Flying in Today's World

Probably no industry suffered as many ill effects in the wake of September 11 as the airline industry. Corporate travel plummeted 35% almost immediately and has yet to recover entirely (see BW, 4/1/02, "Road Warriors Fly Smart").

Still, business is picking up at the airlines, which are recalling laid-off employees and even trying to raise fares. The question now is whether business and vacation travelers will shake off their post-September 11 concerns and take to the skies as before -- or whether the airline business will take a lot longer to recover fully.

That's the issue we'd like to explore in this BusinessWeek Online Reader Survey. Please remember that this isn't a scientific poll, since anyone who chooses to can participate. Still, air-travel safety and security remain major issues, and we would like to hear your opinions.

Do you fly primarily for business or for pleasure?

Business

Pleasure

Both equally

I don't fly

Since September 11, do you:

Fly about as much as usual

Fly less than before

Fly more than before

I don't fly

Do you think efforts to improve airline safety since September 11 have:

Made flying safer

Made flying less safe

Made no difference

Don't know

When you fly, what most influences your decision on which flight to take?

The fare

The times at which I want to leave and arrive

The airline I'll be taking

The type of plane

None of the above

I don't fly

If you have substituted other means of transportation for flying, which do you use most?

Car

Bus

Train

Ship

Haven't switched to another mode of travel

If all luggage were screened, flying would be:

Much safer

About as safe as now

Less safe

Don't know

If airports used facial recognition systems to identify passengers, flying would be:

Much safer

About as safe as now

Less safe

Don't know

How do you normally book your flight?

Using a travel agent

Via the Web

Call airline reservations

Other

I don't fly