DALLAS, Dec. 15, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- A high percentage of small business travelers who are satisfied with how they are treated by the air travel industry may indicate a growing recognition of their specific travel needs, according to the American Small Business Travelers Alliance (ASBTA). ASBTA is a national, non-profit alliance that provides valuable services and functions focused specifically on the travel needs and interests of small business owners.
In ASBTA's latest survey of small business travelers, 49 percent of respondents indicated they are either "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied" with the airline industry's treatment of small business travelers. Conversely, only 21 percent of respondents indicated that they were "Dissatisfied," while a mere three percent said they were "Very Dissatisfied." The remaining 30 percent of respondents had no opinion.
Southwest, American Rank At Top
Respondents also voted on how well individual airlines treat small business travelers. At the top was Southwest Airlines with 39 percent ranking it either "Best" or "Great." American Airlines came in a close second with a total of 34 percent in the same categories. Although Delta placed third with 23 percent in the "Best" and "Great" categories, the airline -- like all the remaining airlines mentioned in the survey -- was actually ranked by the most respondents (40 percent) as "Average."
"On the surface, these results may simply represent how small business travelers feel they are treated by the air travel industry, but we think they also provide deeper insight into the progress small business travelers are making towards becoming a recognized and distinct group of business travelers," said Chet Gray, ASBTA vice president of Sales and Marketing. "Small business travelers have a different set of needs than other business travelers, and these results show they feel the airlines are really beginning to cater to those needs during travel."
In March 2005, ASBTA reported that airlines and other travel-related companies are increasingly marketing to small business customers with programs like American Airline's Business ExtrAA (www.businessextraa.com), which enables both business owners and their employees to earn rewards on travel. More recently, however, the latest ASBTA survey also revealed that while more major airline websites are delivering corporate-level travel tools to small business travelers, there is still room for improvement.
"While the survey results give the air travel industry an encouraging nod, it's important for individual airlines to recognize that further efforts on their part are needed to make the skies a truly friendly place for small business travelers," said Gray.
The ASBTA survey -- the third conducted by this year -- polled both members and non-members on a number of air travel-related issues. Further results will be announced in early 2006.
About ASBTA
ASBTA is dedicated to educating the small business traveler and promoting the travel industry at large. The American Small Business Travelers Alliance (ASBTA) is a national, non-profit organization serving small business travelers by providing information regarding resources and services, savings on air fares, car rentals, and accommodations, as well as technology (www.businesstraveltechnology.com) designed to improve and enhance your travel experience. ASBTA surveys are sponsored by Airline Weekly (www.airlineweekly.com). If you're a small business owner and want to learn more, visit our site and register free at www.asbta.com. You can contact ASBTA by phone at 469-648-0190 or email us at info@asbta.com.
The ASBTA logo is available at: http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1907