When booking travel for your boss, half of the battle is keeping him or her to the correct itinerary. 47% of travellers lack full comprehension of their corporate travel policy, and 34% of travellers went ?off-plan? in 2012, says a traveller insights report commissioned by Amadeus.
Travel technology partner and transaction processor Amadeus released a report on 28 January titled ?Amadeus Business Travel Insights: the 21st Century Business Traveller?, which charts the behaviour and aspirations of business travellers across the UK.
Key findings include:
A tipping point reached in the ability to book online: the data displays new opportunities for self managed travel as two thirds (66%) of travellers are now able to book their business travel through an online booking tool. Only a third of travellers (34%) are able to book travel on a mobile or tablet device, providing a significant area of opportunity for travel managers, TMCs and technology companies to put their knowledge and company policies in the hands of the traveller.
A tipping point reached in the ability to book online: the data displays new opportunities for self managed travel as two thirds (66%) of travellers are now able to book their business travel through an online booking tool. Only a third of travellers (34%) are able to book travel on a mobile or tablet device, providing a significant area of opportunity for travel managers, TMCs and technology companies to put their knowledge and company policies in the hands of the traveller.
Half (51%) of the survey respondents had to make changes to their travel plans in 2012 with 37% having to amend their flights whilst on the road. These statistics indicate a clear opportunity for the travel department to add value as only 30% of travellers said the department had been ?very effective? at making the necessary amendments to their bookings.
Clear gap to bridge between corporate governance and user awareness of policy as significant minority go ?off plan?
One third (33%) of travellers surveyed said that they had gone ?off plan? during their 2012 business travel. However, this increased to half (51%) for those travellers who made 11 or more trips in 2012, nearly a fifth (18%) went ?off plan? at least five times during the year.
Clear gap to bridge between corporate governance and user awareness of policy as significant minority go ?off plan?
One third (33%) of travellers surveyed said that they had gone ?off plan? during their 2012 business travel. However, this increased to half (51%) for those travellers who made 11 or more trips in 2012, nearly a fifth (18%) went ?off plan? at least five times during the year.
The report found that convenience is prioritised by business travellers above cost and comfort, with 62% of respondents stating this was the most important factor when travelling for business. Just over a fifth (22%) stated cost as their top priority, with only 15% putting comfort first. 32% of the business travellers who took part in the survey also want the opportunity to extend their business trip to include self-funded leisure travel and 14% would like to be provided with information into local sights.
However, the report delivers some more mixed reading for travel bookers. Whilst half of the travellers surveyed said that they fully understand their company?s corporate travel policy (51%), this leaves nearly half who have a more limited understanding. Respondents demonstrated an inability to pin point the value added by the corporate travel department: nearly half (47%) said that the department neither helped nor hindered the business, 15% said that the corporate travel department hindered their ability to do business.
