Travel loyalties shaped by age, airline punctuality, survey finds

Are older travelers more loyal – or just set in their ways?

The answer may be both, based on the latest survey from travel industry data platform OAG. The survey found baby boomers were the most brand loyal, with only 15% switching airlines. By contrast, the youngest travelers surveyed, Gen Z, stood out as the most cost-conscious, with 77% choosing new airlines to suit their budget.

Across all ages, when cost and schedule options are relatively equal, the survey showed it pays to be punctual: 82% percent of all travelers said on-time performance affects the flight and/or airline they book.

“Travelers across every generation are making it known that winning their loyalty will require a radically different approach,” said John Grant, chief analyst at OAG. “Understanding how to cater to various age groups, while addressing their widely shared concerns, is critical for airlines, airports and travel and tech providers across the industry to win and maintain the loyalty of future generations.”

OAG surveyed in April nearly 2,000 travelers between the ages of 18 to over 60. They included those who had flown in the past year along with users of OAG’s Flightview app.

Some of the other takeaways from the survey:

American Airlines (28%), Delta Air Lines (24%), United Airlines (17%) and Southwest Airlines (13%) are the most preferred brands of the travelers surveyed. Despite not being the favorite, Southwest held the highest market share in May at 22%, followed by American (20%), Delta (19%) and United (15%).

Cost is the main reason travelers give for choosing new airlines at 60% overall. While Gen Z’s 77% topped the list, the rankings weren’t based solely on age. Gen X, the second-oldest group surveyed, came next at 69%, followed by millennials (59%) and boomers (47%).

Yet chasing deals didn’t make Gen Z the least loyal generation. That would be millennials, the second-youngest generation surveyed, with 47% changing loyalties over the past year, compared with 37% for Gen Z, 23% for Gen X and baby boomers at just 15%.

Which travelers valued punctuality the most in their booking habits? That would be the youngsters in Gen Z at 91%, followed by millennials (87%), Gen X (81%) and boomers (77%).

Boomers also bottomed out the rankings when it came to sustainability, with only 1% weighing environmental concerns when choosing an airline. The generation most driven by sustainability were millennials, with 20% choosing more sustainable flights when selecting an airline.