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What Influences Travel Decisions

• Dublin to Amsterdam on an early morning flight and back the same day.

• Brussels to Stockholm on a morning flight, two night stay in a hotel in Stockholm, then back to Brussels to arrive in the evening on the third day.

Or a little more complex:

• A business traveler flies from Paris to Stuttgart where he has two days of meetings, then he flies on to Vienna for three days. He leaves Vienna on Friday evening, flies directly to Geneva where he is meeting friends for a weekend skiing and returns to Paris very early on Monday morning. (Business travelers often include leisure plans as part of their business trips).

The travel arranger's choice of flights, airlines and hotels will be influenced by:

• A Convenient Schedule - The most important influence on travel arrangements is the date and time of the flight. Business travelers don't want to spend longer than they need to at the airport or at their business destination. Understandably, they prefer not to stay away from home overnight, so if an early morning flight and late afternoon return is possible, that's the one to choose.

• Reliability & Safety Record - Business travelers want to get to their destination as quickly as possible, so airlines with a good record of punctuality (and not losing or mis-routing the baggage!) are the most popular. Safety reports are published to help avoidance of airlines with a poor record of safety and reliability.

• Hotel Location - The business traveler needs his hotel to be as close as possible to the exhibition hall, conference centre or meeting place - ideally a short walk away.

• Frequent Flyer/Stay Program - These reward travelers for using the same airline or hotel chain frequently.