Travel Managers Clash With Travelers’ Need For Convenience

Travel managers are employed by corporations to ensure that employee trips adhere to company policy and don’t waste money. The complicated task of travel and expense management is just one result of how businesses prioritize the tracking of employee spending while on a business trip.

But new findings from the Global Business Travel Association Foundation, in partnership with American Express, could pit the corporate traveler against his or her travel manager.

According to GBTA, business travelers prioritize convenience, not cost, when booking their corporate travel plans.

The company released the findings of its first installment of the GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index series on Monday (May 11). According to the research, business travelers are especially spend-happy when it comes to booking flights, with 36 percent of those surveyed saying that flight schedule convenience is their top priority over ticket price or the ability to earn frequent flyer miles.

According to GBTA Foundation Vice President Joseph Bates, it is not entirely surprising that business travelers prioritize convenience over cost. “While a more convenient flight or a hotel closer to the meeting may cost slightly more, it is worth it to business travelers and their companies if it allows them to be more productive and maximize their time,” he said in a statement announcing the study’s results.

Other findings from the study included the revelation that business travelers are generally satisfied, or even very satisfied, with their trips when taken on the road. When they fly, however, just slightly more than half of those surveyed said they are satisfied with airline travel and airport security. Airline delays, airport security and airline fees were all cited as the top reasons why corporate travel is more difficult today than it was in the past, researchers found.

Additionally, GBTA found that millennials are leading the trend of adopting social media to use travel services, and that for the majority of corporate travelers, connectivity while on the go is critical. Further, frequent travelers find it challenging to manage their expenses while on their trips.