York City was chosen as the top city for business travellers for the second year in a row, followed by Chicago, London, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

by Phil Davies