Wifi is better than breakfast

Much has changed since air miles and upgrades represented the height of perks for business travellers. A recent study of employees in the UK, France and Germany shows that mobile tools and constant connectivity are at the top of the list for a productive trip.

In a shift of priorities, complimentary wifi is now deemed twice as important to those surveyed (67%) as free breakfast, (32%) according to research conducted by Egencia, the corporate arm of online booking platform Expedia. Hotspots are also more popular than parking, as only 33% of travellers prefer a free space for their car.

The research supports previous Egencia insights, which found that employees expect to move seamlessly from one device to another and from online to offline and back again. Mobile devices act as their personal assistants and 61% say such technology is a must to maintain productivity, followed closely by the 54% who prefer to use a laptop.

Attitudes about business trips in general are also changing, as 62% of employees believe seeing different places and having new experiences are the best aspects of travelling for work. When asked what they felt about being away from home, the top two emotions mentioned were stress (48%) and exhaustion (41%).