A Look At The Reality Of Travel Today (NAPSA)—Theresults of a recent survey of business travelers by Synovate Travel & Leisure shed light on the “ups and downs” of traveling today. Topping the charts at 75 percent as the “biggest gripe” travelers listed was “last-minute flight cancellations and delays,” and equally frustrating is the “lack of communication by airline personnel,” followed by “sitting on the tarmac.” Some other interesting tidbits on whattravelerslike and don’t: Chatty Seatmates MoreIrritating Than TSA Surprisingly, travelers are more irritated by screaming children and incessant talkers than by the hassles of airport security. Hotel Service: Back to Basics Sixty-four percent of hotel-bound travelers said “uncomfortable beds” frustrated them, followed by rooms that were not ready following a late arrival (64 percent). “Requesting a nonsmoking room and not getting it” and “miscellaneous surcharges” each frustrated 61 percent. More than half the respondents are more frustrated by a nonworking television in the hotel room than by waiting in line to check in and out. More than 50 percent also cited a hotel brand’s “global presence” as a contributing factor when selecting a hotel loyalty/frequent-guest program. Are There Any Perks Left? The most appreciated perk of business travel is “visiting interesting places” at 70 percent, followed by “change of pace” (60 percent) and “meeting new people” (51 percent). Respondentsalso cited “alone time” (35 percent), “not having to make their bed” (27 percent) and “no family responsibility” (15 percent). Business travelers also find time to reward themselves while traveling for work. Nearly 60 percent sightsee; 41 percent splurge CARLSON Carlson Hotels Worldwide goldpoints plus” Goes Global. Now travelers can earn and redeem points for hotel rewards at 965 loca- tions in 71 countries worldwide. on an expensive meal. The most popular hotel perk was a room upgrade (59 percent). For many travelers, however, the question is how do you get that room? Making A Difference for Travelers and the Environment One major hotel company, Carlson Hotels Worldwide, recently made it much easier for travelers to earn points faster with no increased award-redemptionlevel. According to Randy Petersen, editor of InsideFlyer Magazine and frequent-flyer guru, the newly revamped program “goldpoints plus”is a top hotel-loyalty program. Now, travelers can redeem hotel points globally at 965 locations in 71 countries and earn 50 to 100 per- cent more points per hotel stay. In addition, the hotel company helps protect children. Travelers can donate reward points to the World Childhood Foundation, (www.childhood.org), which works to prevent child exploitation. Being environmentally responsible, it also partnered with CarbonNeutral (www.carbonneutral.com) so travelers can redeem points to offset COz. Find out more at www.gold pointsplus.com.
