Four Million Britons Give up Flying Dueto Airport Stress

YORK, England, June 28, 2011 -

Bad airport experiences have led close to four
million^[1]travellers to give up
flying altogether, with more than a third of Britons who have flown
now claiming the airport experience is more stressful than the
working week.  

According to new findings from life assistance company CPP,
despite taking a flight to pave the way for rest and relaxation,
four in ten (42%) people say airports make them feel stressed and
close to a quarter (23%)^[2] find
the prospect of getting on to their flight as stress inducing if
not more stressful than moving house. The problem has become so
rife that one in ten (9%) of us are now avoiding flying altogether
as a result.

The most nerve-wracking parts of the airport experience include
flight delays, mislaying belongings and getting to the gate on time
- all of which mean close to half of travellers find it difficult
to relax until they’re safely on the plane and a similar number
(45%) believe the holiday doesn’t start until they’ve left the
airport.

But it’s no wonder that Britons are so worried about making it
to the gate on time - over 2.9
million^[3] travellers have missed
a flight in the past, while one in five of us (20%) have had to run
to the gate with minutes to spare.

The problem is exacerbated on the other side of the border, with
four in ten (41%) holidaymakers struggling to find their way around
foreign airports as a result of the language barrier. The evolution
of flight charges, which now sees many airlines charging for
checked in baggage, also has a negative impact on stress levels, as
do more recently implemented security measures such as liquids not
being accepted in traveller’s hand luggage.

Studies have shown that the airport experience is having
significant physiological effects on a traveller’s anxiety levels -
one previous experiment using Heathrow airport saw holidaymakers’
heart-rates rise to a level equivalent to doing intense
exercise^[4]. This was echoed in
the CPP research, which revealed that holidaymakers who had visited
more than one airport cited Heathrow as the most stressful,
followed by Gatwick and Manchester.

Recent disruptions in airport services as a result of bad weather
over the winter and Icelandic ash clouds over the summer also mean
that flight delays and cancellations have become more common. Last
summer saw one of the highest levels on record with charter flights
operating on average 29 minutes
late^[5].

In fact airports are inherently stressful places, according to
Psychologist David Moxon, who says that a number of factors combine
to make airports uniquely challenging to the human psyche. Moxon
comments, “Humans are wired to experience stress in situations
where many feel out of control - and airports, where you have to
follow instructions that are likely change at the last minute, and
procedures that are unpredictable, lead many to react with a stress
response. There is also what is known as an accumulation effect,
resulting from other anxieties that we may be harbouring. If you
head to the airport having worried about waking up on time, or what
you’ve left behind at work, the airport itself will seem more
stressful as a result.”

It’s not all bad news however as holidaymakers have come up with
some ways that the airport could be made a more pleasant experience
- popular improvements include less queuing, and cheaper and nicer
food and more seats. A large proportion (40%) of travellers say a
quiet environment or access to a lounge (35%) would help to reduce
their stress levels while close to half (42%) would like to be
treated as a first class passenger.

Joanne Gibbons, from CPP says,

“It’s a real shame that holidaymakers are experiencing such high
levels of stress during what should be the beginning of a period of
rest and relaxation. But rather than turning away from airports
altogether we’d urge families to have a strategy for staying calm
prior to boarding - by checking in online, minimising the amount of
luggage they check-in and taking advantage of airport lounge
opportunities.”

CPP’s tips for avoiding airport stress

1. Choose your airport carefully. Bigger airports tend to
be busier which can mean higher stress levels. So consider flying
to a smaller, local airport to reduce transfer times and
hassle.

2. Do as much as you can online beforehand. Many airlines
now allow travellers to check in online up to forty eight hours
beforehand, which can really reduce the amount of time spent
queuing when you arrive at the airport. If you do choose this
option, remember to print off your boarding pass.

3. Minimise parking time. Airport car-parks are huge and
navigating them can be tricky, so consider dropping off all your
passengers at check in and having one person park the car to avoid
unnecessary stress.

4. Check in minimal luggage. With airlines increasingly
charging for checked-in luggage, you can avoid queues and save cash
by taking carry-on luggage where possible, especially for short
breaks. This means you can go straight through to security and save
time on the other side.

5. Opt for fast-track security. Some larger airports now
allow passengers to pay for the opportunity to fast-track through
the security gates. This can speed up the airport process and give
you more time relaxing on the other side.

6. Take advantage of airport lounges. Airport lounges are
a great way to relax and get that holiday feeling before boarding
the plane - you’ll be guaranteed a seat and get complimentary
snacks. CPP’s Airport Angel AirText service will even text you when
your flight is boarding to ensure you get there on time.

7. Have a boarding strategy. If you have pre-booked seats
it may be worth boarding last, meaning you can spend longer in the
lounge and less time queuing at the gate. If you haven’t got
pre-booked seats, think about getting priority boarding or leaving
a little more time at gate to get to the front of the queue.

