Status of Air Travel in the USA
Presentation by John P. Heimlich
Vice President & Chief Economist
April 13, 2016
© 2016 Ipsos. All rights reserved. Contains Ipsos' Confidential and Proprietary information and
may not be disclosed or reproduced without the prior written consent of Ipsos.
Airlines for America: Research Objectives
Airlines for America® (A4A) sought to better understand various aspects of
the American airline traveler in 2015:
Who is traveling by air, why, where and how often;
How many Americans traveled by airline in 2015;
What logistical decisions did 2015 travelers make including how much
luggage to take, how many nights to stay, what kind of tickets they buy;
What are their upcoming travel plans in 2016; and
What are the investments that travelers believe are the most crucial in
the coming years.
This study references similar research conducted by Gallup on behalf of the
Air Transport Association of America in 1998 for trending purposes. The 1997
study was a random sample of 3,016 Americans age 18+ conducted via
telephone.
2
Executive Summary
3
Not on an
airline
An Airline
None of these
The 2015 American Adult Flyer at a Glance
% of Americans who flew on an
airline in 2015
50%
50%
Gender
Male
Female
67%
8%
17%
6%
2%
Race/Ethnicity
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Other
35%
35%
30%
Age
18-34
35-54
55+
80%
14%
6%
2015 Flyer Satisfaction
Satisfied
Neither
Dissatisfied
42%
17%
45%
81%
Flew personal 2015
Flew business 2015
Flew in 2015
Ever flown
Airline Travel 2015
% of US Adult Population
21
24 24
28
29
32
39
45
49
55
65
70
73
76
81 81
1971
1972
1973
1974
1977
1979
1981
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1997
2016
Airline Travel 1971-2015
% of US Adult Population
Ever flown
Flown in
last year
4
Trips per Airline Traveler
15
2
2
6
5
9
10
20
31
9+ trips
8 trips
7 trips
6 trips
5 trips
4 trips
3 trips
2 trips
1 trip
Q3. In 2015, how many trips did you take on airlines for the following purposes?
Count each roundtrip as a single trip and include any trips planned for the last few
weeks of 2015
2015 Airline Travelers
% of all 2015 flyers take X trips
6
1
1
3
2
4
5
9
14
55
9+ trips
8 trips
7 trips
6 trips
5 trips
4 trips
3 trips
2 trips
1 trip
0 trips
All American Adults
% of all Americans take X trips
Average
4.8 trips
Average
2.1 trips
People took flights for many reasons in 2015
5
Q3. In 2015, how many trips did you take on airlines for the following purposes?
Count each roundtrip as a single trip and include any trips planned for the last few
weeks of 2015
Personal non-leisure
purposes
Personal leisure
purposes
Business purposes
1,995
31%
21%
1.5
2.3
1.0
Average trips
Total Trips Taken
2015 Airline Travelers
31%*
48%
21%
* Compared to 47% in 1997
6
2015 Flyers Come From Across the United States
New
England
5%
(4%)
Middle
Atlantic
14%
(14%)
East North
Central
13%
(14%)
West North
Central
7%
(7%)
South
Atlantic
25%
(23%)
East South
Central
3%
(4%)
West South
Central
9%
(9%)
Mountain
9%
(9%)
Pacific
17%
(15%)
2015 Airline Flyers by Home Location
(brackets represents % entire U.S. population)
7
2015 Flyers Come from Urban and Rural Areas
8%
25%
34%
33%
11%
27%
33%
29%
Non-metro (Rural)
<1M (Town/Suburban)
1-4.9M (Semi-urban)
5M+ (Urban)
All Americans 2015 flyers
2015 Airline Flyers by Home Population
(outline represents % entire U.S. population)
For Americans Airline Travel is Mostly Domestic
8
Q6. What was your destination for the personal flights you took in 2015? Please
specify the number of air trips to each location
Individual/Personal Travel to Region
2015 Airline Travelers – Personal Reasons
Region
% of all Trips
USA
63%
Canada
5%
Mexico
5%
Central America
5%
South America
4%
Caribbean
5%
Europe
8%
Africa
2%
Middle East
2%
Australia/Asia
3%
Latin ≥ 14%
Trip Duration
9
Most personal trips last less than one week.
