creating a frictionless travel experience · travel experience for employees instead of cutting ......

FOR COMPANIES AROUND THE WORLD, ENHANCING THE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE FOR EMPLOYEES INSTEAD OF CUTTING CORNERS ON COST PROMOTES WORKPLACE SATISFACTION, ORGANIZATIONAL LOYALTY, AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES.

Creating a Frictionless Travel Experience

Contents

03 | Introduction

05 | Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

10 | North America (NAM)

15 | Asia-Pacific (APAC)

20 | Latin-American Countries (LAC)

Companies that leverage travel-centric programs and reduce traveler friction can realize value-driven benefits that often exceed revenue savings.

High-performing organizations realize that less traveler friction equates to more productive journeys. The Sabre and GBTA global study on traveler friction shows that quality of travel is critical to business success.

While travel programs that rely on cost-saving tactics (like negotiated air, hotel, car, and rail rates) can deliver significant ROI, the benefits of a traveler-centric program that boosts employee well-being and job satisfaction can often outweigh the savings of a cost-centric program.

| 03INTRODUCTION

Traveler friction impacts employees’:

Engagement

Productivity

Business outcomes

Emotional and physical well-being

| 04INTRODUCTION

Global travelers’ job satisfaction is influenced by the organization’s:

• Travel policy• Booking and reservation process• Travel safety and security policies and initiatives• Employee well-being policies for travel• Expense-reporting process• Pre-trip approval process

Employees’ traveling dissatisfaction can cost the organization in:

• Attrition and talent-acquisition• Loss of knowledge• Business outcomes

of their annual salary

300%The cost of replacing a senior-level employee:

Global travelers agree that their business travel experiences drive their business results and job satisfaction.

SOURCE: CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS

Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

Pain Points | Top Priorities | Travel Management Solutions | Key Takeaways

| 05EMEA

| 06EMEA | PAIN POINTS

The greatest challenges to traveler well-being are work-life balance and productivity.

of travelers have booked a trip out-of-policy to lower stress

41%HIGH ANXIETY

Primary areas of dissatisfaction:

Primary areas of satisfaction:Most difficult aspects of business travel:

42%40%

34% 34%

Booking/reservation process

Pre-trip approval process

Expense-reporting process

80+20+C76+24+C73+27+C

28+72+C30+70+C28+72+C

Employee well-being policies for travel

Travel policy

Travel safety and security initiatives

Time spent in transit is the greatest in-trip pain point Preparing an expense report is

the greatest post-trip pain point

62+38+C62%

| 07EMEA | TOP PRIORITIES

Travel safety and efficiency are travelers’ top priorities.

39+61+A

34+66+A

28+72+A

26+74+A

24+76+A

10+90+A

Travelers’ experience is

influenced by:

Airplane/train Wi-Fi

More than three-quarters of travelers purchase at least one of these amenities to improve their experience:

Convenient, comfortable hotels

Non-stop flights

Booking flexibility

54+46+C54% 40+60+C40%

Hotel high-speed internet

Seat upgrade

International mobile calls/texts

Early boarding

Airport lounge access

Black-car service

*Bleisure: Only around 1 in 5 travelers prioritizes bleisure amenities such as the ability to extend the trip for leisure or bring family or friends

20+80+C20+80+C19+81+C15+85+C14+86+C11+89+C

Travel policy

Booking/reservation process

Travelers’ satisfaction with business travel is influenced by:

One of the big trends we are seeing, when we talk about traveler well-being — probably specific to Europe — is

about health and safety. A lot of people think policy is about cost control, but in today’s climate, we’re seeing policy is less about cost control and more about risk control. So we definitely get involved, to ensure that travelers are as ready as they can be for the destinations that they’re going to — and that the documentary evidence of that is available.”

ANTOINE BOATWRIGHT, HILLGATE TRAVEL

55+0+51+0+48+0+47+0+39+0+35+0+29+0+27+0+19 + ++++19Travel managers can make technology and amenities available to travelers and leverage decision-support tools to alleviate pain points.

Travelers want information about:

Transportation

Travel documentation

Destination

Safety

Health

Travel add-ons

Reminder to book hotel/car

Relevant cultural insights

Reminder to submit expense report

Aiport Map

EMEA | TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

As a travel management company, I have two customers. One is the head of procurement,

who could be in human resources, or in finance — it depends on the organization of the customer. And the other customer is the final traveler. And we always have to manage the two sides of the relationship. Each time a traveler goes abroad, it creates anxiety, stress. So the first thing is that we have to be very reliable.”

ERIC RITTER, VOYAGEXPERT

49+51+C

37+63+C

35+65+C

33+67+C

Automated information on travel destinations

Itinerary-management apps

Mobile payment capabilities

Safety-tracking apps

Travelers’ experience would be enhanced by these technological amenities:

28+72+C

18+82+C

13+87+C

Customized traveler profiles

Mobile expense reports

Live chat for travel-policy inquiries

Wearables

Providing information and services such as viewing the total time of transit and comparing options for the traveler improves the booking experience and fosters productive business results.

