FAU study: Airlines, airports must do more to alleviate stress of travel

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University and Florida Gulf Coast University challenged the airline industry to reduce stress for travelers.

BEFORE FLORIDAINDUSTRY SEES A COMPLETEREBOUND&.

HOWEVER THERE'S SOMEHOPE.

WPTV NEWSCHANNEL 5'SLINNIE SUPALL EXPLAINS HOW FAURESEARCHERS PINPOINTED WAYSTHE AIRLINE INDUSTRY CAN HELPBOOST CONSUMER CONFIDENCE.TURBULENT TIMES FOR THEAIRLINE INDUSTRY& SINCE THEPANDEMIC PUT MANY TRAVEL PLANSHOLD& JAMIE EDWARDS IS AMOTHER OF 2&.AND WAS CAUTIOUSWHEN TRAVELING TO SEE HERFAMILY& FROM FLORIDA TO DALLASAND PHILADELPHIA&.

SHEUNDERSTANDS EVERY FLIGHT COMESWITH RISK EVERYONE SEEMEDANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT WAS GOINGON& EVERYONE HAD MASKS& THECHALLENGE FOR ME WAS HAVINGTWO SMALL CHILDREN AND THEMASKS& KEEPING THEM IN A MASKWAS A CHALLENGE WE HAD TO WORKTHROUGH EDWARDS NOTICED THECROWDS IN THE TERMINALS WERETHIN& HOWEVERÃHER FLIGHT WASFULL& AND THE SEATINGON-BOARD& A SQUEEZE WETRAVELED IN JULY TO DALLAS& ISAT WITH MY KIDS AND MYHUSBAND WAS ACROSS THE AISLE &I LOOKED OVER HIM AT ONE POINTAND I COULD JUST TELL HE WASUNCOMFORTABLE& YOU JUST DONKNOW THE OTHER PEOPLE AROUNDYOU& IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICEHAVE THAT MIDDLE SEAT EMPTYITRESEARCHERS AT FLORIDAATLANTIC UNIVERSITY&STARTEDEXAMINING BEFORE THE PANDEMICHIT.

THEY JUST RELEASED A NEWREPORT AFTER SPEAKING WITHMORE THAN 1-THOUSAND TRAVELERSAND BELIEVE THEIR STUDY HASIMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR THECURRENT CRISIS.

AIRLINES ANDAIRPORTS HAVE RICH DATABASESOF PASSENGER INFORMATION, SOTHEY SHOULDNTREAT PASSENGERS AS COMPLETESTRANGERS THEY FOUND STRESSORSLIKE SAFETY, LOST LUGGAGE ORDELAYS SHOULD BE HANDLED WITHMORE CARE& IT CAN ULTIMATELYRESULT IN LESS TRUST FOR THEAIR-TRAVEL INDUSTRY AS WELL ASREDUCED TRAVEL INTENTIONS ANDLOYALTY THEY ALSO DISCOVEREDYOUNGER PEOPLE TEND TO BE MORESENSITIVE TO SETBACKS*BEFORETAKING OFF& OLDER TRAVELERSREPORTED DISCOMFORT DUE TOUNPLEASANT BEHAVIORS FROMOTHERS ON BOARD.

THE REPORTSAYS AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS CANDO MORE TO IMPROVE CONSUMERCONFIDENCE..

LIKE ADDRESSINGCONCERNS WITH MORE ONE-ON-ONEASSISTANCE THIS WOULD GO ALONG WAY TOWARD INCREASINGREVENUES FOR BOTH AIRLINES ANDAIRPORTS AT ONE OF THE MOSTDIFFICULT TIMES EVER FOR THEAIR-TRAVEL INDUSTRY EDWARDSAGREES& HAVING REASSURANE*BEFORE A FLIGHT COULDENCOURAGE MORE TRAVELERS TORETURN I KNOW PEOPLE WHO AREONLY GOING ON THE FLIGHTS FOR