Are you an airline snob?
What is airline snobbery?
Our poll revealed that many people have a tendency to pick the airline they will fly with based on the fellow passengers they are likely to encounter. This is ‘airline snobbery’, as the passengers make assumptions about the kind of people they will come across on flights on certain airlines.
What type of people are some trying to avoid?
When exploring this point further, our research found that passengers were trying to avoid people that might be loud, rowdy, young families or those that could be argumentative or rude.
Why do budget airlines have this association?
Respondents thought that budget airlines were more likely to have this association based on their past experiences. Some thought that these characteristics were found in people more likely to look for cheaper airline tickets.
25% of people admit to bad experiences on planes, so what might they be referring to?
25% of the people in our poll admitted that ‘bad experiences with other passengers’ would put them off booking with a specific airline again – this was linked to rude, drunk, loud, pushy passengers or those that would cause arguments, be inconsiderate (e.g. taking up a lot of room, reclining seats right back) or make their journey unpleasant in any way.
Why would passengers treat airline staff with more respect on an expensive flight than a cheap one?
Unfortunately, it seems that some of our respondents have preconceptions about airlines and many believe that paying more for a flight means the staff deserve more respect. That is most definitely not the case. Cabin crew work incredibly hard across all airlines and have a tough job making sure all passengers are happy and have everything they need, so no matter what airline you are on, you should be polite and grateful for their services.
Why do people feel they are more able to voice their concerns on a budget flight?
It’s strange really. You’d think that those who had paid a lot for their flights would be more inclined to voice their concerns if there was anything wrong, because they’d paid more money to fly and would want the cost to be worth it in terms of their overall experiences. However, our poll found that almost half of people would be more likely to voice concerns on a budget airline. If people find that the leg room is a bit scarce and the food isn’t 5* quality on a budget airline, they need to reassess their thought process. ‘You get what you pay for’ can sometimes ring true and as long as you get from A to B safely and in comfort, what does it matter?
Why is it important to shop around before flying?
Shopping around for flights is very important. There are various factors that can affect the cost of flights and it’s not just about the airline you pick. Flying at certain times of the day can often be much more expensive and the day you pick to fly on can also impact the cost. It’s worth weighing up all your options to see where you can save the most money.
Other than cost, why is luggage allowance, choosing seats and flight times important to travellers?
We often get enquiries about luggage allowance, with people double checking weight and size limits of bags. I think people want to be reassured that they aren’t going to have to empty out some of their suitcase or cabin bag before flying and passengers often want as big an allowance as possible; not only so that they can pack a lot on the way out, but so that they can bring lots of new items home from their holiday too.
Choosing seats has a lot to do with personal preference. Some want extra leg room, whereas others might feel more comfortable at the front or middle of the plane than the back, so choosing a seat is just something that some passengers like to have control over. Selecting flights based on outbound and inbound times is something we see frequently. Some holidaymakers want their outbound flight from the UK to be as early as possible, so that they can arrive to their destination early and get almost a full day at the start of their trip. Similarly, some want inbound flights from their holiday destination to the UK to be as late at night as possible, so that they can get a full day at the tail end of their trip too. If you book flights at poor times, you could end up losing 2 days of your holiday to flying!
Interview with Chris Clarkson, Managing Director of sunshine.co.uk
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