The average across domestic and international is 6.6 nights.
Q7. On average, how many nights did you stay at your destination when you took the
following types of trips?/Q8. When you travel via airline on personal trips, how many
people do you usually travel with?
2%
38%
44%
12%
3%
1%
2%
36%
30%
21%
8%
2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
0 nights 1-3 nights 4-7 nights 8-14 nights 15-30 nights 31+ nights
How many nights stayed?
Personal domestic Personal international
Average 5.7 nights Average 7.7 nights
Travelers Checked Baggage Experience
10
Travelers going to an international location are likely to check more items than
those traveling domestically.
Personal travelers check an average 1.1 pieces of luggage.
Of all personal checked bags in 2015, more than half did not require payment.
Q10-11. How many items did you check?/How many checked items required
payment?
24%
59%
15%
1% 1%
9%
58%
27%
3%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
0
items
1 item 2
items
3
items
4
items
Items checked
57%
43%
56%
44%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
0 items 1 item or more (net)
Checked items needing payment
Personal
domestic
Personal
international
Average 0.9
checked items
Average 1.3
checked items
% of all checked items
Electronic Devices Owned
Air travelers are a tech-savvy group: nearly all travelers own some type of computer.
Smartphones are also popular: more than three-quarters of flyers own a smartphone.
70% of flyers own a tablet or e-Reader, vs. 60% for the overall population
11
98%
90%
80%
76%
75%
70%
32%
96%
89%
77%
72%
68%
60%
28%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Computer
Phones
Media + Gaming
TV & Cable
Camera
Tablet/e-Reader
Maps (GPS etc)
Electronic Devices Owned
Air traveler All Americans
Q. Which of the following do you have in your household?
Booking tickets (what kind and where) for travelers
12
Personal international travelers are twice as likely to splurge on premium seating as
those traveling domestically. [56% vs. 28%]
Those flying internationally are more likely to book travel from an online travel
agency, such as Expedia, whereas most domestic travel was booked directly
through the airline website.
Q12. What type of ticket do you (or your company) usually book for these kinds of
flights? / Q14. What resource do you usually use to book travel for these kinds of
flights?
58%
33%
5%
4%
34%
49%
13%
5%
56%
40%
8%
5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
How ticket booked
14% 14%
72%
20%
36%
44%
17%
22%
70%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Type of ticket purchased
Personal domestic
Personal
international
Personal overall
Booking tickets (how far in advance) for travelers
13
Q13. How far in advance do you usually book travel?
8%
11%
16%
44%
21%
8%
17%
16%
30%
29%
10%
14%
18%
45%
25%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
0-3 days 4-7 days 8-21 days 22 days to three
months
More than three
months
Booking tickets in advance
Personal domestic
Personal international
Personal overall
The majority of personal domestic and international travelers book their tickets
more than three weeks in advance of the date of departure. [65%, 59%]
The check-in and upgrade process for flyers
14
Most travelers prefer to check in to their flights on a personal device, using either a
personal computer or mobile device. Only 11% use the ticket counter.
23% of air travelers chose to purchase a seat upgrade in 2015.
50%
22%
17%
11%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Personal
computer
Mobile
device/app
Automated
kiosk at the
airport
Airport ticket
counter
Check-In Method
23%
75%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Yes No Not sure
Purchased seat upgrade
Q15. What type of ticket do you (or your company) usually book for these kinds of
flights? / Q16. Did you purchase a seat upgrade using money, points or miles on any
flight?
Frequent Flyer Programs for travelers
15
Two-thirds of 2015 flyers are a member of some airline frequent flyer program.
55%
10%
34%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Yes, frequent flyer program
member, but do not have elite
status
Yes, have elite status with a
frequent flyer program
No
Enrollment in frequent flyer programs
Q17. Are you currently enrolled in any frequent flyer program and do you have any
status giving you extra privileges?
