What's Your Flying Type?

Over 1000 passengers were questioned from those who took one flight a year to those who took in excess of fifteen. Each group fits into traveller types from bygone eras: the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. So which type are you?

Old School - 50s era Use airplanes like black cabs Usually the privileged who use planes like the rest of us use Black Cabs. They fly back to boarding school at the start of term and for holidays, and have become so familiar with using planes at an early age that once at University, during gap years or early employment in the City, they continue to fly everywhere. Weekend parties in the cities around Britain are just a hop on a plane away. Ostentatious in their clothing and label obsessed this group favour Prada, Gucci and anything that has appeared in Vogue within the last six months. Tara Beckwith would have been an early exponent. This lot relate well to the 50s air passenger, who would have been wealthy, smart and in the minority.

Bucket Bargainers – 60s era Price conscious The 60s saw the start of the package holiday abroad, when Spain became the favoured destination. Low cost, all inclusive holidays began to allow low income families to enjoy the sun and sea, once the preserve of only the wealthy. The new category has identified, called The Bucket Bargainers, still choose their airline on price alone. This is often a false economy as the airfields to which they are flown are just that, remote fields miles from a large metropolis. Research shows that the taxi ride into the town centre can be more than the actual flight. Kat & Alfie off Eastenders epitomises the new Bucket Bargainers. They view the plane as the rest of us do buses – a means to an end, but neither comfortable or destined for the exact location they want.

Service Seekers – 70s era Willing to pay more for some frills International business travel came into its own during the 70s with the opening up of new markets. The business traveller led a very cosseted life, travelling first or business class, with free Champagne, excellent cooking and a well presented and highly service oriented cabin crew. However, as low cost airlines proliferated and competition in the board room grew, business executives were obliged to find the most economic route. This has generally meant using the no frills airlines. This group, termed Service Seekers, want some of the frills and perks returned to flying. They are looking to pay that bit more to receive better food, complementary drinks, extra leg room and better onboard service. They liken air travel to a limo. It should be hassle free and comfortable.

Weekend Wanderers – 80s era Don’t like wasting time travelling Time poor couples in particular are opting for several long weekend breaks a year, rather than the traditional two week annual holiday. These couples, who both tend to work in well paid jobs, rarely see each other during the week and see their weekends as sacrosanct. They try and pile in as much as possible into the weekend. European city breaks offer them the best means to relax. They are less price sensitive apropos the cost of the airline ticket, but favour city to city airports. They eschew regional airports, not wishing to waste valuable time travelling. They also choose airlines that have a number of flights into the same destination, just in case they have the opportunity to extend their stay.These couples are very reminiscent of the 80s city slickers brigade although with a more philanthropic bent. They are cash rich yet time poor and are trying to squeeze in as much as possible before children arrive. Many celebrity couples full into this category such as Gabby Logan and her husband. Weekend Wanderers tend to have a romanticised vision of flying and see the plane as a horse-drawn coach, about to take them off to a far more pleasant place.

O’Philes – 90s era Own second homes in Europe near airports The emergence of low cost airlines has also seen a huge boost in second homes abroad, a 90s phenomena, and the O’Philes are the epitome of this new group. They tend to adore one of the west European countries like France, Spain and Italy and have their second homes not too far from an airport. They will often purchase over 20 tickets at any one time, for travel across the year. The reduction in price by booking early means that they don’t fret if they are unable to use the ticket. They tend to be families or empty nesters (kids left home). Aside from the Bucket Bargainers this group is as content using rural airports as ones close to cities, it all depends on the location of their second home. The plane is seen as a flying estate car, just the thing to transport the family.

4 July 2005