Tue, May 18, 2004
That Sort Of Goes With The Boeing Philosophy
International air travelers overwhelmingly prefer being on
250-seat airplanes to 550-seat airplanes, whether flying non-stop
or on connecting flights, a Harris Interactive study of more than
900 long-distance fliers found.
Harris Interactive surveyed travelers from Tokyo, Hong Kong, and
the United Kingdom who had recently taken at least one
international flight of eight or more hours. Boeing commissioned
the study to determine the aircraft preferences of these
fliers.
"We presented respondents with real-life air travel scenarios to
better understand the attitudes and feelings that led to their
choices," said Dr. David Bakken, senior vice president of Marketing
Sciences, Harris Interactive. "What we found was that travelers
taking very long flights generally prefer the more convenient and
flexible experience provided by smaller planes."
In each region, Harris polled equal numbers of Premium Class
Business, Economy Business, and Economy Leisure travelers. Some key
findings include:
- More than 60 percent prefer a single-deck, 250-passenger
airplane to a double-deck, 550-passenger airplane for non-stop
flights.
- Seven out of ten travelers prefer a non-stop trip on a
single-deck, 250-passenger airplane to a trip involving a
connecting flight on a double-deck, 550-passenger airplane with an
on-board lounge.
- Travelers in all the classes of service from all three regions
believe smaller airplanes will provide a better experience with
check-in, boarding, disembarking, baggage claim and
customs/immigration than the 550-seat aircraft.
These overall results are also reflected in the individual
results for the regions and the traveler classes surveyed. As the
table below shows, the preference for smaller planes tends to be
somewhat more pronounced among passengers who fly economy class;
and, the preference increases for all classes when they are asked
to choose between a non-stop flight on a smaller plane or a
one-stop/connecting trip on a larger plane.
More News
“This recognition was evident during the TBMOPA Annual Convention, where owners and operators clearly expressed their satisfaction with our focus on customer service, and enc>[...]
Overhead Maneuver A series of predetermined maneuvers prescribed for aircraft (often in formation) for entry into the visual flight rules (VFR) traffic pattern and to proceed to a >[...]
Aero Linx: Glenn H. Curtiss Museum The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, bearing the name of Hammondsport’s favorite son, is located on State Route 54, one half mile south of the vill>[...]
The Flight Instructor Noticed Some Engine Roughness And Diverted Toward Westwinds Airport On November 2, 2025, about 1630 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Just>[...]
From 2014 (YouTube Edition) -- Disclaimer: No Matter What He Tells You, Tom Is Not A Certified Firefighting Pilot While at EAA AirVenture 2014, ANN News Editor, Tom Patton checked >[...]
Aero-News: Quote of the Day (11.20.25)
See All