AirPlus Community » Poll

No carte blanche for body scanners

editor_ar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:43:33 +0000

Airports must be safe – but how do travelers react to the precautions currently in discussion? The use of so-called body scanners at airports remains controversial. Blog readers have voted, showing themselves to be skeptical about the use of these so-called body scanners.

Body scanners record the surface of the human body beneath the clothing and display it on monitors. This should reveal hidden objects that an airport’s conventional metal detectors do not show. At present, body scanners are only being tested in Europe at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, for example.

Most readers of this blog doubt that body scanners are the answer to the security question. This is the result of the most recent AirPlus poll, “Do you think that whole-body scanners increase security or are they an unnecessary imposition on airline travelers?”. 7% of those who responded would accept simply any type of technology for safety’s sake. 60% of those who answered evaluate the search for dangerous persons or objects as more suitable than the use of body scanners. 33% of readers think that body scanners increase safety but that the traveler’s privacy must be guaranteed.

Research on these devices has not been completed. They must be shown to be safe, must not violate the traveler’s human dignity and fundamental rights and must also lead to significant conclusions.

Readers of this blog had the opportunity to vote for circa two months. A new survey is now being held on the right-hand side under the headline ‘Poll’.

You can find the overview of all polls here:

http://www.airpluscommunity.com/pollarchive/

Poll: The Internet is the leading source of information for travelers

editor_ar — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:24:59 +0000

To always remain up-to-date while on the go, business travelers primarily use online and mobile media to cover their information needs. Blog readers have voted: 67% inform themselves via laptop or PC.

The “new media” have now surpassed “traditional media” as the most frequently used information source while traveling.This is the result of the most recent AirPlus survey “How do you stay informed about current issues while traveling on business?”. Particularly interesting: over 80% of those responding obtain current news online or via mobile channels. Only 8% still read a newspaper; a further 8% listen to radio or watch television to find out the most important news.

A new survey is now being held on the right-hand side under the headline ‘Poll’.

You can find the overview of all polls here:
http://www.airpluscommunity.com/pollarchive/

Poll: Impact of the economic downturn in the event sector

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:18:04 +0000

Blog-readers have voted: only 44% will be holding important external events this year

In our last poll, we asked you: “To what extent has the economic downturn impacted events? Is your company reducing costs in the event sector?”. The answers are not surprising; this year, the event sector must save money as well, although these savings are affecting internal much more than external events.

Only 44% of our Internet users will be holding important external events. 33% said that they are holding important internal and external events, and only 22% said that they are only making minor changes in comparison with last year, with most events taking place as planned. None of our blog readers indicated that they were cancelling all events.

Poll: Early booking – whenever possible

editor_ar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:55:36 +0000

Blog-readers have voted: 50 % book business trips as early as possible.

In addition, 46 % of business travelers prefer early bookings, if they have the chance to plan their trips in advance. Only four percent of all travelers think that it is not always cheaper to book in advance compared to short-term bookings.

This is the result of the current AirPlus survey: “Do you book business trips as early as possible in order to save money?”.

A new survey is now being held on the right-hand side under the headline ‘Poll’.

You can find the overview of all polls here:
http://www.airpluscommunity.com/pollarchive/

Poll: Business Class – used seldom for short trips

editor_ar — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:53:18 +0000

Blog-readers have voted: over 70% do not fly business class for short distances.

Very few business travelers use Business Class for short business trips. Only three percent of all business travelers consistently and regularly use the travel class created specially for them. This is the result of the current AirPlus survey: “Do you also fly Business Class on short trips?”. Especially interesting is the response that 70% never fly Business Class! And circa one-quarter of business travelers use Business Class only when a short trip is considered to be “especially important”.

Readers of this blog had the opportunity to vote for circa two months. A new survey is now being held on the right-hand side under the headline ‘Poll’. You find the overview of all polls here:
http://www.airpluscommunity.com/pollarchive/

Short trips: Preferably by car

admin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:04:00 +0000

When in doubt – drive! And with one’s own car. Nearly half (46%) of all businesspersons and other company representatives prefer to drive their own cars when taking short trips. The next-best alternative is the train: Some 43% choose this means of transportation to travel shorter distances to a business partner. Only every tenth traveler would take a plane if a business meeting takes place only a few hundred kilometers away.

This is the result of the current AirPlus quick-survey “Which mode of transportation do you prefer when taking short trips?”, which was made among readers of this blog.

New poll: Do you also fly Business Class on short trips?

Putting the environment on the bill

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:47:25 +0000

Despite rising costs, travel managers and business travelers are willing to incorporate not only the usual expenses into their travel budgets, but also environmental impact.

Some 32% of all travel planners consider it to be reasonable to use carbon-offset programs, which offset CO2 emissions through compensation payments. Another 39% want to wait for corresponding offers when costs for environmental impact between airlines and travelers are split. This is the result of a current survey of AirPlus Community members that was completed yesterday.

The results show that only 29% of those who responded do not consider carbon offsetting to be necessary or do not feel that it is part of their area of responsibility.
For additional information on carbon offsetting programs, please see
How to travel “environmentally friendly”?

Further current surveys can be found in the “Poll” section in the right-hand column.

And how do you do it?

editor_ar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:03:12 +0000

“All roads lead to Rome” – this is certainly true, at least when it comes to how to book flights to the Eternal City or other travel destinations. A recent survey from AirPlus suggests, however, that the road more often than not leads past a travel agency. But that could change in the future.

It’s a neck-and-neck race between travel agency, reseller and online booking. When it comes to the question of where travelers like to book their business trips, there are no clear favorites: 37% go to a travel agency, 32% use their company’s “reseller,” and 31% turn to their computer to book their flights online themselves. Those are the results of a recent AirPlus survey of readers of this blog. For around two months they had the opportunity to take part in the survey “How do you book your business trips” under the heading of “polls”.

Even though travel agencies are still (slightly) in the lead, the survey demonstrates a trend: travel agencies no longer hold as strong a lead as they did even a few years ago. Results from an “AirPlus International Travel Management Study“ from 2005 showed that almost 90 percent of all company representatives chose to book their flights with a travel agent.