TSA Pre-Check and future enrollment for travelers
16
Nearly a fifth (19%) of travelers are enrolled in the TSA PreCheck security program.
Only 13% are enrolled in CBP Global Entry.
13%
19%
73%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
CBP Global Entry TSA Precheck No, I am not enrolled in either of these
Enrollment in security programs
Q18. Are you currently enrolled in either of these expedited security screening
programs?/ Q19. Do you plan to enroll in either of these expedited security screening
programs in 2016?
Base: N = 1364
2015 Air Traveler Satisfaction
17
80% of all 2015 flyers reported being somewhat or very satisfied with their overall
air travel experience in 2015, including 35% very satisfied and 1% very dissatisfied.
Flyers enrolled in expedited security screening programs reported even greater
levels of satisfaction: 82% (49% very) for PreCheck; 95% (67% very) for Global Entry.
35%
44%
14%
5%
1%
49%
33%
13%
5%
1%
67%
28%
3%
2%
0.3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Neither satisfied nor
dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied
Satisfaction with Overall 2015 Air Travel Experience
Overall TSA PreCheck CBP Global Entry
Q25. Thinking about your overall experience with air travel over the past twelve
months, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you?
2015 Air Traveler Satisfaction (Cont’d)
18
While air travelers of all incomes and age groups reported satisfaction levels
exceeding 70%, younger [88%] and middle class travelers [83%] reported the highest
levels of satisfaction their 2015 air travel experience.
Q25. Thinking about your overall experience with air travel over the past twelve
months, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you?
88
73
77
3
7
10
18-34 35-54 55+
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Satisfaction % by Age of Traveler
81
83
76
5
6
7
<$50k $50-100k $100k+
Satisfaction % by Traveler HH Income
Neither
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Neither
Prospective-
Flight in 2016
19
2016 Flight Outlook
20
Americans generally plan to take about the same number of flights next year.
2015 travelers are the most likely to fly again in 2016 – and to take even more
flights, with the most popular type of trip being personal domestic trips.
29%
29%
32%
17%
16%
16%
55%
55%
52%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
All Americans Ever flown 2015 Flyers
More or less flights in 2016
About the same number of flights
Fewer flights
More flights
Q21. In total, do you think you will take more or fewer flights in 2016 than you did in
2015?/Q20. How likely are you to travel by airline for these reasons and
destinations?
53%
52%
75%
26%
26%
40%
20%
20%
32%
13%
12%
21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
All Adults Ever flown 2015 Flyers
Purpose and Destination for Likely
Flyers
Personal domestic
Personal international
Business domestic
Business international
Travel Decision Factors
21
Q22. How important are each of the following when you are making the decision to
travel by airline (versus another mode of travel or versus not going at all)?
The cost and the time spent traveling are the most important factors in deciding
whether to travel by air.
Airport amenities have the least effect on decision making.
86%
78%
79%
74%
74%
74%
71%
40%
30%
86%
76%
83%
77%
73%
74%
72%
43%
36%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Total travel
price
Your
household
finances
Airline
schedules
Total time
spent in travel
Perception of
safety
Operational
reliability
Convenience
of the airport
Quality of
inflight
amenities
Amenities at
the airport
Ever flown
2015 Flyers
Importance of Factors in Choosing Air Travel
% Ranking 1 or 2 out of 5
Importance of pre-flight factors
22
Q23. In terms of your preflight experience at the airport, how would you RANK the
following in importance?
Efficiency in the preflight experience is the most important factor for travelers, with
efficiency in the security and boarding process ranked as most important preflight
factors.
79%
77%
37%
32%
27%
24%
24%
76%
73%
40%
30%
25%
29%
26%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Ever flown
2015 Flyer
Importance of Pre-Flight Factors
% Ranking 1 to 3 out of 7
Importance of inflight factors
23
Q24. In terms of your inflight experience, how would you RANK the following in
importance?