Sabre leverages in-house and third-party resources to provide the technology, content, and tools that help travel managers enhance the traveler experience.

0 25% 50%

| 09EMEA | KEY TAKEAWAYS

83% of travelers feel that their travel experience impacts their job satisfaction.

Implementing traveler-centric programs and policies raises morale and attracts new employees.

• Measure traveler experience regularly and implement a plan, do, act strategy

• Integrate well-being objectives into the business-travel program strategy

• Move from low fares to best fares

• Address traveler safety with the right capabilities

• Create an environment where travel managers can ask for assistance from TMCs

• Leverage technology to optimize the traveler experience

Traveler well-being should be considered a key performance indicator for a travel program.

consider travel programs and policies to be important (33%) or very important (17%) when choosing a potential employer

50% NEW JOB POTENTIAL

An important role of the TMC is to analyze their corporate customers’ business travel and suggest

alternatives and improvements to their travel policy, based on spending behaviors and suppliers agreements. We help them find the best balance between the cost and the quality of services in full compliance with the corporate business strategy.”

ENRICO RUFFILLI, UVET GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL

| 10| 10

North America (NAM)

42% 41%

37%33%

| 11NAM | PAIN POINTS

The greatest challenge to traveler well-being is work-life balance. Frequent business travel

increases a professional’s physical stress load by

HEALTH FACTOR

of travelers book a trip out-of-policy to lower stress while traveling

51%HIGH ANXIETY

Primary areas of dissatisfaction:

23+77+C26+74+C

Most difficult aspects of business travel:

SOURCE: JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE

69+31+C69%

| 12NAM | TOP PRIORITIES

Travelers highly prioritize convenience services.

Travelers’ experience is influenced by:

Class of service (road warriors only)

Convenient, comfortable hotels

Non-stop flights

63+37+C63% 47+53+C47%

34+66+A39% Hotel high-speed internet 38+62+A38% Airplane/train Wi-Fi

When booking, travelers purchase:

57+0+53+0+45+0+34+0+31+0+25+0Travelers want information about:

Transportation

Destination

Travel add-ons

Safety

Health

0 25% 50%

Travel managers can leverage cost savings with streamlined travel processes.

| 13NAM | TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

51+49+C42+58+C41+59+C39+61+C31+69+C

Automated info on travel destinations

Mobile payments

91+9+C

62+38+C

59+41+C

24/7 support for travelers

Automated expense-management tools

Ability to book flights based on convenience,

not cost

Travel programs improve well-being by providing: 56+44+C

45+55+C

37+63+C

12+88+C

Business-class travel on longer flights

Preferred hotels with fitness facilities or access to one

Traveler satisfaction measurements to mitigate pain points

Subsidized memberships with preferred suppliers

Travelers use mobile apps for booking, trip information, itinerary management, expense reporting, safety and security information, and mobile payments.

Top 5 Travel App Categories:

Airline Lodging Transportation

Online booking Restaurants

By analyzing how often travelers pay for amenities and services out-of-pocket, travel managers can see the cost to the company and then leverage the information during supplier negotiations to bring added value to the travel-management program.

| 14NAM | KEY TAKEAWAYS

84% of travelers believe the quality of their business travel impacts their business results.

Travel managers can incorporate strategies into their corporate wellness programs to help offset business losses sustained due to poor traveler experiences.

59% consider travel programs and policies to be important (31%) or very important (28%) when choosing a new employer

NEW JOB POTENTIAL

of travelers expect to receive information and products based on personal preferences

83% PERSONAL TOUCH

Business-traveler jet lag causes corporations to see a reduction in productivity of

OFF THE CLOCK

Travelers lose an average of 6.9 hours of work productivity per trip due to stress — that’s an average cost to the company of

LOST PRODUCTIVITY

SOURCE: SABRE PERSONALIZATION STUDY, 2016

SOURCE: CWT STUDY

SOURCE: JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE

| 15| 15

Asia-Pacific (APAC)

| 16APAC | PAIN POINTS

79% of travelers are generally satisfied with traveling for work at their current job.

Japan was less concerned with:

26+74+C27+73+C27%

Changing a flight or train reservation during trip

Changing a lodging reservation

during trip

25+75+C25%

Working away from the office

Australia was less concerned with:Ti

55+0+51+0+48+0+46+0+39+0+39+++

Safety

Transportation

Destination

Health

Travel add-ons

APAC | TOP PRIORITIES

Technological amenities that promote convenience and comfort are a top priority.

Travelers use their mobile devices for:

48+52+A46+54+A

37+63+A47+53+A

43+57+A30+70+A

Travelers purchase these amenities to improve their travel experience:

Airplane/Train Wi-Fi

Seat upgrade

Early boarding

Automated info on travel destinations

Itinerary management

Making payments

Expensereports

63% 54% 47% 38% 38%

APAC travelers want automated information, itinerary-management apps, and mobile payment capabilities. Travelers also appreciate automated trip-information notifications when possible.

