One in three business travellers miss out on benefits of mobile apps
Business travellers are failing to take advantage of the benefits of mobile apps in making their travels more comfortable and convenient, according to a new study.
Although 83% of people travelling on business that currently make use of mobile apps agree it improves the transient experience, nearly two in five of those who travel regularly for work (39%) are not using them, including 11% who don't have a smart device.
The most popular tools used by UK business travellers who do use mobile apps on the road are maps like Google or Bing (with 90% using them always, often or occasionally) and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter (with 60% using them always, often or occasionally), the YouGov study of over 1,000 UK business travellers, commissioned by travel and expense company Concur, has revealed.
Map apps help business travellers quickly find hotels or meeting venues [Smart Chimps notes this is the case unless the users have an iPhone 5], while social networks allow users to stay abreast of the day's news or keep in touch with friends and family back home.
However, there are other apps that can make a business trip quicker, easier and more relaxed that travellers are currently missing out on using. While just under one in five (18%) business travellers surveyed agreed 'the stacks of expense reports to be completed on return' was a major business travel pain point, over three quarters (76%) of app using business travellers have never downloaded or used one to help manage their expenses quickly and efficiently while on the road.
Moreover, despite over three quarters (77%) of respondents complaining of 'unproductive moments' when on the move, few travellers are making use of other apps that can save time and boost productivity. Only two in five (40%) of travellers use airline apps like British Airways and less than a third (32%) use airport information apps like GateGuru or the Heathrow app often, regularly or occasionally.
