Regardless of airlines’ on-time records, passengers prefer arriving early to airports to avoid missing their flights – and women are somewhat in a bigger hurry than men. In a survey conducted by the GO Group, LLC, an international ground transportation provider, 47% of women and 39% of men prefer to get to the airport at least two hours in advance of departure time for a domestic flight.
Forty-seven percent of men found 90 minutes to be the ideal time to arrive before departure and 42% of women agreed. Fourteen percent of men and 10% of women prefer to arrive one hour before flight times. Thirty minutes or less was deemed too late for all of the 230 respondents.
For international flights, 44% of women and 39% of men said they prefer to arrive three or more hours prior to flight departure time. The ideal time was 2 hours, with 50% of men and 52% of women checking this option. Eight percent of men and two percent of women cited 90 minutes as their target, while two percent of all respondents opted for a riskier timeframe, arriving just one hour prior to scheduled departure.
Some respondents noted their preferences depended on the location of the airport and time of travel.
“Many factors can contribute to delays arriving at the departure gate, such as traffic on the way to the airport, weather, issues with baggage and long check-in and security lines.” These results indicate travelers prefer to arrive early so as not to miss their flights, even if it means spending more time in the airport. ” says John McCarthy, president, GO Group. “Fortunately, airports are offering more business, dining, shopping and entertainment options to help travelers pass the time in airports more productively and enjoyably.”
The GO Group, LLC is the nation’s largest airport transportation provider, offering shared rides, private vehicles, charters and tours, serving some 85 airports in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia and Europe and transporting more than 13 million passengers per year. Travelers can through GO’s website, www.goairportshuttle.com.
Contact: Dyana Flanigan
dkflanigan@flanigancom.com