Business Travel Disruptions Continue to Soar in 2024, Reveals TravelPerk’s Second Annual Report

• TravelPerk’s report indicates a high rate of travel disruptions in 2024, with 78% of global business travelers affected and the US witnessing the highest flight cancellations.
• Despite technological advancements, only 10% of travelers prefer chatbots for support during disruptions, favoring direct interaction with a human customer service agent.

The second annual Travel Disruption Report published by travel management platform TravelPerk reveals a tumultuous year for business travelers. According to the report, 78% of business travelers worldwide suffered disruptions in 2024. While disruption rates mirrored those of the previous year, the reasons behind these disruptions varied significantly by region, with cancellations and transport strikes especially impacting European markets.

The report analyzed the experiences of 4,000 business travelers from the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Spain and incorporated third-party global aviation data. The findings show that 27% of business travelers faced cancellations, while weather events and transport strikes disrupted 21%.

The impact of travel disruption on businesses and employees is significant. The report revealed that 41% of respondents missed or were late for an in-person meeting due to travel disruptions, and 40% incurred extra costs such as hotel charges and rebooking fees. Over one-third (36%) of business travelers had to work additional hours to compensate for missed work, and 85% reported that their productivity was affected.

Regional data indicated notable disparities. Transport strikes most significantly impacted British and German business travelers (27% and 29%, respectively), while US travelers experienced the highest number of cancellations (139,777 flights from March to September 2024) and weather-related disruptions (30%).

July 2024 saw the global travel industry thrown into chaos following an IT outage caused by Crowdstrike. Only 57% of flights operated without delay. Despite the high volume of cancellations in the US, China now leads in cancellation rates at nearly 5%, followed by Canada (3%) and the US (3%).

Despite the integration of AI into customer service, only 10% of travelers prefer chatbot support during disruptions. “When disruption occurs, it’s key that our customers feel supported by being quick and efficient. Our data shows that despite technological advances, only 10% of travelers want help from a chatbot over a human customer care agent,” said Kamil Jagodzinski, VP of Customer Care at TravelPerk.

The report also emphasized the implications of travel disruptions on securing or losing vital business opportunities. Yasmine Bratt, Chief Revenue Officer at TravelPerk, commented, “With 85% of people saying that disruptions impacted their productivity, the missed opportunity for businesses can be significant.”

To mitigate some travel stress, TravelPerk launched its FlexiPerk product in 2019. This product offers business travelers more flexibility by allowing them to cancel their trip up until two hours before travel and still receiving 80% of the trip refunded.