WHAT BUSINESS TRAVELERS PREFER

New insights into business travelers choices and preferences

The latest study from Certify, a leading travel and expense management
software solution, can help employers and travel-related companies
understand the motivations behind business traveler choices for meals,
ground transportation, hotel, air and other categories. Certify analyzed more
than 495 responses from seasoned business travelers representing small to
large companies throughout country.
This report provides a comprehensive look at the data compiled for the study,
exploring the choices business travelers make and why employers and those in
the travel industry should care.

SPEND WISELY: VALUE-MINDED PURCHASING

The majority of business travelers (46.08%) reported they base their purchases on the
best value and spend the companys money as if it were their own.

How frequently are you

required to travel for
business:
2-4 trips per year: 62.72%
5-9 trips per year: 22.19%
10+ trips per year: 15.09%

When traveling for business, my purchases are primarily based on:

Conveniencetime is more important than cost

30.72%

ValueI spend the companys money as if it were my own

46.08%

Priceeverybody watches every penny, and so do I

19.88%

Cha-Chingexpenses are just rewards for time on the road

3.31%

SCHEDULING CONVENIENCE: A CONTRADICTION IN THE AIR

When it comes to booking airfare, business travelers are most often forgoing the best price
and choosing flights based on their individual schedule.

When booking a flight, I primarily choose a carrier based on:

Price

26.87%

My schedule

40.60%

Company policy/preference

16.72%

Connecting flights

5.67%

Mileage rewards

10.15%

WHAT BUSINESS TRAVELERS PREFER: NEW INSIGHTS INTO BUSINESS TRAVELERS CHOICES AND PREFERENCES

10+ TRIPS

5-9 TRIPS

2-4 TRIPS

What Business Travelers Prefer

New insights into business travelers choices and preferences

PERCEPTION VS. REALITY: THE FRIENDLY

SKIES ARE CHANGING
Actions speak louder than words for business travelers
with more than 40% choosing Southwest Airlines as the
friendliest carrier.

Which air carrier do you feel has the

friendliest service:

FARE SHARE: A SPLIT AMONG CARRIERS

Passenger volume is well distributed across a range of
carriers; the majority Other carriers mentioned include
United Airlines, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines, respectively.

On which air carrier do you most often fly:

Delta Air Lines

20.60%

Delta Air Lines

24.18%

American Airlines

9.85%

American Airlines

15.82%

US Airways

8.06%

US Airways

11.64%

Southwest Airlines

40.30%

Southwest Airlines

23.88%

Other

21.19%

Other

24.48%

HEALTHY CHOICES: TRAVELERS STAY ACCOUNTABLE

While there is an almost even split among travelers who stick to their diets and those who eat
and drink a little better than usual, only a minority report splurging on the company dime.

Regarding meals, when Im traveling for business I most often:

Stick to the same diet I do at home

39.76%

Skip meals because Im too busy

8.13%

Rely on convenience/fast foods

14.16%

Eat and drink a little better than usual

35.24%

Embrace the expense account and splurge

2.71%

GOOD NEWS FOR CFOS,

CONTROLLERS AND
ACCOUNTANTS

regarding meals,

DINING OPTIONS: AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP

Business travelers overwhelmingly agree on the healthiest dining options; however,
Certify SpendSmart data shows Starbucks is the most expensed restaurant across all
meal categories two years running.

Which restaurant do you feel offers the healthiest choices:

Panera Bread

47.29%

Starbucks

3.01%

McDonalds

2.71%

Chipotle Mexican Grill

27.11%

Other

19.88%

WHAT BUSINESS TRAVELERS PREFER: NEW INSIGHTS INTO BUSINESS TRAVELERS CHOICES AND PREFERENCES

2.71%
only splurge on
food and drink

What Business Travelers Prefer

New insights into business travelers choices and preferences

GROUND TRANSPORTATION: RENTAL CARS ABOVE ALL

As ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft dominate the business news, rental car
companies can rest a little easier knowing that business travelers still prefer their services.

For ground transportation, whenever possible I use:

Licensed taxi

20.48%

Limo/private car

6.33%

Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.)

7.23%

Hotel shuttle service

24.70%

Rental car

41.27%

HOTEL AMENITIES: A STAY OF DISTINCTION

There was little difference among major hotel chains when it came to identifying which
had the nicest amenities; Other included more upscale chains like Westin, Ritz Carlton
and Four Seasons.

Which hotel do you feel offers the nicest amenities:

Marriott

32.84%

Hyatt

20.60%

Hilton

27.16%

Choice Hotels

3.28%

Other

16.12%

LODGING SELECTION: LOCATION TRUMPS LOYALTY

Convenience is also driving choice of hotel location with the majority of business
travelers making their selection based on proximity to client or meeting.

The most important factor in choosing a hotel for business travel is:

Locationnear the airport

0.09%

Locationnear client or meeting

54.33%

Rewards program

8.38%

Price/room rate

11.04%

Quality accommodations

20.00%

Other

5.37%

ABOUT CERTIFY
Certify is the leading online
travel and expense management
solution for companies of all sizes.
Organizations worldwide book
travel and complete expense
reports quickly, easily and costeffectively using Certify cloud and
mobile applications. For more
information about Certify please
call 888.925.0510 or visit
www.certify.com.

ABOUT THE DATA

Certify collected data for its
comprehensive survey using
responses from more than 495
business travelers with wide ranging
job titles and responsibilities.
Participants included a 50-50 split of
men and women representing small
to large companies nationwide. The
2015 Business Traveler Preferences
study was administered using
a third-party online research
management firm and all analysis
was conducted by Certify, Inc.

WHAT BUSINESS TRAVELERS PREFER: NEW INSIGHTS INTO BUSINESS TRAVELERS CHOICES AND PREFERENCES