Research by CWT shows that more than half of business travellers would rather miss a flight than lose their luggage, among other common preferences.
The survey also revealed that two-thirds of travellers (66 per cent) prefer window seats over aisle seats on flights. That rises to 71 per cent in Asia Pacific and falls to 59 per cent in the Americas, while 65 per cent of Europeans would choose to sit by the window.
Globally, 64 per cent of those polled prefer ground transportation to public transport, and 54 per cent claim they would rather use a traditional taxi than ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft. But the survey revealed strong regional differences here – 69 per cent of Europeans prefer taxis, while 63 per cent of Americans choose ride-sharing services. Travellers in Asia Pacific are more evenly split, with 56 per cent picking taxis.
The good news for TMCs and travel providers is that nine out of ten business travellers are “extremely” or “somewhat” willing to share their preferences with both apps and travel industry staff. This applies equally to work trips and leisure travel, which CWT says suggests that people make little distinction between the two when it comes to sharing information about their preferences.
However, 14 per cent of Europeans are “not willing” to share their preferences, and that rises to 17 per cent when travelling for leisure. Travellers from the Americas or Asia Pacific are the least likely to refuse sharing this information.
Niklas Andreen, executive VP and chief traveller experience officer at CWT, said: “These findings provide fascinating and sometimes counter-intuitive insights into how global business travellers approach their journeys. We see significant differences between regions – for example, in Asia, people are more likely to want a window seat, whereas in markets like the US, the view is less of a draw.”
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