TripIt this week released its annual Happy Travelers Report, and some of the results will surprise you.
TripIt is the travel advisory app that takes your airline, hotel or car reservation information and creates a master itinerary for where you are staying.
The third annual study analyzed more than a million flight ratings to understand which factors most impact flier happiness.
The findings were interesting, to say the least.
- Time: Of course it was important and as TripIt noted, why save a few dollars on a ticket if it involves a lengthy layover?
- Flight Duration: Now, all that stuff about time aside, it was interesting that ultra-long-haul flights of 12 hours or more) ranked higher on the happiness survey than short-haul flights of three hours or less. There's a method to that madness, says TripIt: "Whether it is higher quality entertainment systems or better meals or just a happier crew, ultra-long-haul flying does come with some benefits compared to the shorter hops more commonly seen."
- Seasonality. The best time for a flight is in the summer, right? Nice weather, everybody's happy, probably going on vacation, less chance of a weather-related delay. Well, you'd be wrong. It's January, when start-of-the-year optimism is at its height and crowds are low. In fact, January travelers rate their flights 39 percent higher than June travelers.
- Amenities: TripIt compared and analyzed six different responses to amenities, including seat comfort, cabin service, food/beverage, entertainment, Wi-Fi and other. It found that amenities such as high-quality Wi-Fi and entertainment (which data shows travelers want) aren't nearly as impactful as comfortable seating or good cabin service. In fact, seat comfort is six times more important to fliers than Wi-Fi, while good cabin service is 2.7 times more important than quality food and beverage.
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