Common Challenges Facing Corporate Travelers

To seasoned road warriors, the following statement should come as no surprise: Business travel ain’t easy. Some of the uninitiated actually think business trips are all about fancy dinners, big business deals and cocktails at the resort pool-bar. This distorted image of business travel omits the security hassles at the airport, the soul-scorching stress of getting stuck in traffic on the way to an important meeting, and the red, tired eyes of sleep-deprived executives. Recent research has uncovered some of the worst factors facing corporate travelers today:

1. Security Lines

There’s not much that travel planners, booking agents, or business travelers can do to improve their experience at an airport with slow security. In particular, the following airports have the worst reputation among travelers for inefficient security systems (as reported by Travel + Leisure Magazine):

Los Angeles International (LAX)
New York’s LaGuardia International (LGA)
Newark International (EWR)
Philadelphia International (PHL)
New York’s John F. Kennedy International (JFK)

2. Ancillary Fees

Ancillary fees are those small charges for relatively basic services, such as airplane beverages or headphones. They’re unexpected, can’t be paid in advance, and are sometimes small enough to go under the radar, but add up over the course of a week, month or year of travel. The Global Business Travel Association says these fees are nearly impossible to predict. Leading travel-planning firm Carson Wagonlit says they’re on the rise. According to GBTA, these are the 10 most common (and irritating) ancillary fees:

Airline fees for soft drinks
Airline fees for headsets
Airline fees for movies and videos
Airline fees for food
Car rental fees for tolls
Hotel fees for Internet use
Hotel fees for parking
Car rental fees for late returns
Car rental fees for one-way rental drop offs
Car rental fees for gas

3. Traveler Misconduct

According to a recent study, 91% of business travelers reported behaving in ways that could have harmed their health, the company name, or personal relationships. The most common indiscretion was heavy drinking, followed by infidelity and overspending. Other commonly reported issues included illicit drug use, knowingly getting too little sleep, and ignoring their diet or exercise routines. Denise Peterson, a researcher at ON24, the firm behind the study, stated that such behavior is a direct result of a lifestyle that can compromise relationships with family members.

This phenomenon happens because business travel puts employees in a new city with an expense account, along with the enormous pressure to make a sale, stay productive, and adjust to a new time zone. All of this can be incredibly stressful. Much of the time, these same travelers are out of their element, exhausted and frustrated with their surroundings.

(Related: 5 Ways To Avoid Jet Lag)

4. Traveling Families

Some analysts and travel professionals believe family travel can be a problem for business travelers. A survey by Business Travel & Meetings Show, conducted in 2011, revealed that the single “most annoying” factor for road warriors was the presence of children in first class. In fact, Malaysia Airlines received complaints from first class passengers who were unable to sleep due to crying babies (see tweet below) that they enacted a ban on babies flying in first class. The decision is enjoying its fair share of controversy, but stands to highlight the high potential for children to disturb other passengers and prevent business travelers from getting sufficient rest.

@FHavg @airlineroute Also hv many complaints from 1st class pax dat dey spend money on 1st class & can't sleep due to crying infants
— Tengku Azmil (@tengkuazmil) June 20, 2011

Control What You Can

If you’re a or corporate travel manager, these issues are largely out of your control. Forces far greater than us, such as economics and ever-evolving sociological trends, cause these issues, and when you encounter them, there’s little you can do. You can’t always choose which airport your clients will be flying out of, or reduce the chances your travelers will face ancillary fees at the hotel.

However, there is one thing you can control: booking the right chauffeured transportation. When you choose a corporate car service that has a strong track record of quality, reliability and consistency, you can eliminate some of the stress your client will face. And when you make an executive’s business trip go more smoothly, you’re contributing to their eventual success, and they’ll certainly thank you for it.

To learn more about booking corporate ground transportation, please download our free eBook, “Tips and Tricks to Becoming an Executive Travel Expert” by clicking below.