Heat From the Middle Seat: The U.S. Consumer Perspective on Air Travel

Summary

With airlines fighting to retake control of air distribution – and aiming to cash in on ancillary services in the process – distribution-related spats have reached a fever pitch. Usually confined to trade publications, coverage of airline-intermediary disputes is now boiling over into every major consumer media outlet. Amid all the debate, however, the consumer perspective is often neglected.

Heat from the Middle Seat: The U.S. Consumer Perspective in Air Travel moves beyond hypotheticals to reveal actual traveler attitudes and behaviors in relation to air travel. The report provides insight into key issues that shape travelers' relationships with airlines, and analyzes how those relationships impact the leisure air travel landscape.

Heat from the Middle Seat: The U.S. Consumer Perspective on Air Travel studies air shopping and booking behavior among U.S. travelers, measures consumer sentiment toward airlines, and examines the factors impacting traveler loyalty. Key topics include:

• The role of intermediaries in the air shopping process


• Traveler interest in ancillary products


• Traveler attitudes towards airlines, and trends over time


• Attitudes and behaviors of airlines' most valuable customers, including business travelers and those with high annual travel spend


• Incidence of behavioral loyalty toward airlines, impact on booking channel, and loyalty drivers

This report, a derivative of Phocuswright's Consumer Travel Report Third Edition (forthcoming), is essential reading for travel companies throughout the air distribution chain. As airlines seek to minimize distribution costs and boost earnings with new, bundled services, the consumer perspective remains a crucial – but often overlooked – success factor. Heat from the Middle Seat: The U.S. Consumer Perspective on Air Travel tracks the most important traveler trends impacting air sales and distribution.

Purchase today to gain insight into travelers' relationships with airlines and examine how those relationships affect the leisure air travel landscape.