New study: Business Travelers More Productive Thanks to Technology

If you travel for business, you might be feeling more productive lately. According to a new study released August 24 by Carlson Wagonlit Travel called the CWT Connected Traveler Study, business travelers are feeling more productive when on the road, thanks to technology and the use of more devices.

The CWT Connected Traveler study included 1,900 International business travelers aged 25-65 across 16 countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC). To qualify, participants had to have made more than four business trips in the past 12 months.

Business travel study takeaways

  • The survey of more than 1,900 business travelers found that more than 80 percent of business travelers across the globe rely on their phones to conduct business.
  • On average, business travelers carry four different types of technology—mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc.—with the smartphone being the one travel tool they can’t live without.
  • Not surprisingly, 54 percent of those surveyed said that they bring too many devices with them while traveling.

Benefits of business travel

The CWT study shows that business travelers still view “being there” in person as highly important, despite time spent away from the office and family, and the discomforts of traveling.

  • Further findings showed that almost all (93 percent) of those surveyed find that the positives of business travel outweigh the negatives when it comes to building and maintaining relationships at work, and 77 percent say this also applies to their home lives.
  • CWT finds that 86 percent of business travelers believe that travel can help build knowledge and perspective and 80 percent say travel actually boosts productivity.
  • A majority of travelers (78 percent) actively seek opportunities to travel for work, and 72 percent find that business travel is stimulating.

Tech makes it easier to navigate

  • The CWT survey reveals that 88 percent find business travel easier to navigate today thanks to technology.
  • More than half (55 percent) of travelers apply prior travel experience while planning trips, and rely on hotel (54 percent) and airline (50 percent) websites to fill the gaps.
  • Almost half of travelers surveyed (45 percent) actively use airline and hotel apps as their primary travel technology and 41 percent also rely heavily on map apps.

Devices shorten the gap

  • The business travelers surveyed also actively use technology to limit the “disconnect,” or time away, with co-workers and family.
  • To stay connected with family and friends most (44 percent) will call, but 24 percent use Skype and 17 percent use text messages as their preferred communications.
  • To communicate with co-workers, most (44 percent) will use email, 24 percent will call and 14 percent will use text messages.

Health and well-being on the road

  • While 67 percent of travelers said they believe travel is safer today, 46 percent still expressed some concerns in this area. As a result, 68 percent said they “sometimes or always” buy travel insurance.
  • Business travelers also said they find it difficult to “maintain personal well-being while traveling,” with 54 percent saying that travel disrupts exercise and wellness routines.

The CWT Connected Traveler Study was created by Carlson Wagonlit Travel and conducted through Artemis Strategy Group March 30-April 24, 2017. It was conducted with the purpose of understanding how business travelers stayed connected to both work and home while on the road.

Source: CWT Connected Traveler Study

TSA denies Most Lost/Stolen Property Claims, Says Study

If something valuable disappears from your checked baggage or is damaged during your next flight, your chances of getting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to approve a claim for your property aren’t so good, according to a new study by Stratos Jet Charters.

Stratos Jet Charters, an air charter service provider, surveyed nearly 8,000 TSA claims that were resolved by the agency in 2016 and early 2017 and found that travelers’ claims for lost or damaged items during this period took up to six months to get a response, and that more than half of those claims were denied.

While many of these claims are still under review, claims that were approved in full ranged in value from a few dollars to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Some airports may experience more of these lost or stolen item claims than others. In fact, JFK International Airport was once described as a “flea market for airport employees,” with reports claiming that more than 200 items are stolen from passengers’ checked luggage every day.

According to the study:

  • More than half of all the requests (68 percent) were completely denied in 2016, while less than 32 percent were fully approved.
  • In 2016, the average settlement payout was slightly more than $260.
  • Jewelry, cash, and camera equipment are the items with the highest percentage of claims denied by the TSA. These claims are rejected at least 70 percent of the time.
  • The most likely items to be approved by the TSA include travel accessories, home decor and personal electronics, but even with those items, the TSA settles less than half of the time.
  • Around 50 percent of requests for reimbursement for travel accessories, such as charging cables, toiletries and adapters, were fully accepted during the study period.

Making a claim

According to a TSA representative, “Every effort is made to resolve a claim when property is proven to be damaged or lost during TSA’s security screening process” and “TSA takes seriously the responsibility to fairly adjudicate claims.”

In order to get approved for a claim, passengers must provide proof of their loss, as well as evidence of TSA negligence. Travelers are also encouraged to provide as much detail as possible, such as receipts, appraisals and flight information.

The Federal Tort Claims Act governs the way a traveler’s claim is processed and establishes their rights in regards to their claim.

Once a form is submitted, the claimant will receive a letter with instructions and a control number for their records.

A claim will be denied if and when the investigation determines that TSA officers never opened a bag for a physical inspection. If a claim is approved, the TSA can take up to six months to fully investigate a claim, though cases involving law enforcement may take longer. If a passenger is denied or doesn’t receive a prompt response, they can file a suit against TSA with the U.S. District Court.

The best advice comes from the TSA, who has long recommended that travelers refrain from packing valuables in checked luggage and opting instead to keep them in their carry-on bags or shipping them to their final destination.

To find out more about filing a claim, visit the TSA’s Claims page.

Source: Stratos Jet Charters