Running out of battery power is a serious headache for the gadget toting generation but it doesn’t have to be that way, writes Andrew Hennigan

Power sockets are often hard to find when travelling, yet this can cause unnecessary stress for those joined at the hip to their devices. Without battery power, you can’t – heaven forbid - contact anyone, check your position on a map, receive confirmation from the hotel, access an electronic boarding pass, use an electronic translator or take photos.

A recent YouGov survey, conducted on behalf of wiring accessory company MK Electric, found that 85% of millennials today travel with a battery chargeable device. And when the battery dies, that can cause problems; over a quarter have lost contact with people they were travelling with and, without the ability to check a map, 17% percent have found themselves in a muddle. And testing the always-on-screen generation to the absolutely limit, battery failure has left 35% without access to entertainment. For business travellers, however, this can be unnecessarily trying.

“Not knowing critical travel information or having the ability to study up before a big presentation can cause stress,” says MK’s Nadine Deery.

Arguably a worrying sign of the times, the YouGov survey finds that having a phone with no battery leaves:

• 39% of millennials feeling ‘very frustrated’
• 26% ‘anxious’
• 13% ‘in a ‘panic’

A worrying trend, perhaps, but also a business opportunity and one that is surprisingly easy to fix. Here are some five simple and inexpensive considerations for travel and hospitality businesses:

1. Install more power sockets: Nothing annoys travellers more than having to search the airport departure lounge, hotel room or café for a working power socket to plug a charger into. Equipping public areas with enough sockets for everyone is a quick fix, at least for buildings. Having ‘plenty of power sockets!’ can score you brownie points and positive reviews on sites like Yelp, Foursquare and TripAdvisor. The rise of the ‘coffice’ is here to stay.

2. Add USB power sockets: You can please customers even more, while also saving space, by providing USB sockets in addition to the usual AC power. Many wall socket units on the market combine standard power sockets and multiple USB sockets in the same space – and that makes for a simple upgrade. “If hotels, shops and airport lounges install USB charging solutions on-site they will instantly make their premises and services more attractive to this audience,”says Deery.  This solution was recently adopted by United Airlines’ new VIP lounges at London Heathrow’s Terminal 2, and at the Ace Hotel in London.

3. Keep spare cables and chargers on tap: For some customers, the problem isn’t finding a power outlet; they might also have lost or forgotten their charger or charging cable. Hotels and resorts can easily address this problem by keeping a few spare cables and chargers at the reception desk. With the dominance of a smaller number of brands this has become easier than it used to be.

4. Have a spare tablet or two. Many hotels already provide a tablet to replace the printed room information package (Calling Room Service, Can You Please Send me a Tablet EyeforTravel, 29 November 2012). Customers can also use these to access their own email and social media accounts, at least while they are in the hotel room. With so many low cost tablets available today, even the smallest café could benefit from a spare for customers to borrow.

5. Stock up on solar or portable batteries: Many vehicles already provide USB power that can be used for charging phones, but for excursions far from standard power sockets, travel operators can pack a portable solar charger to deal with customer emergencies. A pocket-sized solar charger can recharge a phone anywhere, even in places where there is no signal, but where people still want to use their phone to take photos or to access information. This is the ideal solution for outdoor activities like hiking and climbing.

The crystal ball

For now these simple fixes can help prevent travellers feeling battered while on trip. But another solution to the problem is already emerging: wireless charging. In the not-so-distant future more travelers will be carrying phones, tablets, watches and other devices that are charged by placing them on a wireless charging plate. Early adopters are bringing their own chargers, but some coffee shop and fast-food chains are beginning to provide wireless charging plates on tables. When wireless becomes the norm hotels and other hospitality businesses will soon need to consider providing wireless charging as standard.