Space for both the travelers and their luggage is the most important factor for an
inflight experience.
2015 travelers value inflight entertainment options more than people who have ever
flown.
91%
77%
53%
30%
26%
24%
89%
75%
51%
31%
29%
26%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Legroom/seat
comfort
Space for carry-ons Food and drink
options
Wifi availability Entertainment
options
In-seat power
Ever flown
2015 Flyer
Importance of In-Flight Factors
% Ranking 1 to 3 out of 6
Advice for CEO
24
Q26. If you were able to advise the CEO of a major airline on how to prioritize future
customer-oriented investments in the airline, how would you RANK the following?
When asked to give advice to an airline CEO, all groups say that the highest priority
should be improvements to onboard comfort; half put routes/schedules in top 3.
Technology onboard the aircraft and the airline’s website or mobile applications are
considered the lowest priority items, though those who traveled in 2015 are more
likely to say these items are important.
74%
59%
46%
36%
36%
29%
21%
71%
54%
49%
35%
34%
32%
26%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Onboard comfort Customer service Route
network/schedule
Airport
improvements
Fleet Onboard
technology
Website and apps
Ever flown
2015 Flyer
Key Issue to Address
% Ranking 1 to 3 out of 7
Preference on tickets
25
Q27. Which of the following statements do you agree with:
“I like paying one all-inclusive ticket price for a bundle/package of services (e.g., seat assignment, checked bag(s), meal), even if it’s more expensive”
“I prefer to pay only (à la carte) for those airline services/amenities that I want/need, so my ticket ends up being less expensive”
Two-thirds of Americans prefer the à la carte pricing model in which they pay only for
those airline services/amenities that they need or want.
This preference is highest among the least affluent households.
33% 33%
36%
32%
36%
48% 48%
38%
32%
33%
67% 67%
64%
68%
64%
52% 52%
62%
68%
67%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
All
Americans
Ever Flown Flown in
2015
HH Income
Under
$100K
HH Income
$100-150K
HH Income
$150K
Flew more
than five
times in
2015
18-34 year
old
35-54 year
old
55+ year
old
Ticket Type Preference
A la Carte
All
Inclusive
Recap
26
Recap: Looking forward to 2016
27
Americans are bullish about airline travel in 2016.
75% of 2015 airline travelers and 53% of all Americans say they are somewhat or
very likely to travel by airline this year.
Almost a third (29%) of all Americans say they will take more flights in 2016 along
with the majority (55%) who expect to fly at the same rate.
Price, convenience and reliability are the main reasons Americans choose to
fly (rather than drive, take rail or other forms of transit).
Generally, airport or inflight amenities, while appreciated, are not major reasons to
select airline travel as the preferred travel method.
And Americans are mostly looking for a hassle-free experience when they fly.
79% of Americans say ease and speed of getting through security is a top priority
and 77% say the ease or efficiency of the boarding process is a top priority (1-3 out
of 7).
91% say legroom is their top priority on the plane (1-3 out of 6), followed by 77%
who want space for a carry-on.
Recap: Airline Travel Trends in 2015
28
While the fraction of Americans who have ever flown has not changed
dramatically in the last 18 years, the fraction of Americans currently flying has
climbed and more Americans have access to air travel than ever before.
In 2015, 81% of the American public reported experiencing airline travel in
their lifetime. This is unchanged from 1997 (also 81%) but up significantly
from 1971 (49%) the first year on record.
The fraction of Americans reporting airline travel in the last year is 45%, up
from 39% in 1997, 31% in 1986 and 21% in 1971.
Younger travelers (35% of all airline travelers in 2015) and people with less
than $50,000 household income (35% of all airline travelers in 2015) are
more likely to fly today than 18 years ago.
However, the nature of airline travel has changed dramatically since 1997. In
1997, 47% of all trips were for business purposes. In 2015, that figure fell to 31%.
The large majority – 80% – of airline travelers in 2015 report being satisfied with
their overall airline travel experience in the past year.