I don't think business travelers on an expense account are necessarily the most important customers.

A good number of them don't have a choice. Corporate guidelines tells them which hotels they are staying at. If the hotel treats them badly, they don't get a choice of not staying there next time. The same goes for airlines and car rental companies that have volume purchasing agreements with the corporation.

Then you have people who can choose where they stay at. Treat them badly, and you'll kiss their money goodbye. Even if it's not a large amount relative to a corporate account, you'll still never see that $$ again.

Of course, the most dangerous/lucrative customer of all are people on an expense account who can choose where to stay.

In any case, I don't believe the mantra that the full revenue or rack rate or high volume corporate customer are the most important. You guys are going to be at that airline counter or hotel check-in counter no matter the treatment you get. You have to fly/travel. The people who are there only because they wants to - those are the people who will make/break the profit statement.