Only 21 percent of travel managers are tracking ancillary fees while those fees account for over 8 percent of total travel spending, according to research ranking over 40 airline, hotel and rental car ancillary fees.
The research has been released by the Global Business Travel Association Foundation, the educational arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). GBTA said the new study takes the mystery out of ancillary fees – a fast-growing segment of travel expenses.
GBTA’s “2012 Ancillary Fee Handbook, Who Charges What, When & Where,” provides an overview of the various types of ancillary fees associated with air travel, car rental and hotel stays.
“This study is a tool to demystify ancillary fees and provide travel professionals with information they need to manage this growing slice of business travel spending,” said Joseph Bates, Senior Director of Research, GBTA Foundation.
The study categorizes virtually all the ancillary fees that business travelers can incur through airline, hotel and car rental travel. It also provides a rating system that evaluates each fee on three essential characteristics: 1. How common it is for a business traveler to incur the fee? 2. How transparent it is to travelers and planners? and 3. How easy it is for travel managers to track the fee once it has been incurred?
The Troublesome Ten: GBTA said researchers found that the fees that cause the most problems for companies and travel managers are those that are least predictable, can’t be paid in advance, and are difficult to track individually. According to these criteria, the study reveals the ten most troublesome ancillary fees:
11. Airline fees for soft drinks
12. Airline fees for headset use
13. Airline fees for movies and videos
14. Airline fees for food
15. Car rental fees for toll passage
16. Hotel related fees for internet use
17. Hotel related fees for parking
18. Car rental fees for late returns
19. Car rental fees for drop-off of a one-way rental
20. Car rental fees for fuel charge.
“Last summer, our research found that only 21 percent of travel managers are tracking ancillary fees while those fees account for over 8 percent of total travel spend,” continued Bates. “Our research shows that ancillary fees have a significant impact on travel budgets and policies. With better insight into how these fees work, travel managers can make more informed choices.”
The full report is available to GBTA members. Non-members may purchase the report through the GBTA Foundation by emailing [email protected].
Visit www.GBTA.org.