Seventy five percent of polled travelers would not pay an annual fee upfront for guaranteed airline amenities according to a joint survey conducted by The GO Group, LLC and GO Airport Express.
The GO Group, LLC is an international ground transportation service provider and GO Airport Express, is a GO member and Chicago-based ground transportation company serving O’Hare International and Midway airports.
The companies surveyed their travelers after United Airlines recently announced it would begin implementing subscription programs offering amenities for up-front, annual fees.
Of the choices offered, 14 percent of the 380 respondents said they would participate in a subscription program for more leg room. The next three highest choices, tied at eight percent, were pre-paid checked bags; priority boarding and priority seating. Just three percent responded that it would be worth the up-front costs for priority overhead bin storage and complementary alcoholic beverage service. Just seven percent of polled travelers said they would be interested in enrolling in airline carrier’s annual subscription for all of the options.
“These results indicate that while most travelers still prefer the pay-as-you-go system, a small percentage are willing to pay up from to guarantee amenities that make air travel more enjoyable, ” says John McCarthy, president of both The GO Group and GO Airport Express.
The GO Group, LLC is a one-stop source for door-to-door airport shuttle services. Its members transport some 13 million passengers to and from airports in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe annually. One of the oldest companies in Chicago, GO Airport Express traces its founding to 1853 and the Parmelee Transportation Company, which provided a carriage service between Chicago’s railroad stations and the downtown hotels.