Like It or Not, People Are Going on More Work-Related Trips

Business travelers are among the most researched demographic group on the planet. Not a week goes by that there isn’t a survey released about road warriors’ likes, dislikes, spending habits or lodging preferences.

While most surveys have an ulterior motive--to help sell a product or service--some are done in the interest of market research. As more consumers go on record with their preferences, the information may prompt airlines, hotels, Web sites and other travel companies to improve their services.

Below is a grab bag of some recent surveys about business travel.

* “Air rage” seems to be a growing phenomenon, with more and more travelers getting ticked off over airline service. Nearly 40% of business travelers have witnessed verbal or physical abuse on a flight in the last year. About 2% of those surveyed had flights diverted as a result of “air rage” incidents, according to travel information publisher OAG. But there may be some reason for the angst. The 1999 survey of 3,000 frequent business travelers from 13 countries found a growing intolerance for carry-on luggage limits. About 23% of travelers had carry-on baggage refused last year while boarding, up 3% from a year earlier. Forty percent of those surveyed said they would change airlines for more-flexible luggage policies.

* We figured as much, but a survey by the Travel Industry Assn. of America showed that more U.S. businesspeople are on the road than ever before. The number of Americans taking at least one business trip in 1998--the most recent full year studied--reached 44 million, up 14% since 1994.

About half of all business travelers surveyed reported that the reason for their most recent trip was to attend a meeting, trade show or convention. But frequent business travelers--those who take 10 or more trips a year--are more likely to have made their last trip for consulting, sales or company operations. Although frequent business travelers make up only 14% of all such travelers, they account for 54% of the 272 million business trips taken last year.

* Like everyone else the world over, business travelers are increasingly going online. A survey of 1,000 frequent travelers by the International Air Transport Assn. found that about 65% of business travelers worldwide used the Internet to find flight information, up 50% from the previous year. But it seems travelers are looking far more than they’re booking; only about 17% of travelers booked their seats online. Not surprisingly, according to OAG’s survey of nearly 3,000 business travelers, 56% said they still use travel agents for air travel, and 37% said they use them for hotel planning. But travel agents beware: More than half of business travelers say they expect to make their travel plans on the Internet within five years.

* Women business travelers apparently like traveling more than men do, according to a survey conducted by the New York University Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Travel Administration. Men are more likely to avoid overnight travel than women (63% of men compared with 52% of women); more men than women find business travel a hassle (55% to 40%); and more women say they do not believe travel takes a toll on their work (79% to 66%).

Maybe it’s because women perceive business travel differently. More than half of the 400 women surveyed said that the No. 1 benefit of traveling for their jobs is the chance to network and meet new people. About 70% of women say they incorporate some leisure time on their business trips, while fewer than half of the 200 men surveyed did the same. Women are twice as likely as men to order room service, which the female respondents considered an opportunity to be “self-indulgent” and “pampered.”

* A poll of 2,000 readers of Business Traveler International magazine ranked L.A. as the second-worst destination for biz travelers, behind New York. New York’s JFK International Airport was rated the worst airport in the world, followed by Tokyo’s Narita. On the flip side, the survey found that London and San Francisco were business travelers’ favorite cities, respectively. The British capital has recently made getting from the airport to town faster with a new express train, and its range of hotels, from the serviceable major chains to quaint and abundant bed-and-breakfasts and “boutique” hotels, appeal to the business and leisure traveler alike.

* Companies spent 7% more to send their employees on the road in 1999, paying an average of $233 for a day’s lodging, three meals and a rental car in the U.S. That was $16 more than in 1998 and the first time the daily rate surpassed $230, according to the Corporate Travel Index.

The Times is interested in hearing about your experiences as a business traveler and as someone doing business in the international marketplace. Please contact us at global.savvy@latimes.com.

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Be Advised

Businesspeople traveling overseas during the next month should be aware of the following:

Millennium Risks

Dec. 31-Jan. 1: Air travel is best avoided over the millennium. If air travel is essential, exercise care when choosing an airline and routing. However, confirmation of Y2K compliance in both areas is no guarantee against delays and curtailments.

Colombia

Dec. 25: Christmas Day in Colombia is routinely met by an upsurge of violence by rebel groups and criminal gangs.

Czech Republic/Slovakia

Jan. 1: Anniversary of the division of Czechoslovakia into separate Czech and Slovak republics: demonstrations possible.

Guatemala

Dec. 26: Second round of presidential elections scheduled; Round One was marked by violent clashes.

India

Jan. 6: Anniversary of Hindu-Muslim clashes in Bombay and Ahmedabad; communal clashes possible.

Macau

Dec. 19: Portugal returns island to Chinese sovereignty. Dec. 19-22: Events organized by non-governmental groups are scheduled, possible unrest. Dec. 20: A garrison of 1,000 Chinese troops are scheduled to arrive.

Mexico

Jan. 1: Anniversary of the Chiapas uprising; tensions heightened in Chiapas, peaceful marches in Mexico City expected.

Panama

Dec. 31: At midnight, Panama takes control of the Canal from the United States, which built the strategic waterway and has managed it since the first ship transitted on Aug. 15, 1914; celebrations, disruptions expected in Panama City.

Sri Lanka

Dec. 21: Presidential elections scheduled throughout country; violent clashes probable in Colombo.

Venezuela

Wednesday: National referendum on the constitution scheduled. Some of the more controversial articles include changing the country’s name to the Bolivaran Republic of Venezuela and downsizing the Congress to a single house assembly with 166 members; possible unrest.

Be Advised appears monthly.

Sources: Control Risks Group, Kroll Intelligence Services, Pinkerton Global Intelligence Services