Top 3 business travel considerations are convenient hotels, non-stop flights, and paid time off.

| 18APAC | TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Primary areas of satisfaction:56+46+40+39+36+33+3256% 46% 37% 35% 33% 31% 30%

Convenient, comfortable

hotels

Non-stop flights Booking flexibility

Paid time off for long trips

Carrier type Class of service Bleisure

70+63+++++62++++++62++++61++++++60 Booking/reservation process

Travel policy

Travelers’ business-travel satisfaction is influenced by:

Because most pain points take place in-trip, travel managers who focus on comfort and well-being will provide the greatest contribution toward creating a frictionless travel experience.

| 19APAC | KEY TAKEAWAYS

87% of travelers feel that the quality of their business travel impacts their business results.

90% agree business travel impacts their overall job satisfaction.

are slightly more likely than older travelers to say their travel experience impacts job satisfaction to a great extent.

Millennials

Australia

Reversed in India

42% vs. 32%34% vs. 14%39% vs. 28%64% vs. 66%

of travelers consider travel programs and policies important when choosing a new employer

Low-frequency business travelers are less likely to agree than road warriors.

Millennials are more likely to agree than older employees.

Australia

19% vs. 31%

9% vs. 22%

7% vs. 16%

17% vs. 28%

Australia

39% vs. 15%

19% vs. 8%

31% vs. 17%

Latin-American Countries (LAC)

| 20LAC

| 21LAC | PAIN POINTS

93% of travelers say they are satisfied (46%) or very satisfied (47%) with their business travel.

65+60+52+47+44+33+31+24

Transportation

Destination

Safety

Travel add-ons

Health

Relevant cultural insights

Reminder to book hotel/car

LAC | TOP PRIORITIES

0 25% 50%

Travelers’ experience is influenced by:

69+64+52+51+48+42+39+31Convenient, comfortable

hotels

Non-stop flights

Booking flexibility

Paid time off for long trips

Ability to extend

business trip for leisure

Carrier type

Class of service

Ability to bring family or friends along

52% 51%48%

42%39%

Convenient, comfortable hotels are key to a frictionless experience.

69%Booking

63%Trip-information consolidation

58%Making payments

57%Safety-tracking apps

56%Itinerary management

50%Expense reports

Travelers use their mobile devices for:

Customized traveler profiles

Live chat for travel-policy inquiries

Wearables

Automated information on travel destinations

Mobile-payment capabilities

One of the most cost-effective ways to reduce traveler friction is to improve communication.

| 23LAC | TRAVEL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

66+34+C

55+45+C

53+47+C

45+55+C

43+57+C

37+63+C30+70+C

25+75+C

67+33+C 24/7 support to travelers

Business-class travel on longer flights

Automated expense-management tools

Traveler satisfaction measurements to mitigate pain points

Ability to book flights based on convenience, not cost

Preferred hotels with fitness facilities or access to one

Travel programs improve traveler well-being by providing:

14+86+C14% Subsidized memberships with preferred suppliers

43+57+C42+58+C36+64+C33+67+C21+79+C

Travelers purchase these amenities to improve their experience:

48+52+C38+62+C36+64+C

63+37+C56+44+C56+44+C

Black-car service

Early boarding

30+70+C28+72+C23+77+C19+81+C

Seat upgrade

Early boarding

Black-car service

52+48+C52+48+C39+61+C37+63+C

Seat upgrade

Companies fully reimburse for:

| 24LAC | KEY TAKEAWAYS

71% say that their travel experience impacts their job satisfaction to a great extent.

An overwhelming majority of business travelers indicate that the quality of their business travel experience impacts their business results somewhat (28%) or a lot (67%).

Travel managers can reduce friction by simplifying and clarifying the booking/rebooking processes and by streamlining expense report processes.

of travelers consider travel programs and policies to be important (39%) or very important (27%) when choosing a new employer

Completing expense reports is the greatest post-trip pain point for travelers. 42% of Latin America-based travel programs offer automated expense-management tools to minimize time spent submitting expense reports.

ALLEVIATING TRAVEL FRICTION

Creating a frictionless travel experience benefits the employee and the company.

The business-travel experience is key to successful business transactions for companies around the world. Alleviating the stress and difficulties of travel and providing benefits and amenities that employees value shows employees that their business travel experience is important.

By prioritizing the business traveler’s experience, companies can foster organizational loyalty, a dedicated

team, and a positive work environment while offsetting the loss of productivity and revenue that can occur when the travel experience is poor. That’s why Sabre promotes traveler-centric journeys by offering a suite of solutions designed to provide convenience, comfort, information, and safety.

| 25CONCLUSION

Unless indicated otherwise, all trademarks and service marks herein are trademarks of an affiliate of Sabre Corporation including, but not limited to, Sabre and Sabre Travel Network. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

creating a frictionless travel experience · travel experience for employees instead of cutting ......

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