Analyzing Air Travel: A Comparison of Different Survey Methods and Data Collection Procedures

This article explores alternative ways of collecting data on air travel. Comparisons are made between two different survey methods (general household surveys and intercept air travel surveys), and two alternative data collection procedures in intercept surveys (on-board and at gate). Results show that air travel estimates do not depend heavily on survey method. Intercept and household surveys produce a more or less comparable picture of the air travel market, although some differences are found with regard to trip purpose distributions. Regarding data collection procedure in intercept surveys, interviews conducted at gate are found to be more susceptible to nonresponse than are on-board interviews. However, no significant differences exist between the samples with regard to trip and respondent characteristics, suggesting that the increased nonresponse in gate surveys is not systematic and that an equally valid picture of airline passengers can be obtained through gate and on-board surveys.