Short-haul Airlines - UK -Dissertation Writing Help on Low Cost Airlines
Key points
●
Mintel’s research
suggests that when it comes to short-haul flights, consumers are looking for a
good deal and are willing to abandon ‘frills’ in order to secure that.
●
Those who still
seek the full-service experience are most likely to be top-earners (household
income over £50,000).
●
Although quick
boarding/disembarking is seen as a plus point, the importance of thorough
security measures is widely acknowledged.
FIGURE 37: Attitudes towards
short-haul airlines, April 2009
Base:
1,533 adults aged 15+
|
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
I
prefer low-cost airlines (eg Ryanair, easyJet) for short-haul flights
|
36
|
|
I
choose my airline based on price above all else
|
24
|
|
I
choose my airline based on convenience (ie flight times, which airport they
depart from) ahead of price
|
21
|
|
I
prefer full-service airlines (eg British Airways, Lufthansa) for short-haul
flights
|
19
|
|
There’s
no real difference between the airlines that fly short-haul
|
12
|
|
As
long as I get there when I’m meant to I don’t really care about anything else
|
11
|
|
I
don’t like to fly for longer than a few hours
|
9
|
|
I
worry that low-cost airlines may go out of business after I've paid for my
flights
|
9
|
|
I
prefer to use another method of travel (ie rail, car, sea) for trips to
Europe
|
8
|
|
Taking
into account time spent in the airport, using an airline for a short-haul
trip isn’t that much quicker than alternative methods
|
6
|
|
I
worry about the environmental impact of using short-haul airlines
|
5
|
|
I
expect to use short-haul airlines less over the next 12 months due to
financial reasons
|
5
|
|
None
of these
|
21
|
SOURCE:
Ipsos MORI/Mintel
Low (cost) expectations
●
The
most popular attitude, held by over one third of respondents, is that low-cost
airlines are preferred for short-haul flights. Consumers appear happy to go
without the ‘frills’ of air travel to get a good deal.
“Last flight I would probably rate an eight
[out of ten]. The flight was on time, service was standard for a budget
airline, easy check in.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 female
“On shorthaul you do not need food
and inflight entertainment. Quick checkin and an efficient, comfortable flight
that gets you there on time is all that is needed.”
-35-44-year-old ABC1 male
●
The
second-most popular response confirms the importance of price, with a quarter
of the population choosing airlines based on price above all else.
“easyJet tends to be extremely good
value and you can only expect an equivalent service for what you pay for. I
still would, and have, booked with easyJet again.”
-16-24-year-old ABC1 female
●
These
attitudes are generally consistent across demographics. There is somewhat of a
bias towards 25-34-year-olds, and households earning £40,000-£49,000 – those
that can afford to (and do) fly often but by finding cheap fares.
●
Although
using full-service airlines for short-haul is the preference for one in five
across the board, it has particular popularity among those with household
earnings over £50,000. More than two in five of these consumers prefer an
airline with ‘frills’.
Key
analysis: These fliers are, of course, those who can most easily afford
full-service short-haul flights. However there is clearly a limit to what they
are willing to pay for – especially now. BA, for example, has been forced to
launch a sale on business travel with up to 40% off on some routes – June 2009
passenger figures showed that premium traffic fell 14.9% year-on-year.
Time to go
●
Few
respondents believe that the time spent in airports negates the advantage of
short-haul airlines over alternative methods in journey-time terms.
●
Despite
this, waiting time is seen as a clear drawback – especially when it can exceed
flight time (a particular disadvantage of short-haul flights):
“One of the most important things to
me about a short-haul flight is that there is less time spent hanging around at
the airport than the actual flight duration. Legroom and general seating
comfort is important, but for me the entertainment and food catering are less
important because the time on the plane is fairly short (in theory at least!).”
-55-64-year-old ABC1 male
“I agree, less time spent in airport
is a definite bonus.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 female
“Reduced waiting & boarding
time.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 male
“Obviously you don't want to be
hanging around in the airport for hours when the flight itself is only going to
last two hours or so – so fast check-in and boarding is desirable.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 female
“No delays, passengers all on time.”
-45-54-year-old C2DE female
“Less time spent waiting for
checkin, boarding and take off.”
-16-24-year-old ABC1 female.
“Flight leaving on time is most
important to me. As a smoker, once you are through departure gates there is no
turning back and no smoking areas there. If the flight is delayed I start
getting irritated and thinking of cigarettes.”
-45-54-year-old ABC1 male
“Quick on, quick off the plane.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 female
“Less time waiting at the airport is
great.”
