Congested airports, heightened security and tighter policies are all making life more difficult for business travelers. The good news is that a little careful planning can go a long way to easing their burden.
Travel managers are well aware that 2008 looks like being a tough year. According to the BCD Travel 2008 Industry Forecast, air fares will rise 2% to 4%, hotel rates 6% to 9%, meeting costs 8% to 10% and car rental rates 5% to 10%.
However, businesses need to be aware that the travel environment is becoming more difficult for their travelers, too. Overcrowded flights and hotels are exacerbating frustrations such as delays and cancellations, while airport security continues to intensify.
Another challenge making life harder for road warriors is that companies are still downgrading their travel policies. This was revealed in the BCD Travel Client Benchmark Survey published in summer 2007 and confirmed in a Business Travel News survey of top European travel buyers released last month. Almost half of the respondents in the BTN survey said they have made their cabin class policy more restrictive in the last year.
Yet whichever class travelers fly in, they are vulnerable to many of the same problems. In the first nine months of 2007, the number of bags mishandled by US carriers was 7.25 per 1,000 passengers, up from 6.19 for the same period in 2005 and 6.45 in 2006.
The figures for European carriers are much worse. According to the Association of European Airlines, there were 16.9 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers for January-September 2007, up from 14.1 and 15.7 in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
Punctuality is also deteriorating. In the US, more than one flight in four (26.9%) was delayed in the year to September 2007, up from 23.5% the previous year. On-time performance has also been declining steadily in Europe.
Many delays are caused by overcrowding at airports, leading to aircraft queuing up to take off and land. Unfortunately, the long-term outlook suggests the situation will only get worse, to the extent that by 2020 the world’s airports will have capacity for six billion passengers per year but will be handling seven billion.
The days when business travel seemed a glamorous pastime are long gone. Executives are taking to the air for one reason only, which is to make their contribution, either directly or indirectly, to the company’s bottom line. Businesses will need more help than ever next year to keep a lid on travel costs, but it is crucial that they look after their loyal, hard-working travelers too.
Minimizing cost while maximizing traveler comfort is always a difficult balance to achieve but here are some strategies which could ease traveler frustration without breaking the bank:
1. Use mobile services
Personal digital assistants and even ordinary mobile phones are increasingly supporting the traveler, from providing a convenient check-in service to receiving alerts about delayed flights.
2. Using regional airports
Low-cost carriers in particular have opened many routes from secondary locations. They are saving lengthy transfers to major hubs for travelers who live outside the big cities. What is more, regional airports are less crowded and there are fewer challenges regarding logistics such as parking. However, watch out for one disadvantage: many regional routes only have only one or two departures per day.
3. Meeting locations
When arranging a meeting attended by personnel from different sites, select a destination with easy ground transfers and an airport that does not have a reputation for congestion.
4. High-speed rail
Trains are usually more comfortable and productive for travelers than planes. They are greener, too. With journey times falling on several lines in Europe, it is worth re-considering which routes are feasible by rail instead of air.
5. Fly off-peak
If possible, avoid the crush by traveling at off-peak times of the day and week. Early morning and early evening are the busiest times of the day, while the busiest days are normally Monday for outbound travel and Thursday and Friday for inbound travel.
6. Fly the night before
Some travelers may prefer this option to avoid a stressful rush first thing in the morning. Although traveling the night before adds cost by incurring a hotel bill, it may well be offset by being able to take a cheaper, off-peak outbound flight.
7. Keep travelers wireless
Ensure your travelers are equipped with the means to gain wireless access at the airport, even if they are not in an airline lounge. This will ease frustration over non-productive down-time.
8. Investigate fast-track security access
Various airports worldwide have introduced fast-track clearance for registered travelers. In the United States, foreign passport holders will soon be able to join its Registered Traveler program.
9. Mandate booking through a travel management company
Make sure your travelers book through your company’s preferred travel management company (TMC). A good TMC will provide 24-hour emergency assistance, like BCD Travel’s T24 Emergency Services, if a trip goes wrong.
10. Don’t travel
Only travel if it is really necessary. Not only does it reduce stress levels for the traveler, it saves money for the company and helps the environment.
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on Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 at 10:51 am and is filed under Travel Updates.
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