Business and Leisure Travel: Frugality in Action Reports American Traveler Survey from TNS; Travel Web Sites Facilitate Savings and Stimulate New Trips.NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of -- Americans are traveling with one eye on their destination and the other on their pocketbooks, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a recently released study from TNS TNS transcutaneous neural stimulation. Travel & Transport, part of TNS, one of the world's largest market information groups. However, while travelers are being frugal fru·gal adj. 1. Practicing or marked by economy, as in the expenditure of money or the use of material resources. See Synonyms at sparing. 2. Costing little; inexpensive: a frugal lunch. , they are still on the go as often--and in some cases, more often than ever. Business travelers are taking to the roadways, railways, and skyways as often as in previous years, but they are spending less per trip due to savvy shopping, stricter corporate rules, or both. Overall, business travelers have decreased their spending by nearly 30% since 2004. A year ago, business travelers spent an average of $995 per trip; now they spend $725 per trip. They have not downgraded their choice of hotels, but instead have found cost savings in less expensive air travel. Business flyers, accounting for 60% of business travelers, have reduced their travel costs from an average of $1,312 per trip in 2004 to $935, thanks to discount airlines fares, the downward pressure they then apply to the larger carriers, and the ease of gathering competitive travel information online. In a business environment flooded with e-meetings, business travel is regaining importance, and oddly enough, the Internet Internet Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the is facilitating it. The Web is becoming a more-often turned to resource then corporate travel departments and travel agents. Half of business travelers check schedules, availability, rates, and other information on the Web (52%). And in fact, those who fly are more likely to book flights via the Web (36%) than through their corporate travel departments (25%). "It's not that business travelers are dissatisfied dis·sat·is·fied adj. Feeling or exhibiting a lack of contentment or satisfaction. dis·sat  is·fied with
their corporate travel departments," explained Ruth Sharp, Vice
President, of TNS Travel & Transport Group. "Many say they use
them to help with more complex or expensive trips."
Leisure travelers are also growing more reliant on the Web as a source of information. More than half (58%) gather information about their trip via the Internet. For those who fly, the majority book online (66%). Not only is the Internet playing a role in savings on planned leisure trips, but also stimulating new low-cost travel in general. Travel Web sites feature special promotional packages on their sites and also e-mail promotional packages to consumers, enticing them to take trips they might not have considered. And it's working. Leisure travel has increased to a new high, with nearly three-quarters of adults taking a trip in the past 12 months. Visiting friends or family and short "getaways" (trips less than four days) are the primary purposes. Overall, the number of trips per person has also risen slightly in the past year, up eight percent from 2.5 trips per year to 2.7. Despite the extra travel, the annual leisure travel budget per person has only risen two percent during the same time period, from $2,846 to $2,913. Seemingly seem·ing adj. Apparent; ostensible. n. Outward appearance; semblance. seem ing·ly adv. a contradiction CONTRADICTION. The incompatibility, contrariety, and evident opposition of two ideas, which are the subject of one and the same proposition.2. In general, when a party accused of a crime contradicts himself, it is presumed he does so because he is guilty for given the headlines about airline bankruptcies, the number of leisure flyers is up, surpassing pre-9/11 levels. Although the airlines are struggling financially, actual "enplanements" rose seven percent in 2004. "Smaller airlines have grabbed the majority of the extra travel," said Sharp. "Cheaper fares and tighter availability of award tickets from frequent flyer frequent flyer Hospital practice A popular term for a Pt who is regularly admitted to a particular ER or health care facility, for various reasons programs are pushing passengers toward the low-fare carriers for planned trips." In fact, for the first time, membership in frequent flyer programs among leisure travelers is down, most dramatically among people who fly three or more leisure trips a year (65% from 73% in 2004). Sharp concluded, "While difficulty redeeming re·deem tr.v. re·deemed, re·deem·ing, re·deems 1. To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum. 2. To pay off (a promissory note, for example). 3. mileage MILEAGE. A compensation allowed by law to officers, for their trouble and expenses in travelling on public business. 2. The mileage allowed to members of congress, is eight dollars for every twenty miles of estimated distance, by the most usual roads, from his is a problem, low-fare carriers also have less robust frequent flyer programs, so it's possible that fewer passengers bother to enroll." About the study The TNS American Traveler Survey (ATS) is an annual syndicated survey based in information from more than 7,000 domestic and international travelers. Other TNS travel-related surveys include programs on consumer experience on flights, frequent flyer programs, and frequent guest programs. About TNS TNS is a market information group. We are the world's largest custom research company and a leading provider of social and political polling. We are also a major supplier of consumer panel, TV audience measurement and media intelligence services. TNS operates a global network spanning 70 countries and employs over 13,000 people. We provide market information and measurement, together with insights and analysis, to local and multinational organizations. We combine our specialist sector knowledge with expertise in the areas of new product development, motivational research motivational research n. Systematic analysis of the motives behind consumer decisions, used especially by advertisers and marketers to assess attitudes toward products and services. Also called motivation research. , brand and advertising research and stakeholder stakeholder n. a person having in his/her possession (holding) money or property in which he/she has no interest, right or title, awaiting the outcome of a dispute between two or more claimants to the money or property. management to bring our clients up-to-the minute, internationally consistent information. We think differently to help our clients build a competitive advantage, making TNS the sixth sense of business. www.tns-global.com |
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