Following are verbatim comments from many of the 185 respondents to M&C's July 2014 survey on how meeting planners feel about being on the road.
What do you enjoy about air travel?
• The views
• Frequent-flyer miles, perks. Doesn't make up for the increasing aggravation!
• Being where no one can reach me - so far!
• Opportunity to get prepared for the event or meeting I'm headed for
• Thinking, contemplating, planning
• If traveling in business class, I enjoy the services. If in the back of the bus, I prefer just to read and enjoy a cocktail.
• It's quicker then driving!
• People watching
• Using my imagination as I look at communities below and make up stories about them and the people in them. Or just thinking about how communities form by looking at distances from the center of one. If there are clouds, I love watching their formation. And rain in the distance? It's so neat to watch the patterns.
• Wi-Fi so I can work or shirk!
• Time to relax or prepare, and sometimes meeting an interesting person to chat with, or having a good flight host who makes the flight fun (only on Southwest Airlines have I had this happen)
• Being "unplugged" from work (email, etc.)
• I like the fact that no one can reach me for a few hours.
• Getting out of office
• Tuning out
• Getting away from the office phone, even for that brief time frame
• Catching up on personal business
• Getting work done and relaxing is almost impossible unless I'm able to fly executive class or better.
• Working offline and no one coming by my office to interrupt
• Fastest way to go!
• The fact that when I do travel on business, it's on our corporate jet
• Reading industry-related articles that I do not always have time to read otherwise
• It's a necessity of business, but I personally do not like to fly.
• The sometimes gorgeous views from the plane
• I do not work on planes. It's the only real time to get any rest before or after a conference. In my opinion, those who work on plans are inefficient and have not properly organized their deliverables. The assertion of "uninterrupted time on the plane" is bogus. Considering what could happen on a plane these days, do you seriously want work-related issues to be the last thoughts you have?
• I appreciate the relative speed of getting to my destination. While flying is more difficult than before, it still beats driving!
• Just relaxing...
What do you particularly enjoy about hotel stays?
• Just being a different place
• Seeing a new property or staying at a favorite. Obviously I love the good ones but hate the bad experiences.
• Frequent-guest points to use for personal leisure travel at a later date
• Most rooms are spacious and nicely decorated.
• Just the adventure of someplace different
• No pets waking me up EARLY!
• Lots of pillows; meeting people
• Solitude/quiet
• Exercise room/swimming pool
• Housekeeping services, staff treats guests special, luxury amenities
• Catching up on work, dining out
• The wonderful beds and someone cleaning my room for me
• Welcoming feeling shown upon arrival; when requests are handled promptly and correctly; in-room services, i.e., housekeeping
• Experiencing different hotels
• Time to myself - there's always something that needs to be done at home or work.
• Just the peace and quiet you don't get at home. My time is my own on the road.
• Room service
• People-watching in lobby
• A room with a view
• Peace and quiet more often than not. A place to work where no one can disturb me. ROOM SERVICE!
• A more comfortable bed than the one I have at home...clean sheets, etc.
• Clean, fresh, unusual surroundings that I personally did not have to put in place
• Having a great hotel that makes you feel pampered even if you are on work travel - a clean room with access to a beautiful and safe facility (restaurant, pool, grounds, workout). It's important as a woman traveling alone to feel safe, to be able to go out for a walk, or not be bothered in a restaurant or going back to your room.
• Being close to the meeting/no commute
• Coming back to a clean room every day
• Being in a different atmosphere
• Food that I don't have to cook, especially room service
• Usually comfortable bed and pillows, different atmosphere
• Change of venue
• Luxury linens
• Coffee in the room, real eggs in the morning, fresh-cooked breakfast
• Relaxing with no distractions
• Clean sheets every day!
• No pet fur!
• Quiet space in which to regroup
• Toiletries: lotion, shampoo, conditioner
• Access to the gym
• Working offline/online and no one coming by my office to interrupt
• Hospitality services. Hot tub!
• Ability to relax, unless I am sharing a room with a co-worker
• It's just a fun experience, especially when it's a four- or five-star resort. I enjoy the luxury of it.
• Only taking care of myself
• Peace and quiet. Good work space with no distractions
• Change of scenery
• Alone time
• Suite-style hotels with fridge, microwave, etc. Desk in living area with TV separate from sleeping area
• Nothing special, just a good, clean, comfortable room
• Better than sleeping at airport
• Comfortable bedding and nearby restaurants
• The hustle and bustle of a hotel; being around travelers from all around the world; not having to make my own bed!
• Having a place where I don't have to make the bed or clean the bathroom!
• Creative amenities, good views
• The beds are often more comfortable than mine. :) Also, the convenience of the larger hotels with multiple services right in-house
• New destination; time for myself
What are you glad to escape when you're on the road?
• Roommate (my sister)
• Same old, same old
• Clarification: I love my partner/spouse - just afters 49 years, a break is a good thing!
• I am a consultant, so I mostly work alone. I enjoy getting out and working with/meeting others.
• Life in general! I like the peace of being away even if the work is hectic and difficult and travel a pain in the tush!
• Not really glad to escape anything
• The ability to concentrate on the project(s) for which one is traveling, instead of trying to multitask
• Daily maintenance of everything from house management to office management, etc. It's good to step back from the daily grind no matter how short and hectic the trip. I always come back with a new frame of mind.
• It's not about escaping, but changing the work environment to keep things fresh.
• All the noise of life
• Not escaping from anything. I love life at home, too!
• The grind of being in the office
• Spending money. I save a lot of money on long trips, since I'm not spending on groceries and other expenses.
What do you miss most when traveling?
• The ability to eat what I want (have food allergies that can make eating while on the road difficult), so I usually stay at a hotel whose rooms are equipped with refrigerator/microwave
• Having what I want at my fingertips
• Family & friends
• Comfortable transportation
• My car and golf course
• My desktop computer keyboard
• Familiarity of location (for example, knowing where nearest grocery store is)
• A fridge w/fruit
• Not having all my *stuff* with me
• My own bed
• The flexibility of the many activities available at home in Chicago
• Nothing; I enjoy the getaway while I can!
• My staff
• My bed
• I miss not being able to grab any personal items that I might want but didn't/wasn't able to pack.
• Getting work done
• A life
• Grandkids
• My own bed and pillows
• My bed! Even in the fanciest hotels, sometimes the bed is very uncomfortable, and that contributes negatively to the rest of the trip.