Americans are confident of flying again, with 78 percent of travelers looking to travel for pleasure, according to new survey results from Cirium, the aviation analyst firm. Of those traveling on business, 67 percent indicate that their boss will allow travel in the next three to six months. About 40 percent of respondents, who plan to return to flying, plan air travel this summer. However, only a small minority had plans to travel by plane on major holidays such as July 4th (16 percent) and Labor Day weekend (17 percent).
The company surveyed 2,140 adults in the US between May 11 and 17, 2021, in a representative sample in the country. The margin of error in the reported data did not exceed ±3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. The vast majority of US travelers (90 percent) plan to fly at some point in the future, and 64 percent plan to fly in the next 12 months.
More than three-quarters (78 percent) of people with plans to travel this year plan on domestic travel only. Only 22 percent expect to fly internationally in 2021. The survey also reveals that more than a quarter of respondents reported having flown since the pandemic. About 60 percent of respondents indicated that the pandemic will have no impact on their long-term travel plans.
"Cirium's traveler survey identifies US confidence in flying again, with most already flying domestically - mostly to visit family. The results indicate that the challenges facing US airlines are not a lack of demand for travel , but the health and safety measures in place at airports and during flights," said Jeremy Bowen, Executive Director of Cirium. "US business travel may represent some green signs of recovery in fall 2021 as companies plan to ease travel restrictions."
As US airlines are ramping up domestic flights in the summer of 2021 and Americans show interest in flying again, travelers have expressed concerns about health and safety, which affects their travel decisions. Respondents strongly support the adoption of health passports for future air travel, with 59 percent supporting the requirement to carry mandatory passports for flying - although 20 percent disagreed with the idea. When asked which aerial measures would increase their motivation to fly, most participants identified mandatory mask use (61 percent) and improved cleaning processes (61 percent) as the top two measures.
Most respondents (78 percent) identify leisure travel as the main purpose of travel, but the survey reveals optimism for business travel returning in the fall. Of those surveyed who said traveling on business, only 34 percent were allowed to travel by their employer, rising to 67 percent in the next three to six months. The increase in jobs in the home appears to have had little effect on the likelihood of traveling for business reasons, as half of respondents in the US say they have not moved and nearly a quarter (24 percent) say they are more likely to travel on business. .
More than half of respondents reported that they could work remotely and 40% of them said the pandemic increased their chances of combining holidays with work. Complete data with results by age group, US region and gender available upon request. Similar data for the UK are available. The traveler sentiment survey was conducted by AudienceNet, an independent market intelligence company, on behalf of Cirium.
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