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Survey: disrupted business travelers turn to tech for answers

Travellers turn to tech amid widespread travel disruption

4 min
Posted: 15 August 2022
Travelers turn to tech
  • 69% of frequent business travellers now expect travel disruption
  • 96% of travellers value disruption management technology
  • 94% of professionals still think business travel is beneficial

San Diego, CA – August 15, 2022 – Nearly three quarters (74%) of business travellers are more likely to use digital tools like apps and virtual agents to get disrupted trips back on track since the pandemic, according to new research from global B2B travel tech platform, Egencia.

DISRUPTION BECOMING THE NORM

The survey of 2,250 frequent business travelers1 across France, the UK and the US, reveals that travel chaos has caused 73% of their recent trips to be disrupted in some way – including flight delays and cancellations2.

More than two-thirds (69%) of business travellers polled think they'd be likely to experience disruption if they were to travel today (rising to 76% in the UK). Consequently, 85% proactively put some sort of plan in place to alleviate the inconvenience, such as booking an early morning flight (46%) or avoiding certain airlines and airports (40%).

TECH FOR TAKE OFF

Since the pandemic, younger professionals are more likely to use tech to manage disrupted schedules than those more than 55 years old - 75% of under 35s have adopted the tech trend as opposed to just 60% of the older generation.

Gaining access to real-time updates was selected as the greatest benefit of using digital tools to manage changes to business travel by 43% of all respondents. The overwhelming majority agree that technology adds value to trip management with only 4% disagreeing.

Top five benefits of using tech to manage disrupted trips:

  1. Access to real-time updates
  2. Time savings
  3. Immediate, personalised support from a corporate travel agency
  4. Avoid queues and customer service desks
  5. More choice for new arrangements

The research also reveals an appetite for more automated options to smooth travel disruption in the future, with more than a third (34%) of frequent travellers calling for predictive flight alerts and 28% wishing for automatically rebooked flights when things go wrong.

THE JOURNEY IS WORTH IT

The rapid pace of travel rebounding is putting stress on the entire travel eco-system, creating challenges around the world for travellers. With the frequency of disruption skyrocketing, business travellers are increasingly unwilling to travel if any disruption occurs, with nearly half (49%) saying they would prefer to cancel their trip.

Despite the chaos, nearly all professionals surveyed (94%) still see the benefits of being back on the road for work. Face-to-face collaboration tops the list of travel benefits with nearly a third (30%) of all respondents choosing this reason. Only one age group disagreed – respondents aged 55+ years are more interested in the ability to finalise deals with in-person meetings.

Egencia President Mark Hollyhead said: “Business travellers are increasingly concerned about experiencing problems on the road and getting the support they need. Whatever the purpose for a trip, if you make the decision to travel it’s an investment in time. We want to be there for our customers and provide the technology and service to manage disruptions as seamlessly as possible.”


1 Frequent business traveller are defined as someone who travels at least three times a year for business
2 Flightaware.com data reveals you are twice as likely to experience flight delays in 2022 compared to 2021

Research Methodology:

750 professionals who travel at least three times a year in each region (UK, USA and France) were surveyed online between July 25, 2022, and August 1, 2022, by Censuswide.

About Egencia

Egencia – an American Express Global Business Travel Company – is the only proven, global B2B travel tech platform. Originating from the labs of global tech giants, we deliver the best user experiences, unmatched content, and unbeatable service to more than two million travelers worldwide. As part of the most valuable marketplace in business travel, Egencia is in a league of its own with industry-leading data insights and AI-driven innovation that powers the travel programs of 9000+ companies in more than 60 countries.

Connect with us on egencia.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About American Express Global Business Travel

American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) is the world’s leading B2B travel platform, providing software and services to manage travel, expenses, and meetings & events for companies of all sizes. We have built the most valuable marketplace in B2B travel to deliver unrivalled choice, value and experiences. With travel professionals in more than 140 countries, our customers and travelers enjoy the powerful backing of American Express Global Business Travel.

Visit amexglobalbusinesstravel.com for more information about Amex GBT, and follow @amexgbt on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

© 2022 Egencia LLC. All rights reserved.

GBT Travel Services UK Limited (GBT UK) and its authorized sublicensees use the “American Express Global Business Travel” trademark under a limited license from American Express. “American Express” and the American Express logo are trademarks and the property of American Express Company or its affiliated or related companies (American Express). GBT UK is a subsidiary of Global Business Travel Group, Inc. (NYSE: GBTG). American Express holds a minority interest in GBTG, which operates as a separate company from American Express.

Media contacts

Taylor Aaron | Senior Manager, Global Communications | taaron@egencia.com

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