Research Methodology

ICM interviewed a random sample of 2005 adults aged 18+ online
between 6-8 May 2011.  Surveys were conducted across the
country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all
adults.  ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and
abides by its rules.  Further information at href="www.icmresearch.co.uk/">www.icmresearch.co.uk

1.  According to research conducted for CPP by ICM, 9%
agreed with the statement “I don’t fly because I dislike the
airport experience”. The total adult (18+) population in Great
Britain that has been through an airport is 43,678,000. 9% of these
equates to 3,979,000 people or close to four million.

2. According to the ICM research, 8% of Brits who have been
through an airport find being in an airport more stressful than
moving house and 15% find it at least as stressful as moving house.
Therefore a total of 23% find the airport as stressful if not more
stressful than moving house.

3. According to the ICM research, 7% of Brits who have been
through an airport have missed a flight in the past, this equates
to 2.9 million people

4. According to a study conducted by Chartered Psychologist Dr
David Lewis in 2007. Four passengers travelling through Heathrow
had chest monitors fitted to record increases in heart rate,
pressure pads attached to their arms to monitor changes in blood
pressure and sensors were attached to their finger-tips to measure
changes in physiological stress. Dr Lewis’ experiment showed
passenger heart rates peaked at four times their resting levels and
physiological stress levels exceeded those recorded amongst Formula
1 racing drivers or free-fall parachutists.

5. According to data sourced from flightontime.info and collated
by the Civil Aviation Authority, available at
www.flightontime.info/summer2010/index.html charter flights
were delayed by an average of 29 minutes in summer 2010.

Corporate Background Information

The CPPGroup Plc

The CPPGroup Plc (CPP) is an international marketing services
business offering bespoke customer management solutions to
multi-sector business partners designed to enhance their customer
revenue, engagement and loyalty, whilst at the same time reducing
cost to deliver improved profitability.  

This is underpinned by the delivery of a portfolio of
complementary Life Assistance products, designed to help our mutual
customers cope with the anxieties associated with the challenges
and opportunities of everyday life.

Whether our customers have lost their wallets, been a victim of
identity fraud or looking for lifestyle perks, CPP can help remove
the hassle from their lives leaving them free to enjoy life.
Globally, our Life Assistance products and services are designed to
simplify the complexities of everyday living whether these affect
personal finances, home, travel, personal data or future plans.
When it really matters, Life Assistance enables people to live life
and worry less.

Established in 1980, CPP has 11 million customers and more than
200 business partners across Europe, North America and Asia and
employs 2,300 employees who handle millions of sales and service
conversations each year.

In 2010, Group revenue was £325.8 million, an increase of more
than 12 per cent over the previous year.

In March 2010, CPP debuted on the London Stock Exchange
(LSE).

What We Do:
CPP provides a range of assistance products and services that allow
our business partners to forge closer relationships with their
customers.

We have a solution for many eventualities, including:

• Insuring our customers’ mobile phones against loss, theft and
  damage
• Providing assistance to cancel and reorder customer’s payment
  cards should these be lost or stolen
• Providing assistance and protection if a customer’s keys are
  lost or stolen
• Providing advice, and assistance to help customers in the event
  their identity is fraudulently used
• Assisting customers with their travel needs be it an emergency
  (for example lost passport), or basic translation service
• Monitoring the credit status of our customers
• Provision of packaged services to business partners’
  customers

CPP is an award winning
organisation:

• Finalist in the Plc Awards, New Company of the Year, 2011
• Winner in the European Contact Centre Awards, Large Team of the
  Year category, 2010
• Finalist in the European Contact Centre Awards, Best Centre for
  Customer Service, Large Contact Centre of the Year categories,
  2010
• Finalist in the National Sales Awards, Contact Centre Sales
  Team of the Year category, 2010
• Finalist in the National Insurance Fraud Awards, Counter Fraud
  Initiative of the Year category, 2009
• Finalist in the European Contact Centre Awards, Large Team and
  Advisor of the Year categories, 2009
• Named in the Sunday Times 2008 PricewaterhouseCoopers Profit
  Track 100
• Finalists in the National Business Awards, 3i Growth Strategy
  category, 2008
• Finalist in the National Business Awards, Business of the Year
  category, 2007, 2009 and Highly Commended in 2008
• Named in the Sunday Times 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 HSBC Top
  Track 250 companies
• Regional winner of the National Training Awards, 2007
• Winner of the BITC Health, Work and Well-Being Award, 2007
• Highly Commended in the UK National Customer Service Awards,
  2006
• Winner of the Tamworth Community Involvement Award, 2006.
  Finalist in 2008
• Highly Commended in The Press Best Link Between Business and
  Education, 2005 and 2006. Winner in 2007
• Finalist in the National Business Awards, Innovation category,
  2005

For more information on CPP click on href="www.cppgroupplc.com/">www.cppgroupplc.com

For more information or to arrange a time for interview with CPP’s travel expert Joanne Gibbons or Psychologist David Moxon, please call: Bryony Partridge, +44(0)203-451-9406, +44(0)7846-004-416; Laura Buchan, +44(0)203-451-9428, +44(0)7738-443-404