For the business traveller (and the traveller in general, really), Wi-Fi is important -- crucial, even. But more important than sustenance? That's exactly what was found in a recent survey by American Airlines and HP, where some 47per cent of business travelers responded that Wi-Fi was the "most important airport amenity, outscoring basic travels needs such as food by nearly 30 percentage points."

The online study gathered results from 1,500 frequent travellers who log more than twenty trips a year on three or more airlines, and it also found that the largest complaint wasn't delayed flights, cramped areas, endless fees or the lack of an AC outlet in coach -- no, it was dead PC batteries. Yes, dead batteries, a problem that can absolutely be solved by simply buying a spare before the trip commences. Approximately 67% of frequent flyers say dead batteries (41.4%) and no available power outlets (26.3%) are the biggest problems. In addition, 90 per cent of frequent flyers surveyed hit the road with either a notebook computer and/or a cell phone with them.

Source: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2009/090522a.html.