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The Global Business Travel Association Foundation, the educational arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), revealed findings from a new study that 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?
3. How easy it is for travel managers to track the fee once it has been incurred?
The Troublesome Ten
GBTA 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:
01. Airline fees for soft drinks
02. Airline fees for headset use
03. Airline fees for movies and videos
04. Airline fees for food
05. Car rental fees for toll passage
06. Hotel related fees for internet use
07. Hotel related fees for parking
08. Car rental fees for late returns
09. Car rental fees for drop-off of a one-way rental
10. Car rental fees for fuel charge.
“Last summer, our research found that only twenty-one percent (21%) of travel managers are tracking ancillary fees while those fees account for over eight percent (8%) 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."
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
