British business travelers waste £370 million on Wi-Fi and roaming charges annually

LONDON, England – Business travelers 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. The average UK business traveler 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.

Hotels and airports are 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 70% of business travelers regularly unable to work efficiently due to slow or unreliable Wi-Fi connections. For example, two fifths (38%) have been unable to join a work call or videoconferencing meeting, almost a fifth (17%) have missed a work deadline, and half (53%) 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 GBP17 for 24 hours Free
devices

Free to loyalty Non-members Non-members
2) Marriott members who book GBP15 for 24 hours GBP10 for 24 hours
direct high speed

3) Mandarin Free to those N/A GBP6 per hour
Oriental who book direct

4) InterContinental Free to members N/A GBP15 for 24 hours
of all tiers

5) Amba Hotels Free to All Service is Free to all
high speed

Airports

1. London Heathrow Free for the N/A 1 hour GBP3
first 3 hours GBP5
4 hours 24 hours GBP9

2. JFK New York Registration N/A $4.95 per hour
required $7.95 24 hours

Berlin Registration N/A Payment options on
3. Schönefeld required registration

Trains

1. Virgin Trains Free in first N/A 1 hour GBP3
class, payment 3 hours GBP6
required in 24 hours GBP8
standard class

2. East Coast 15 minutes free, N/A GBP4.95 per hour or
then payment GBP9.95 for 24 hours
required

3. First Capital Free to all N/A Available on
Connect first class one route
travellers

4. East Midlands Payment required N/A GBP4 for 3 hours
GBP6 for 24 hours

Financial commentator and founder of letssavemoney.com, Sarah Willingham, said: “Fast, free, reliable Wi-Fi is non-negotiable for modern business travelers. 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.”

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)