Air travel satisfaction and fear: lessons from the COVID era

Epidemiological outbreaks influence travel behaviour. Using survey data collected from Amazon Mechanical Turk during the COVID-19 pandemic, this research examines airline consumers’ fear of contracting COVID-19 and how satisfied they were with the measures taken by airlines and airports. Best-Worst Scaling was used to examine 16 processes in an airline passenger journey. The study found that passengers are generally more fearful than satisfied, though passengers’ fear tends to lessen as their trip progresses. Crucially, the study identifies a concentration of processes in the problematic high fear/low satisfaction quadrant, primarily linked to airline responsibility. We conclude that focused intervention in specific touchpoints is necessary to effectively mitigate passenger fear and improve overall satisfaction.