If you’re facing business trips, a cost-cutting travel trend is making that burden even greater. This was recognized two years ago, and that tendency of businesses to demand cheaper travel is accelerating, as discussed in this article from The Wall Street Journal.

Stateside hotel rates have risen 19.2% in the last 30 months, with rates in London and Singapore rising by nearly a third in that same period.  Some cost-cutting companies now ask employees to share rooms, cook their own meals on the road, and demand prospective employees to fly in for an interview with reimbursement below cost, as per the Journal story (op cit.).

When you combine that with the governmental tendency to change rules at a moment’s notice, (remember the pile of cell phones at Heathrow?), video conferencing looks better and better as a substitute for travel.

Do you see an increase in video conferences? If so, do you attribute it to the increasingly problematic nature of business travel? Join the discussion.