Traveling for work isn’t exactly a vacation. Often, you’re trying to work while making your way to your conference or meeting. The irregular hours can be a difficult adjustment, and it isn’t always easy to be away from home — or the home office.
But still, 70 percent of business travelers say they find business trips more enjoyable than working in the office, according to the latest Business Travel and Technology Global Survey from Egencia, the business-travel branch of Expedia. The survey was completed by 4,521 business travelers from the U.S., U.K., Australia, Germany, France, Canada, Singapore, Norway and Sweden.
A few takeaways from the research:
1. Some of the top perks were non-stop flights and in-flight wifi.
Business travelers appreciate a non-stop flight as much, if not more, than any other traveler. These flights were identified as one of the top perks of business travel. Also, travelers appreciate in-flight wifi. And, 49 percent of those who were polled said it would make them more productive. However, only 29 percent said they were reimbursed for this expense. Extra PTO to off-set travel time was also identified as a coveted perk, as were class upgrades for flights.
2. Business travelers want access to managing their trips on all their devices.
Companies can learn a lot about how to gear their products and services based on the responses and preferences of business travelers. These days, these folks want to be able to manage their travel experience across all of their devices. Sixty-six percent of respondents said they’d prefer these options. Being able to access travel information on a cellphone alone doesn’t quite cut it these days.
“We are at a turning point in business travel where standalone products are just not enough,” Egencia’s president, Rob Greyber told Business Traveller. “Expectations of global business travellers are higher than ever before: they want instant access to information and management tools on every device, while operating autonomously.”
3. Some people may use travel to get away from it all.
Fifty-one percent of respondents from the U.K. said they would “avoid human interaction on the road unless they were having a problem.” Perhaps business travelers enjoy being away from the regular day-in, day-out routines of office life.
4. Prior research supports these findings.
Other surveys of business travelers have yielded similar results in the past. A survey by Booking.com, which was referenced by Business Traveller, suggested that many workers might even be willing to take a pay cut in exchange for more travel. Thirty percent said they would take a lower-paying job if they would also travel more for work.
“No longer seen as lost time or a career inconvenience, business travel is increasingly seen as an opportunity to expand horizons, find inspiration and progress in a career,” Ripsy Bandourian, director of product development at Booking.com, told Business Traveller.
Individuals who enjoy travel should remember to consider using this as a bargaining chip when it comes time to negotiate pay or the specifics of a new, or changing, job. Workers who are motivated to engage in business travel are a valuable resource for companies.
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