by Donald Wood
Last updated: 2:00 PM ET, Wed October 28, 2015
Many companies are finding the value in evaluating the patterns and habits of millennials, and a recent survey revealed that the generation has a much different perspective on business travel as compared to other groups.
According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Business Traveler Sentiment Index, in partnership with American Express, millennials are almost twice as likely to have the desire to travel for work as the Baby Boomer generation, totaling 45 percent to 26 percent, respectively.
Technology is another major factor for millennials, as the generation is more likely than the Baby Boomers to rely on social media to meet up with people while traveling, totaling 46 percent to 17 percent. Technology isn't the end-all, be-all for millennials, though, as 57 percent of the generation believe face-to-face interactions can never be replaced.
As for amenities during travel, the Baby Boomers generation prefers not paying to check bags-47 percent compared to 34 percent of millennials-while the millennials have the biggest desire for free Wi-Fi, with 30 percent compared to 17 percent of Baby Boomers.
GBTA Executive Director and COO Michael W. McCormick released a statement about the findings of the survey, saying, "Millennials are the newest generation of road warriors and, like their more experienced peers, they understand that face-to-face meetings remain key to getting business done. Over the last quarter, business travelers across the board - Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers - reported that their goals were met on business trips, leading to greater satisfaction."
The generations don't disagree on everything, though, as nearly two thirds of business travelers are against passengers being allowed to talk on their mobile phones during a flight, while only nine percent support the idea.
Another area where most people from different generations agree is getting through security at airports. A total of 52 percent of business travelers prefer getting through security easily over other airport amenities.
In addition, two in five business travelers-39 percent-want airports to offer non-stop flights to their destinations. While there are definitely distinct differences, many of the basic concepts for travelers are similar regardless of when they were born.
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