Passengers Prefer Discounts Over Comfort

CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2015 – If an airline offered you a loyal customer perk, would you choose: more legroom, priority boarding, free food or a discount on your next flight?

If you chose the discount, you are not alone. Almost 50 percent of flyers would opt for credit toward their next ticket purchase according to surveys conducted by GO Airport Express, a Chicago-based ground transportation service and GO Airport Shuttle, an international transportation provider.

The transportation companies, part of The GO Group, presented a fictional scenario in which travelers would be offered one of four options. While ticket credit was the clear winner, seats with more leg room was the second choice (32%), followed by priority boarding and free meals and beverage at 11 and nine percent respectively.

More than 850 people responded to the surveys. There was no significant difference in responses from men or women or age groups.

Write-in suggestions included upgrade to first class, access to the airport lounge and the option to be the only passenger on a plane.
“Traveling economically still seems to be a priority,” says John McCarthy, president, GO Airport Express.

GO Airport Express, one of the oldest companies in Chicago, traces its founding to 1853 and the Parmelee Transportation Company, which provided a carriage service between Chicago’s railroad stations and the downtown hotels. The GO Group LLC is the nation’s largest airport transportation provider, serving some 60 airports in North America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe and transporting more than 13 million passengers per year.

Contact: Dyana Flanigan

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