Women tell all in business travel study

Female business travellers have revealed their thoughts on preferences on air journeys in a survey by the American Small Business Travellers Alliance (ASBTA).

According to the poll, 54 per cent of women who regularly fly for business purposes believe they receive the same treatment as men onboard planes.

About 85 per cent of respondents said they rely on the internet to book their flights, while the most important aspects of air travel for women were found to include the quality of services and amenities, toilet cleanliness, the crew's responsiveness to requests and loyalty schemes.

Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed revealed that they would be willing to pay more for flights that offered more convenient services than standard ones.

"[The] survey results reflected that 73 per cent of female business travellers travelled the same or more in 2007 compared to 2006," commented ASBTA president Chuck Sharp.

"From our vantage point, female travellers are clearly a growing segment that will help shape the travel industry."

A number of airlines are increasingly looking to meet the needs of specific groups of travellers. Silverjet, a business class airline, recently announced that its forthcoming service between Luton Airport and Dubai will cater specifically for Muslim travellers by offering halal menus, a qibla service and female-only lavatories.

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