Research by global chauffeur services provider Blacklane has found 87% of UK business travellers lose at least one hour of productive time across their trip due to poor travel planning.
A survey of 1,000 travelling executives, conducted by Censuswide in September 2024, found that 34% say they lose between four and eight hours, equating to a full working day.
The impact on UK C-level executives is higher, with 38% losing between four and eight hours of productive work time due to travel stress.
Blacklane’s report Premium meets productivity: the changing face of travel and work explores how the current approach to global business travel planning causes executives to lose productive work hours as a result of fragmented journeys.
It also found that in order to enhance work productivity, up to 90% of business travellers are combining work and leisure, and are seeking out more premium experiences, such as travelling with a chauffeur.
Dr Jens Wohltorf, CEO and Founder Blacklane, said: “This report highlights a significant shift in business travel, where enhancing comfort and ensuring safety is not just a perk, but essential for boosting productivity, especially among executives.
“Understanding these evolving expectations is crucial for the industry and businesses overall to better meet the needs of today’s executive travellers.”
Other findings in the report:
- 59% of business travellers in the UK have noticed cuts when it comes to travel budgets
- For 62% of travellers, these cuts have negatively impacted their productivity and performance when travelling for business.
- This figure rises to 74% among business owners and 79% among C-level executives.
- When it comes to business travellers’ priorities, the most important elements of the journey are arriving on time (38%), travelling in comfort (33%) and convenience (30%).
- The most sought-after premium amenities when on-the-move are flying premium or business class (38%), WiFi access to allow work on-the-go (37%) and pre-booked private airport transfers (35%).
- These experiences when travelling for business would not only reduce stress but 89% believe they would actively contribute towards their productivity and success when travelling for business.
- 86% of business travellers say they have combined business and leisure while travelling for work.
- Similarly, during trips dedicated to business, 92% said they prioritise time for personal activities and relaxation at some point.
- When asked what the attraction of such travel is, almost half (45%) said they wanted to explore the locations they visit for business, while 38% said it makes the business side of a trip more exciting.
- 75% believe ‘bleisure’ travel either makes them more productive or does not have a negative impact on work performance.
- But there are signs that a stigma around bleisure remains, with 33% believing strict rules around this type of travel will be implemented by business in the next five years.
