Business Travelers´ Dependency on Internet, Technology Steadily on the Rise

Underscoring the increasing dependence on Internet and technology from booking to check-in, a recent Accenture Survey has found out that technology has become a large part of many business travelers´ experience.

As per the findings, the semi-annual survey found that almost three-quarters (74 percent) of the more than 500 US business travelers queried said they book trips online, up from 61 percent in the 2004 survey and 57 percent in the 2003 survey.

Additionally, the vast majority (90 percent) of respondents said they use the Internet to research flight times and availability, and two-thirds (65 percent) check in online. Also, this use of technology continues at the airport, with 89 percent of business travelers 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. 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,” said Paul Chiu, partner in Accenture´s Transportation & Travel Services practice.

More business travelers are booking ahead: 50 percent of respondents in this survey said they make arrangements more than 14 days in advance, compared with 46 percent of respondents in the previous survey in February. In terms of business travelers´ experiences in hotels, 30 percent said their preferred hotel does not recognize them as frequent customers, 15 percent reported their preferred hotel recognizes them but does not offer special services and 37 percent said their preferred hotel recognizes them and some of their basic preferences, said the company.

Other key findings of the survey: Price trumps location for hotels. In a change from Accenture´s last survey, respondents reported that price - not location - is the top influencer in their choice of hotel, followed by proximity to business activity, service from staff, and brand or reputation of the hotel; Maintenance-related delays still a problem.

More than half (60 percent) of respondents said they have experienced maintenance-related travel delays or cancellations in the past six months –a significant increase from 48 percent in 2004; Mid-range hotels still popular. While 2004 saw an increase in the number of business travelers staying in budget chain hotels, 84 percent of this year´s respondents reported using mid-range chains, up from 72 percent last year.