Fresh market research findings that pack a punch.
 

September 2008


Transactional travel or sky-high service?


Synovate quizzed people who had travelled by air about the one thing they best liked about being on a plane. For the majority, it's all about getting from point A to point B, with 56% choosing 'It's fast and it gets me where I need to be quickly' as the thing they most like about air travel.

The highest score for this attribute was from people in the United States (US), with 84% agreeing. Of course this may also be because air travel in the US is not always packed with comfort anyway...

Sheri Lambert, Senior Vice President of Travel & Leisure for Synovate, said it was absolutely critical for air travel to be convenient.

"Air travel in the US is largely transactional. It's about getting where you are going with as little fuss as possible. This is mainly because the scale of the American air system is enormous and so many people travel for work or business that it's nearly as common as taking a bus.

"The whole travel process has to be efficient or people start to reconsider whether the trip is even worth it – not a mindset the airlines want to encourage," she said.

At the other end of the scale, 42% of Egyptians said their greatest pleasure when it comes to flying is 'being served'.

Synovate's Managing Director for Egypt, Tamer El Naggar, said: "Air travel is a big thing for Egyptians and the prestige associated with it becomes an expectation. Getting on board an airplane and being looked after is a very much sought-after luxury."


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> The seat of power

> Up in the air about intimacy

> Children shouldn't be seen, or heard

> Air travel to nose dive?

> How can an airline fly high?

> About the Synovate global air travel survey





 
CURIOSITIES

Only 4% of all people across the markets surveyed nominated airline food as their favourite part of flying. However, it doesn't matter if it's the chicken or the fish for 12% of Filipinos and 11% of people from the UAE, who look forward to tucking in whenever they get on board.

Hong Kongers are most likely to have laptops out in-flight, with 11% saying the chance to get some work done without interruption is what they like best about air travel.

Plane and seat design are critical to passenger satisfaction. Sixty-three percent of air travellers say they prefer window seats... tricky to keep everyone happy!

Coffee, tea or me? Only three percent of air travellers in the markets surveyed said the thing they most liked about flying was 'attractive flight attendants'. However, Synovate's focus group experience is that, once mid-conversation, a large proportion of people rather sheepishly admit this is an important part of the in-flight experience... perhaps something people will admit to face-to-face only!



BACK ISSUES

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Global survey: What would you do to be beautiful?

Global healthcare survey looks at patient power

Young Asians fit 38 hours of activities into one day (but still manage eight hours sleep!)

Cents and sensibility: Global attitudes to cash

Revealing consumers' jeans joys and denim blues...

Three obvious facts about the world's emerging markets (and the less obvious... what they really mean for your brand)

Fast food addiction, obesity and other weighty issues

The Olympic Games... Greatest show on earth or five-ringed circus?

Democracy doesn't always get the vote

More...


 
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Thank you for reading Synovate In:fact. This issue of In:fact was based on information gathered from a ViewsNet online survey and a Global Omnibus survey. As a global, full-service market research provider, Synovate is well-positioned to conduct online, telephone and in-person research on a local, regional or global basis. We believe in our subscribers' privacy rights. The data you provide us will not be shared with third parties.