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| · July 18, 2003 · |
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· Dinner, a Movie, and a Good Drink, Please Sophisticated Travelers Reveal What They Want From AirlinesPORTSMOUTH, N.H. (July 17, 2003) - In a recent survey conducted by Hideaways International, sophisticated travelers were asked how much service they want when traveling by air. Nearly 100 responded and most travelers - 36% - want a drink, a meal, and a movie, 26% would be happy with just the essentials (peanuts and maybe a drink), and 26% want nothing but low airfare. Only 12% want it all, from Internet access to pay-per-view movies. "The results are a testament to the idea that everything old is new again," says Hideaways President, Mike Thiel. "The majority of airline passengers want the old stand-bys, what the airlines started out offering. Things like dinner, a movie, and a good drink." Yet airlines seem to be offering either too much or too little. Delta Airlines recently announced it will test the sale of meals and snacks to coach passengers later this month on select roundtrip flights from Atlanta, Dallas, and Cincinnati. According to Sharon Wibben, Delta's in-flight service senior vice president, they are "testing [customers'] willingness to buy reasonably priced, restaurant-quality food." Prices will range from $1 to $10 and Delta will accept cash and credit cards for the purchases. Song, Delta's new low-cost carrier, plans to introduce video-screens where passengers can create a playlist of MP3 music. Those same screens, once available next year, will let travelers watch pay-per-view movies or live satellite television or play interactive video games with other passengers. "So now we're paying extra for a snack and a movie, but we can play video games with other passengers for free," says Mike. "If you look at our survey results, that seems to be exactly what the majority of sophisticated travelers are not looking for." For 25 years, Hideaways International has explored the vacation road less traveled, searching for the world's best villas, boutique hotels and resorts, private pied-a-terres, yacht-like cruises, barge charters, manor houses, beach houses, castles, entire islands, and more. Hideaways, recommendations for lodgings and destinations are profiled in Hideaways Guide - its Members- magazine - Hideaways newsletter, and Hideaways Insider e-newsletter. Media Contact: Hideaways 603-430-4433 x175 Hideaways.com |
| Produced by Judi Janofsky, Rich Steck and the Golf Press Association |