Airport delay fears prompting a quarter to rethink holiday plans
A quarter of people are rethinking their summer holiday plans due to the prospect of long airport delays and flight disruption, according to a new survey.
One in five Britons have decided not to travel by air because they feel anxious, and are instead opting for the train, car, coach or ferry.
Top contributing factors to rising stress levels include the threat of lost luggage (28%), add-on charges (27%) and check-in delays (24%).
As a result, over a third of travellers have decided to holiday in the UK this summer.
More than one in five (21%) specifically associate their anxiety to the publicity surrounding the problems faced by thousands of passengers when Heathrow’s Terminal 5 opened in March – even though only one per cent of Britons were directly affected.
Travelling by air was also found to be the least enjoyable way to travel compared to rail and car.
When it comes to choosing their preferred method of transport, 82% of travellers felt that the biggest consideration was cost, followed by how comfortable and convenient it is (66%), how quickly they get to their destination (63%) and how stressful/relaxing the journey will be (34%).
One in ten (9%) were also concerned with the environmental impact of the method of transport they use, the findings of the YouGov online poll of 2,057 people for rail company National Express East Coast found.
Spokesman John Gelson said: “Particularly for domestic travel within the UK, there are so many other travel options, including the train and coach, which are cheaper, better for the environment and less stressful than travelling by air.
“The disruption caused to air passengers when T5 opened has obviously had lasting effects on the travelling public in Britain.â€
The survey also found that almost one in ten (8%) travellers in Yorkshire are going to travel to Europe by train as “air travel is so problematicâ€. Londoners are most likely with 10% choosing rail to the continent.
Travellers in the East Midlands are most likely to pack lighter with almost a fifth (19%) wanting to avoid checking-in luggage compared to just one in ten nationally.
More than one in ten (11%) parents of children aged 7–10 years old have decided to travel by train instead of aircraft.
People in Scotland look most for value for money (54% compared to 45% nationally) when choosing their preferred method of transport.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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