-55-64-year-old ABC1 female
●
Despite
this widely-held view, the majority appear to accept that wait times are
necessary, with security concerns – and the reassurance that comes from the
assumption that a thorough job is being done – often cited as justification:
“Unfortunately, I think security
checks are essential, and I'd rather have an extra half hour in the airport
than be on a hijacked plane or be blown up.”
-55-64-year-old ABC1 male
“Security checks are a must, even if
it means delays. The time is not an issue, would rather that security points do
a thorough job.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 male
“It is better to be safe than sorry
and you just have to be prepared for the checks that take place.”
-45-54-year-old C2DE female
“Unfortunately it is high priority
that they take their time during the security process. I want to feel safe
during my flight and any efforts to ensure this are welcomed by me even if they
impact on the amount of time checking in at the airport.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 female
“If a plane has to come in, be
cleaned, reequipped and made ready for me to board it, then I think that the
time I wait is worthwhile (though tedious and boring).”
-55-64-year-old ABC1 female
Security is good and should be
strictly enforced regardless of how long it takes.
-25-34-year-old ABC1 male
“As the security checks are for our
safety and welfare as much as anyone else’s then I would say this checkin
duration is pretty well justified.
It also gives you time to get stuck
into a good book whilst waiting.”
-16-24-year-old ABC1 female
“Unfortunately in this day and age
security is essential. Where possible I use online check in.”
-35-44-year-old ABC1 male
●
Some
however feel that there are other factors at work which make wait times less
understandable:
“I don't know [why it takes so long]
and probably couldn't know for sure unless I worked behind the scenes at an
airport. However, I am tempted to think that there is an element of bad
organisation.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 female
“Bad organisation. The security checks are a
process, and if the process is followed then it’s excellent. When travelling
from T5, I gave my bags in. Gave my ticket, showed my passport then got into
departures (after walk in security check). The whole process was over within
four minutes. Then I had to wait because the plane hadn't been cleaned then I
was ready to go (almost perfect).
The times when there are no spaces
on the runway, which causes air traffic which subsequently delays other
flights, are really annoying. Also when people are late and the plane waits an
additional few minutes for them to arrive gets on my nerves. Planes should
arrive and be cleaned efficiently. The lines for security should be done
better, but not compromised of quality, in order to speed things up. The main
issue I see is the check-in, where you give your bags, this needs to be reduced
a lot, not in Terminal 5, but I would say around 75% of airports globally.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 male
“I think things could be more
streamlined and more efficient – if they took your bags off you before you
entered the main bit of the airport and sorted out having to queue to check in
it would make things more enjoyable and pleasant.”
-35-44-year-old C2DE male
“The time to get through security
checks is justified and necessary, it’s the time waiting around doing nothing
that annoys me.”
-25-34-year-old ABC1 female
Key
analysis: Short-haul airlines are clearly not about to lose out to alternative
travel methods because of the time consumers have to spend in the airport (with
only 6% saying that the delays render it less quick than other options).
Nevertheless, many are dissatisfied by what they see as unnecessary delays
caused by bad organisation.
Ryanairhas suggested that customers may be asked to carry their own check-in
bags to planes in future, a move it sees as a cost-cutting exercise. If,
however, the airline can show that this would cut wait times in airports, it
may even find that consumers embrace the move rather than decry it.
Help the ageing
●
Socio-economically,
the only consumers more likely than average to state that they don’t really
care about anything other than their flights getting them to their destination
on time are ABs, reflecting the fact that price differences are less of a
concern for these wealthier fliers. A higher proportion of £50,000+ earning
households agree with the statement than that of any other income band.
●
Although
few state that they don’t like to fly for longer than a few hours, this
attitude hardens slightly as one progresses through the age groups, with 65+
consumers most likely to agree, and the proportion of 45-64-year-olds above the
average.
●
In
a similar vein, it is the 55-64-year-olds who are most likely to prefer to use
another method of travel for trips to Europe.
Key
analysis: The greater-than-average propensity of these consumers to look
elsewhere must be addressed by operators. The options in UK-European travel
have never been greater, and forthcoming competition in Channel Tunnel rail
(with, ironically, Air France thought to be leading the charge) could damage
airlines’ market share further. The UK population is ageing, with the 65+ age
group set to grow most strongly in the 2009-14 period, and (of course) many of
the current 55-64-year-olds will move into that bracket during that time.
●
Despite
the publicity in 2008 surrounding the collapse of airlines and the differing
levels of consumer protection offered via different methods of buying tickets,
there is no evidence that credit card holders feel more or less secure than any
other travelers regarding airlines going out of business once flights have been
paid for.
●
Short-haul
airlines’ environmental impact is not important to the majority of consumers.
Only one in 20 say that they worry about it, making the number that actually do
anything about it lower still.
If you want Dissertations on Low Cost Airlines than Contact Mahasagar Publications.
