Business travellers paying to stay connected whilst they travel are costing British companies more than £370 million each year, according to new global research from Amba Hotels, hotels for the discerning business traveller. The average UK business traveller spends £16.30 on Wi-Fi and roaming charges on each trip – a third more than the average spend in the US where free Wi-Fi is more widely available.
It appears that hotels and airports seem to be the worst offenders, with some charging up to £17 for 24 hours. Having to pay for Wi-Fi services also impacts the efficiency of the working day with up to seventy per cent of business travellers regularly unable to work efficiently due to slow or unreliable Wi-Fi connections. For example twenty per cent have been unable to join a work call or videoconferencing meeting, almost a fifth have been late for an important conference or video call, and 1 in 10 have felt the impact on their personal lives after being unable to contact friends and family.

Hotels
Name Availability Premium Wi-Fi Cost Wi-Fi Cost
1.Four Seasons Free for up to 2 devices £17 for 24 hours Free
2.Marriott Free to loyalty members who book direct Non members £15 for 24 hours high speed Non-members £10 for 24 hours

3.Mandarin Oriental Free to those who book direct N/A Non-members £15 for 24 hours £6 per hour
4.InterContinental Free to members of all tiers N/A £15 for 24 hours
5.Amba Hotels Free to All Service is high speed Free to all

Airports
1.London Heathrow Free for the first 4 hours N/A 1 hour £3
3 hours £5 24 hours £9
2.JFK New York Registration required N/A $4.95 per hour $7.95 24 hours
3.Berlin Schönefeld Registration required N/A Payment options on registration

Trains
1.Virgin Trains Free in first class, payment required in standard class N/A 1 hour £3 3 hours £6 24 hours £8
2.East Coast 15 minutes free, then payment required N/A £4.95 per hour or £9.95 for 24 hours

3.First Capital Connect Free to all first class travellers N/A Available on one route
4.East Midlands Payment required N/A £4 for 3 hours
£6 for 24 hours

Entrepreneur and financial commentator Sarah Willingham said; “Fast, free, reliable Wi-Fi is non-negotiable for modern business travellers. With airlines and rail companies investing in Wi-Fi on board and international roaming charges falling dramatically, it’s inexcusable to keep charging extortionate rates for patchy Wi-Fi connections. I’m pleased to see Amba Hotels is championing fast, free Wi-Fi and hope their competitors follow their lead.”

Mike DeNoma, CEO of glh, the parent company of Amba Hotels said; “Wi-Fi is consistently one of the key criteria that influences our guests’ choice of hotel – in fact for some people, it’s more important than a good night’s sleep! Our Wi-Fi has no caveats, no loyalty schemes no limit on uploading or downloading. It’s the fastest, free, unlimited Wi-Fi of any Meeting & Events hotel.”

The research highlights the overall cost of Wi-Fi to businesses globally and in key business travel markets:
•France – €232 million annually (average spend €22.10 per trip)
•UK – £371 million annually (average spend £16.30 per trip)
•Germany – €3.6 billion annually (average spend €21.10 per trip)
•US – $7.3 billion annually (average spend $15.10 per trip)

To help businesses and consumers avoid expensive Wi-Fi charges, Amba Hotels has teamed up with RottenWiFi.com to track the best and worst Wi-Fi hotspots.