APRIL 10, 2007. Eighty-six percent of corporate travelers feel business travel today is as or more difficult now than it was two years ago. However, 70% of business travelers who booked their trip online have had positive experiences in doing so. These are among the key findings released today as Orbitz for Business "Takes 5" to survey the opinions of corporate travelers.
Orbitz for Business, the corporate travel brand within Orbitz Worldwide, announced the results of its new monthly poll designed to examine the most prevalent issues currently affecting corporate travelers. The survey follows a recent Orbitz for Business announcement that corporate customers will now be able to access trip itineraries and flight status through OrbitzTLC Mobile Access. Additionally, last month Oritz.com announced the launch of its new micro-site to serve unmanaged business travelers (http://roadwarrior.orbitz.com).
"In order to best serve the corporate traveler, it´s imperative we continue to observe their behaviors, habits, likes and dislikes" said Dean Sivley, COO and general manager, Orbitz for Business. "Now, more than ever, our proactive care services are a big reason why our customers are more satisfied with booking business travel online."
Other findings of the Orbitz for Business Take 5 Corporate Traveler Poll include:
• 80% of those surveyed book business travel online, with nearly 70 percent saying they´ve had positive or very positive experiences in doing so.
• 86% find business travel as or more difficult than it was two years ago.
• Flight delays and cancellations are business travelers´ biggest pet peeve (25%), along with security lines (23%) and carry-on restrictions (22%). Expensive room service, crowded planes, passengers with too much carry-on baggage and having to complete expense reports were also listed as pet peeves.
• The overwhelming majority of U.S. corporate travelers conduct their business travel primarily within North America (93%).
• Twelve percent plan to travel to China or India, two rapidly-growing international markets, for business purposes in the next year.
The Orbitz for Business survey is a subset of Orbitz´ Take 5 initiative, which was launched in 2006 in celebration of the company´s five-year anniversary. The Take 5 Corporate Traveler poll was conducted online using a MarketTools panel of 404 adults ages18-65 who are regular business travelers. MarketTools is a market research firm that directly manages a nationally-representative online panel of more than 2.5 million individuals, with a global network extending to more than 8 million consumers worldwide.
