Johannesburg, 24 Oct 2005
Technology has become a large part of many business travellers` experience, according to results of a recent Accenture survey.
The Web-based biannual survey, which queried 530 US business travellers who travelled more than 300 miles in the last six months, was fielded in August.
Almost three-quarters (74%) of the respondents said they book trips online, up from 61% in the 2004 survey and 57% in the 2003 survey. Most of them (90%) said they use the Internet to research flight times and availability, and two-thirds (65%) check in online.
This use of technology continues at the airport, with 89% of business travellers reporting they use self-service kiosks there to check in and get boarding passes.
"Consumers today go online to arrange travel the same way they do to bank, shop and chat with friends," says Paul Chiu, partner in Accenture`s Transportation & Travel Services practice.
"The smartest companies in the travel industry will make meeting their customers` demands for online services a top priority not only to satisfy their guests but to help cut operating costs and improve efficiency," says Chiu.
The survey also found that almost all (95%) of the respondents expect to restrict their travel to domestic destinations during the next six months. The three most popular destinations cited are Chicago, New York and Washington, DC, selected by 32%, 26% and 21% of respondents, respectively.
Accenture`s previous surveys have shown that cost is usually a concern for respondents, and nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents in the most recent survey said they expect their use of low-cost air carriers to remain the same or increase in the next six months.
Slightly more (76%) said they would use these carriers more often if the carriers had more flights into main airports. Even so, 82% of respondents reported having used major carriers - up from 72% in last year`s survey.
More business travellers are booking ahead: 50% of respondents in this survey said they make arrangements more than 14 days in advance, compared with 46% of respondents in the previous survey in February.
Another key finding of the survey was that maintenance-related delays are still a problem. More than half (60%) of respondents said they have experienced maintenance-related travel delays or cancellations in the past six months, an increase from 48% in 2004.
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