By Stefaan Ghijs
Business travel plays an important role in the European Union due to its economic and employment potential. The 2017 Fly Aeolus Business Flight Travel Survey provides insights and trends of the current business traveller and their behaviors. The analysis provides interesting results and gives an understanding of the needs and requirements of the European corporate traveller.
The survey was held under different business travellers including Fly Aeolus customers and at major European airport hubs. 88% of the surveyed business travellers indicated that the company they work for has another office besides the headquarters in another European country.
Amount of flights for business purposes
There is a great variation in the amount of times corporate travellers undertake business trips. More than 30% of the surveyed corporate travellers travel once per month by plane, while 62% travels only once a year.
Travel purpose
A total of 76% of all surveyed travellers fly for a meeting with a customer or to visit an outstation. Major reason for travel are visits to customers and suppliers. Although the amount of visits with a reason to go to an outstations is also remarkable.
Travel party size
Within Europe half of the time the corporate traveller travels alone. 37% of the business trips are undertaken with a colleague. The trend has been increasing that the business traveller is taking the opportunity to mix business with leisure, taking the advantages of his visit abroad. Albeit the corporate air taxi customer mostly travels back home on the same day, therefor not undertaking any leisure activities at the destination.
Main Criteria for choosing a specific flight
Almost 50% of the business travellers does choose a flight based on their schedule, albeit price still plays an important factor.
Tiring aspects of business travel
A relaxing and restful flight is essential when traveling for business. The reality for traveling regularly can be very different. Living out of a suitcase, dining alone and the other aspects of business travel, regardless of the destination, can be tiring. The corporate traveller clearly indicates that time is priceless. Bad schedules, connections and high egress and regress travel time when flying with commercial airlines clearly influence the corporate travellers mood. Therefore influence the efficiency for success of the traveller at its destination.
What could improve the travelling experience
Nowadays waiting is an insurmountable fact when you travel by commercial airplane. 58% of the corporate travellers would like to spend less time on the way to and in the airport. This result is a answer to the “tiring aspects of business travel”. The corporate traveller clearly dislikes the traffic jams on the way to the airport and the security and check-in lines within the airport. The figures promote a strong call for a total travel experience.
We have compiled an informative E-book with some general tips improving the business travel experience. We discuss the priorities companies have when sending their employees on the road. Also we evaluate how new travel solutions like Fly Aeolus can help play a role in addressing these priorities.
To learn more, download here a copy of this free e-book!