Fearful Flyers Willing to Pay More, Fly Certain Airlines and Alter Flight Plans
Fearful Flyers Willing to Pay More, Fly Certain Airlines and Alter Flight Plans
October 15, 2012
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, October 15, 2012 — Fearful flyers seek flight attributes that may be primarily reassuring, such as schedule, aircraft size and carrier origin, but have little effect on the low, actual risk according to a study published in the Journal of Travel Research.
People with fear of flying (FOF) are willing to pay more for a number of choices that help them alleviate their fear, according to the study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Technion Israel Institute of Technology.
According to the researchers, this is the first study that links FOF with specific flight selection choices. The percentage of the population suffering from FOF has increased over the past few decades, even though statistics demonstrate that air travel is the safest mode, according to the International Air Transport Association.
The researchers found that these flyers were less sensitive to price changes and that they were more willing to pay for a flight with their home carrier, rather than a foreign carrier or a charter so that they could communicate freely with the crew in their own familiar language. Reduction in barriers such as language, social and cultural norms can be helpful, in their minds, to reduce anxiety.
FOF travelers have preferences concerning the aircraft size and manufacturer. They favor day flights over night flights and prefer nonstop flights over connecting flights due to the stress of take-offs and landings. These white knuckle flyers are also more confident flying with name carriers versus low-cost carriers.
The researchers questioned 335 Israeli students and offered each several choices of alternative flight itineraries from Israel to London and Israel to New York. The data revealed that all of therespondents stated that they intend to fly in the future and approximately 77 percent had flown at least once during the five years preceding the survey.
“Due to accumulation of media exposure of flight accidents, fear of flying is on the rise, even though statistics show that air travel is the safest means of travel,” explains Dr. Anat Tchetchik of BGUs Department of Hotel and Tourism Management. “How people make choices on their mode of travelling and how it affects their willingness to pay for alternative flight options is an issue of immense concern for public agencies and the industry.”
Tchetchik and her colleagues believe public agencies should be publishing safety-related information in an accessible manner so that the public can make its choices based on actual scientific data rather than unsubstantiated beliefs.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
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