Travellers adopt 5 ‘Personas’ when they get to the airport, British Airways Reveals
More than half of Britons say they take on a new identity when they catch a flight, according to a British Airways survey, which identifies five different ‘airport personas’.
The most common is the Airport Ace, which is “fully prepared” and “more likely to take charge of the check-in process.” The rarest airport personality is the Airport Ambler, who has no tendency to rush and will probably be the last person to board the plane.
Read on to learn more about this and the other three personas, as revealed in the BA study.
Airport persona nr. 1: Airport Ace airport personas
The Airport Ace cannot be missed as they are at the front of the pack, carry all group passports and often stand assertively overhead to give directions
This airport character is “fully prepared and the designated leader when traveling with a group,” the study says.
It continues: ‘They are best organized and do all the preparations for their tour group, probably seen with their own perfectly pre-packed liquid bags with spares for the rest of their group.
“The Airport Ace cannot be missed as they are at the front of the pack, carry all group passports and can often assertively lead the way.”
Nearly half (49 percent) of those polled for the survey said they consider themselves an “Airport Ace,” the most common persona.
In addition, the results show that travelers from the East Midlands (59 percent) are more likely to take charge and adopt this persona.
Airport persona nr. 2: Airport Autopilot
More than two in five Britons (43 percent) say they ‘go with the flow on Airport Autopilot’ and ‘are happy to take the back seat and let someone else take charge at the airport’, the survey found.
Those happiest to be guided come from the east of England, according to the research, which shows that these travelers “tend to trail behind, always follow directions and don’t often break away.”
It adds: ‘Often they don’t even know where their gate is because they leave it to the Airport Ace.’
Airport persona nr. 3: Airport Athlete airport personas
Airport athletes can often be seen darting through crowds and are in constant motion
The Airport Athlete, who is always “watching queues,” is said to treat the airport “like a competitive sport.”
This persona, who makes up 15 percent of vacationers, aspires to be “among the first to get on and off the plane and the first to collect their luggage after landing,” the study said.
It adds: ‘Airport athletes are often seen darting through crowds and are constantly on the move, always queuing up looking at how to get ahead and spend as little time as possible at the airport.’
The Airport Athlete personality resonates most with Northern Irish holidaymakers (22 percent), the findings show.
Airport persona nr. 4: Airport adventurer airport personas
Happy to “break away from the pack and spend plenty of time exploring the airport,” the Airport Adventurer is likely to find you discovering Duty Free, sampling restaurants, or simply wandering the corridors of the airport terminal.
This persona only makes up 8 percent of travelers, according to the study saying they’re “most likely to come back with a new gadget from their airport exploration that they didn’t know they needed.”
The study describes them as “lone wolves” and says airport adventurers “are not often seen in a pack so they can make the most of the airport without distractions from their traveling companions.”
Airport persona nr. 5: Airport Ambler
Nearly a third of British holidaymakers arrive early at the airport, according to the survey
The least common airport person of all is Ambler Airport, accounting for just 4 percent of travelers.
People with an itinerant belief have the most relaxed approach to travel, “They take their time catching the plane and are often among the last people to get on the plane,” the study says.
It adds: ‘The walkers don’t tend to rush. They’re the ones who stop in front of the plane for that all-important vacation photo, sometimes holding up the rest of their party.’
Scots are the largest Airport Amblers, with one in ten saying this persona resonated with them in the survey.
BA Customer Service Representative Pauline Price said: ‘Having worked for British Airways for almost 18 years, I’ve seen every type of traveler go through the airport, from the ace who takes responsibility and knows where they’re going, to the Airport Autopilot who goes with the rest.
“We’re always on hand to help, but to make things easier for customers, our expert travel teams at British Airways have put together a list of everything travelers need to prepare for their trip, which can be found on our website and in our new pre-trip email.’
HOW TO BECOME AN AIRPORT ACE
With over a quarter (28 percent) of Britons forgetting to bring an item to the airport because they are not fully prepared, British Airways reveals six ways to take off like an Airport Ace:
1. Have it all at your fingertips. Check-in from 24 hours before departure and receive your boarding pass with the airline app.
2. Make sure your favorite things are folded, rolled, zipped and light enough to be ready to roll up. Check your baggage allowance.
3. Ensure your liquids do not exceed 100ml and are presented separately in a sealed clear bag and place your electronic gadgets in their own container to breeze through security.
4. Every second counts. If you are traveling the world on a long-haul flight, you must be at the airport at least three hours before your flight. If you’re on a short-haul trip, it’s two hours earlier.
5. Check when you need to be at your gate as it can sometimes take up to 50 minutes for your flight to depart.
6. Join the British Airways Executive Club and earn Avios that can be used to reduce the cost of future travel.
