‘Stressful’ business trips leading to lost productivity – Blacklane survey

More than half of UK-based corporate travellers are finding their business trips “stressful” which is leading to lost productivity when on the road, according to a survey by chauffeur specialist Blacklane.

The poll of more than 1,000 travellers revealed that 58 per cent were finding their work trips stressful, with 87 per cent of these employees losing at least one hour of “productive time” due to these “fragmented” journeys. This included 34 per cent who said they were losing four to eight hours of working time on their trips.

Blacklane’s survey found that 59 per cent of UK business travellers had noticed cuts to their organisation’s travel budgets over the past year, with 62 per cent adding that this had “negatively impacted their productivity and performance” during trips. This figure was even higher for senior management at 79 per cent.

The most important priorities for corporate travellers were arriving on time (38 per cent), travelling in “comfort” (33 per cent) and convenience (30 per cent).

In terms of the most “sought after” amenities for travellers, being able to fly in premium or business class cabins was top at 38 per cent, followed by access to wifi (37 per cent) and pre-booked airport transfers (35 per cent).

Blacklane’s poll found that 89 per cent of travellers believed that having access to these travel services would “actively contribute towards their productivity and success” during their work trips.

Jens Wohltorf, Blacklane’s CEO and founder, 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.”

The survey also highlighted the continued importance of blended travel or “bleisure”, with 86 per cent of respondents having combined business and leisure during a single trip – 75 per cent believe that this makes them more productive or does not negatively impact their work performance.

James Dow, UK general manager at Blacklane, added: “Poorly planned business travel has a stark impact on the UK’s productivity. Traveller wellbeing needs to be carefully protected.”