In a new report from the Government Accountability Office, there are currently fewer airplane seats and fewer flights available as compared with numbers from 2007.

Seats have declined 9 percent and flights 9 percent at larger airports, the study said. In smaller destinations, seats were down 18 percent and flights fell by 24 percent.

Only rural communities have avoided the impact of this trend. The study authors noted that many of the positive developments in the airline industry are a result of congressional efforts to keep small airports afloat. The number of flights serving Essential Air Service airports has increased about 20 percent since 2007, and the number of seats are up 8 percent. Of the 160 airports featured in the program, 43 are located in Alaska. [Read more…]

Business owners prefer face-to-face meetings but an increase in travel cost and non-compliance with corporate travel policies create challenges. There are solutions, however, that are simple and effective.

Problem: High Travel Costs

In a recent travel trends study, more than 84% of business owners cited ever-increasing hotel and airfare rates as a strain on their bottom line. However, many of these businesses also report a reduction in their travel budget. Despite higher cost and fewer miles per dollar, small businesses are spending more money than ever before on work-related trips.

A major cause for concern amongst travelers is difficulty during the reservation process. Many business travelers report that seat reservations on low-cost carriers are more difficult than ever to come by and ancillary services are challenging the book. [Read more…]

In a new study by messaging service provider HeyWire Business, over half of the 700 respondents were more likely to use texting as their main method of accessing customer support. The survey results indicate a significant interest of consumers in today’s tech-savvy world to use text as a way to raise awareness of customer service issues.

Among people ages 18-34, 53 percent of consumers seeking customer support prefer using some form of electronic media – text, Web chat, email or social media – instead of picking up the phone and making a call. With younger Americans using text as a primary way to engage with brands and businesses around the world, this trend is expected to increase in popularity. [Read more…]

The new Business Travel Expense Trends survey has revealed some interesting insights about the spending habits of many U.S.-based organizations.

Certify, the world’s leading cloud-based expense report management software provider,  developed this survey featuring 137 North American companies. Fifty-eight percent of respondents spent more on travel in 2013 compared with their 2012 spending.

Travel expenses are known as one of the most common work-related tax deductions.  The Business Travel Expense Trends survey shows that businesses are demonstrating a little more flexibility in terms of their operational expenses. In 2014, 49 percent of all survey respondents said they plan to spend slightly more on travel expenses. Thirty percent said their expenses will remain the same. [Read more…]

The Internet is transforming how medical practices go about their business.

In 2005, a mere 6 percent of physicians offered appointment scheduling online. Moving into 2014, approximately 20 percent of doctors’ offices provide the opportunity for patients to make appointment requests through online scheduling services or patient portal. However, 80 percent of consumers prefer booking their appointments over the phone, according to a recent Vitals Index report.

The increased availability of technology has made online scheduling an important element of consumer behavior. Just as the travel and entertainment industry has slowly moved towards online reservations, physicians will begin to do the same. The Internet offers patients the opportunity to schedule appointments at their convenience. Before people select a restaurant or hair salon, many access the Internet to read ratings and reviews in order to make a buying decision. That trend will continue in the medical industry for 2014. Physician ratings and reviews are expected to gain even more visibility over the next 12 months. In the same Vitals Index report, a majority of respondents said that 5-6 reviews can give an accurate assessment about quality of service. The most popular site for today’s online consumers is Vitals.com, with more than 3 million reviews to date. [Read more…]