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And you thought you had a bad business trip?...

Survey reveals worst experiences of business travellers

Have you ever been kidnapped, held hostage or shot at whilst travelling for business? If so, you can identify with 15 of the 2,500 respondents of this year's tenth annual Barclaycard Business Travel Survey.

The survey asked business travellers of all different company positions to name the worst thing that has happened to them on a business trip. The usual suspects all cropped up:

Worst experience whilst on a business trip

Travel delays	19%
Lost, broken or stolen baggage	13%
Train or plane cancellations	5%
Missing a train, flight or connection	5%

However there were also some rather unusual responses...

"I unknowingly walked through a minefield in Afghanistan"

"Attending an eight hour meeting where no-one else spoke English"

"A stewardess once tried to get a piggyback from me on the flight but ended up knocking me over and dislocating my finger"

"I ended up in a different country due to a military coup"

"Being in Scotland when England lost a football match!"

"The chambermaid entered the room at an inappropriate time"

The survey also asked business travellers to name the one item they can't leave home without. In spite of the growing popularity of MP3 players and music on the go, books are still twice as popular. The most 'essential' items were as follows:

Mobile phone and charger	20%
Laptop	19%
Books	6%
Credit or debit card	5%
Passport	5%
Toiletries	3%
MP3 player	3%

Other responses included malt vinegar, a teddy bear, a wine buying guide, lucky pants, marmite, a sense of adventure, and my husband/wife/mistress.