Southwest is the most popular airline in the United States, according to a new report from Morning Consult. The report reveals new survey research on the trends and issues facing the American travel industry.
The report has data exploring how and where Americans like to travel, as well as their preferences regarding airlines, hotels, and Airbnb.
Highlights include:
America's most popular airline is Southwest: Nearly half of Americans (49%) have a favorable view of Southwest, making it the most popular major airline brand.
- When it comes to purchasing considerations, the competition is much closer: Southwest (49%) is neck and neck with American Airlines (47%), Delta (46%), and United (46%).
Younger generations are much more likely to want to travel abroad: Half of Americans (50%) say they would rather travel inside the U.S. if money and time were not an issue, compared to 40 percent who say they would rather travel outside the U.S.
- Millennials (50%) and Gen Z (46%) prefer international travel whereas Gen X (53%) and Boomers (60%) prefer domestic travel.
- Hawaii and the Grand Canyon are among America's most desired vacation destinations.
Most Americans prefer major hotel chains over Airbnb: While at least 90 percent of Americans have heard of major hotel chains including Motel 6, Marriott, Best Western and Hilton, only 71 percent of Americans have heard of Airbnb.
Airbnb lags behind competitors in terms of purchasing intent: Americans were most likely to consider booking hotels from Marriott (54%) and Best Western (52%). Just 27% of Americans said they would consider booking Airbnb.
Airbnb performs significantly better among Millennials: 36 percent of Millennials say they plan on using Airbnb, compared to 28 percent of Gen Z, 27 percent of Gen X, and 23 percent of Boomers who say the same.
Brand loyalty unimportant when it comes to hotels: Most Americans aren't particularly brand loyal when it comes to hotels, with just 24 percent saying they have preferred chain(s) they often book.
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