In the movie, What Women Want, lead actor Mel Gibson gets to go inside the minds of women and know their thoughts, needs and desires.

If only hotels and airlines can do the same for the business traveller. But they have not stopped trying to understand and provide for their needs. The corporate traveller is just too precious, competition for him too intense, for suppliers to loosen their grip. This is why more dollars than ever have been, and are continuing to be, spent by airlines and hotels to get it right, resulting in a product innovation galore.

While that is indeed welcome, too much effort can be a waste of resources. The American Express survey of what business travel wants year after year shows the same basic principles: convenience, comfort, ease of use, price and reward (frequent flyer). Going by this, it is no surprise business travellers would pick flight schedules first over price, or in-room Internet access over free breakfast. (See page 4)

Their needs are not that complicated. It is because airlines and hotels are tripping all over each other in grabbing them that they themselves up the ante on customer expectations. Then they complain that these customers are getting more demanding than ever!

Suppliers should instead spend more time, thought and money on helping corporations control and manage their travel and entertainment (T&E) expenditure. When was the last time there was a real innovation from an airline or a hotel to help, say, an SME (small and medium enterprise) control and manage its T&E expense?

The corporate travel market in Asia still needs a lot of support from everyone in order for it to grow and become more structured.

The well-heeled business traveller – he knows how to take care of himself. Stop spoiling him too much.

Raini Hamdi
Editor