The State of Corporate Travel and Expense 2022 26 SKIFT + TRIPACTIONS The shift back to flight delays as a chief concern likely reflects, in part, a growing traveler comfort and confidence with masking and vaccination protocols. It stands to reason that the acceleration of safety and hygiene protocols and uptake of vaccinations has travelers in a more conf ident mindset. Technologies setting travelers at ease include corporate travel platforms like TripActions, which provide organizations and employees with real- time information about the trip experience. Other solutions include Health Pass, the mobile app f rom biometric ID leader CLEAR, which includes touchless, f rictionless vaccination validation, lab results, and real-time health screenings. Interestingly, the divide between airlines that now require their employees to get vaccinated and those that don’t may not overly influence the decision to travel. Quoted in an August 2021 Los Angeles Times piece on the topic, Madhu Unnikrishnan, editor of Skift Airline Weekly, stated that airline employee vaccination mandates “won’t rise to the awareness” of most passengers. Rather, Unnikrishnan asserted that “the majority of passengers will continue to book based on price and schedule.” Of course, there is no taking away the headache of the recent upswing in flight delays and cancellations due to staff ing shortages. Plus, given the global scope of the survey, regional differences must be taken into consideration. The other compelling explanation for shifting travel concerns is the growing desire to resume business travel, as well as an increased familiarity with the experience, on both the company and client sides. Take Zennify, for example. The company doubled in size in 2020, adding 115 new employees. “Most of us, myself and around 200 of my colleagues, actively travel for business,” said Barker. “While hindering deal closures and other efficiencies, the shutdown did not slow us down. Now, given the What are the most common problems you face when traveling for work? Business Travelers Flight delays Minimizing my risk of infection f rom Covid-19 or other diseases Flight cancellations Having to pay for travel expenses on a personal credit card Missed connections Lack of support for fixing problems while traveling Early check-in not available Issues with hotel reservations Oversold flights Late check-out not available Other 31% 52% 37% 29% 24% 24% 17% 16% 15% 15% 3%