Women are more likely than men (21 per cent against 15 per cent) to be “motivated” by their business trips, according to technology company Amadeus.
Japan Airlines is the world’s most punctual major international carrier, according to
Flightstats.com. Of the major European airlines, KLM has the best on-time record.
On average, it takes 17 days for travel expenses to be paid, although 9 per cent of those polled by KDS/EPSA say they have to wait for more than a month.
of internet access, which then turns out to be painfully slow, and insufficient or inac- cessible electric sockets. Windows that are sealed shut and air-conditioning systems that can only be adjusted by someone with a degree in advanced engineering also attract plenty of flak.
POSITIVE POLICIES Complaints about the travel experience are legion. Complaints about travel policy, however, appear to be few and far between. Of course, travel managers are unlikely to admit that their inboxes are bursting at the seams with grumbles about the rules and regulations that they themselves have concocted, but it would appear that few of them are ever troubled by their travellers. “I think the recession has had a lot to do
with it,” said one. “The need to keep costs under control was obvious to everyone, so if they suddenly found themselves in the economy cabin, they understood why. And, in fact, that didn’t happen much – people just travelled less frequently.” Another factor is that travellers don’t seem to care that they are being limited to a relatively shallow pool of suppliers, probably because most of their travel experience is limited to that pool. It is difficult to have a ‘preferred’ hotel brand if one’s experience is limited.
What is more, most employees actually
enjoy getting out of the office. A recent survey by travel technology giant Amadeus saw 96 per cent of respondents agreeing that they either “liked” or “did not mind” travelling for business. More than half (55 per cent) said they found business trips “interesting”. Only 19 per cent of those questioned said their company travel policy has a negative impact on how they feel about their employer. Trip Advisor’s annual business travel survey
reaches a similar conclusion. Of more than 1,500 travellers polled worldwide, 62 per cent
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
Complaints about the travel experience are legion, but complaints about travel policy are few and far between
said they “often” enjoy business travel and 18 per cent said they “always” enjoy it. “Problems can arise if you have different rules for different levels of seniority, particu- larly if you have several people travelling to a conference, for example,” says one UK travel manager, talking to BBT. “If half the group is travelling in business class and the others have to fly in economy, there’s bound to be a certain amount of upset. So by and large, you should have the same rules for everyone.” Travel expenses remain a grey area, even
if they are not necessarily part of the travel manager’s remit. In cases of extreme dis- ruption, typified by the Icelandic ash-cloud, travellers have a tendency to take the law (and the company credit card) into their own hands, but it seems that quibbles usually arise over claims for minor amounts – for inflight drinks and hotel laundry bills. And all agree that simply enforcing policy is not the answer. If travellers are complaining about specific aspects of the regime on a regular basis, they probably have a point.
STRESSING THE POINT Travel managers need not only to be aware of the effects and stresses of travel on the per- formance of their travellers, but also to devise travel policies that give employees the best chance of doing their jobs well, according to corporate card provider Airplus International.
In a study last year conducted in conjunc- tion with physiological research company Optima-Life, Airplus concluded that travel stresses are tiring, and tiredness adversely affects business traveller productivity. Using hi-tech heart monitors, Optima-Life tracked two groups of Airplus employees. One group remained office-bound as usual, while the second was made up of the company’s road warriors. The travelling guinea pigs showed dra- matically higher stress levels – and far greater levels of fatigue – than their desk-bound counterparts. They also took much longer to recover from their exertions. The study found that, while each individual
reacts differently, fatigue leads to “a reduc- tion of mental capacity”, as evidenced by a lack of concentration, diminished com- munication skills and – crucially – reduced tolerance levels. And it’s a vicious circle. As the travel- ler becomes less tolerant, molehills turn into mountains – stress levels soar, fatigue follows suit, and tolerance levels drop through the floor.
“The pure cost of a ticket should, of
course, be an important element to consider when devising travel policy,” the Airplus/Optima report concludes. “However, it is equally important to consider the demands placed upon a traveller; if these demands are excessive, fatigue will become a factor. In turn fatigue can negatively impact business performance.” The report goes on to say that travel man-
agers “have a key role to play in producing travel policies that are intelligently devised, in order to ensure travellers are not just com- fortable and healthy but, equally, are able to perform at their best when working abroad”. So managers take note: better to think about the rules now rather than wait until your road-weary warriors start sinking their teeth into the cabin attendants.
BBT MAY/JUNE 2014 43
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