Half of US adults (51%) have traveled for work in the past year, and 1 in 5 (20%) are frequent business travelers (three or more trips), reinforcing that business travel remains a core part of professional life, according to SAP Concur’s The Business Travel Opportunity Gap Survey. The survey also found that only 22% of US adults express strong opposition to future work travel.
Among the other findings:
• Access to premium, company-paid experiences is dramatically uneven. Only 58% of non-frequent business travelers report having at least one premium travel experience in the past year, compared with 93% of frequent business travelers.
- 53% say that business travel logistics seem complicated or time-consuming or are more of a hassle than they should be, rising to 61% among frequent business travelers.
- 45% say business travel does not feel safe or predictable, with rising concerns such as flight instability, government disruptions and public health uncertainty. Both frequent business travelers and nonfrequent business travelers share this sentiment (43% frequent, 45% non-frequent).
- For many frequent business travelers, business travel compresses work rather than lightening it: 84% say they have extended work hours during a trip to stay on top of responsibilities; 63% report long days with little time for proper meals. Nearly half (49%) say travel disrupts their work-life balance. Most (87%) say they have prioritized rest to be ready for the next day rather than fully exploring their destination; 67% have stayed at the hotel for an entire trip without venturing out.
- 61% say the logistics of booking, charging and expensing travel are more of a hassle than they should be. One-third (33%) agree the amount of travel they do feels overwhelming.
- A little over half of Americans (57%) have submitted an expense report, and among those who have, 60% report encountering issues in the process. Frequent business travelers are even more likely to report challenges (68% vs. 55% of non-frequent travelers).
- 70% of travelers still rely on manual methods, such as spreadsheets, email or saved photos, to manage expenses, and 42% report feeling frustrated with company expense tools, especially when compared with personal apps.
• Only 36% of expense submitters report using AI-powered tools to manage business travel and expenses, with non-frequent business travelers reporting even lower adoption (31%).
For the survey, Edelman DXI, a global research, analytics and data consultancy, conducted a five-minute online survey among US adults. The study was fielded from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3, 2026, and involved 1,000 respondents.
