| Business travel has become so common that
| |
| | arrangements through the Internet,
|
| a considerable proportion of the
| |
| | limiting the necessity of having to
|
| corporate world of America is spending
| |
| | interact with travel agents and
|
| more time in airplanes and hotels than on
| |
| | professionals dealing with customer
|
| their couches or in their automobiles.
| |
| | service.
|
| According to a recent estimate, about 40
| |
| | Most tourism related sites offer one-stop
|
| million adults in the US travel on
| |
| | travel facilities for reservations of
|
| business at least once a year to a
| |
| | flights, booking rooms in hotels, and
|
| location about 50 miles from home. More
| |
| | providing transportation on the ground.
|
| than 20 percent of the trips made by
| |
| | Major airlines like Delta and American
|
| African Americans, for instance, are
| |
| | have included travel-friendly features
|
| related to their work.
| |
| | like locating cheap fares, finding
|
| Those who do not need to travel
| |
| | economical hotel accommodation, and
|
| frequently on business consider business
| |
| | hiring cars on a rental basis
|
| travel glamorous and exciting. However,
| |
| | inexpensively on their websites.
|
| in reality, business travel is often
| |
| | Travelers, thus, can make arrangements
|
| arduous.
| |
| | for an entire business trip, which
|
| It is tough physically, tough on the
| |
| | includes seating preferences, confirming
|
| family, and especially tough on the
| |
| | special food requests, and a text message
|
| pockets of businesspersons who do not
| |
| | or e-mail verifying their flight status
|
| have the luxury of generous expense
| |
| | and information about the departure
|
| accounts to take care of their travel
| |
| | timings with a few clicks of the mouse
|
| expenses.
| |
| | button.
|
| In addition, those who travel on business
| |
| | Most of these sites provide boarding
|
| regularly, quickly wise up to the fact
| |
| | passes that can be printed out and online
|
| that a stress-free and safe journey
| |
| | check-ins within 24 hours of the
|
| requires the smooth functioning of a
| |
| | departure of the flight.
|
| number of interconnected factors, which
| |
| | At the airport, those travelers in a
|
| includes the vagaries of the weather.
| |
| | hurry can take advantage of check-in
|
| According to a study conducted recently,
| |
| | kiosks in order not to have to wait in
|
| monitoring business travel trends:
| |
| | long lines, and get their boarding passes
|
| > 58 percent of business travel is
| |
| | and their seating information.
|
| undertaken for association meetings and
| |
| | Frequent Flyer Miles, Automatic Upgrades,
|
| conferences,
| |
| | and Comfortable Seating:
|
| > 43 percent comprising of business
| |
| | One of the biggest perks of traveling
|
| travel made by individuals,
| |
| | frequently on business is the facility of
|
| > and 29 percent for corporate meetings.
| |
| | accumulating points, which can be
|
| The study also identified some of the
| |
| | exchanged for vacations. Travelers,
|
| most popular destinations within the US
| |
| | therefore, are always on the look out for
|
| for business travel. They are:
| |
| | hotels offering generous points
|
| > Washington, D.C.,
| |
| | facilities.
|
| > New York,
| |
| | Frequent air travelers also favor
|
| > Los Angeles/Long Beach,
| |
| | automatic upgrades and comfort inside the
|
| > Chicago,
| |
| | airplane, such as generous legroom and
|
| > Atlanta,
| |
| | additional storage facilities overhead.
|
| > Boston,
| |
| | Business traveler programs like
|
| > Houston,
| |
| | EliteAccess provided by Continental
|
| > Minneapolis-St. Paul,
| |
| | Airlines offer comforts like guarantees
|
| > Detroit,
| |
| | of no-middle-seat and upgrades to the
|
| > and Dallas.
| |
| | first class if possible.
|
| Irrespective of what the destination is,
| |
| | Getting Value for Money:
|
| business travel is seldom an enjoyable
| |
| | Companies are constantly curtailing
|
| experience. Some companies will allow
| |
| | overhead expenses by cutting down on the
|
| their business travelers the opportunity
| |
| | travel allowances they give their
|
| to enjoy their travel surroundings but
| |
| | executives, while business travelers look
|
| this is usually short lived depending on
| |
| | for ways in which they can maximize their
|
| the demands of the trip.
| |
| | allowances to the fullest.
|
| Business travelers, who have to make
| |
| | For example, several hotels offer free
|
| frequent trips, need special facilities
| |
| | breakfasts, while others provide
|
| to ease the hassles of traveling.
| |
| | complimentary facilities such as a
|
| Airlines and hotels are increasing the
| |
| | welcoming snack or allowing their guests
|
| levels of services they provide in order
| |
| | to make free long distance and local
|
| to meet the growing demands of business
| |
| | calls. Many hotels also offer free
|
| travelers:
| |
| | newspapers, tea and coffee.
|
| Usually, business travelers research
| |
| | Feeling at Home Far Away from Home:
|
| fares on their own and make their
| |
| | Business travelers are so frequently away
|
| reservations online. According to a
| |
| | from home that they look for services
|
| survey, it was found that only 32 percent
| |
| | that replicate their home comforts.
|
| of corporate travelers used the services
| |
| | Although hotels are selected primarily
|
| of travel agents for their reservation
| |
| | for value and location, but business
|
| needs, while the rest, 68 percent,
| |
| | travelers expect home-like comforts like
|
| preferred using the internet or online
| |
| | high quality toiletries, comfortable
|
| services to plan at least some part of
| |
| | bedding, choices in beverages, cable TV
|
| their business traveling arrangements.
| |
| | and films, broadband internet access,
|
| Business travelers are usually
| |
| | exercise and convenient check-in/out
|
| technologically conversant; hence, choose
| |
| | facilities, and so on.
|
| to handle all their traveling
| |
| |
|
