A global survey conducted by HappyOrNot.com revealed that Sunday is the most hated day to fly among airline passengers, with 80.5% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction with flying on that day. The survey included responses from 10 million flyers from 30 nations during the first three months of 2024. The survey used the company’s happy-to-sad face touch button machines to gather feedback from passengers about their flying experiences.
According to the survey results, Wednesday was identified as the most preferred day to fly, with 83.5% of passengers expressing satisfaction with flights on that day. In terms of departure times, midnight was the most despised time to fly, with 78.3% of respondents indicating their dissatisfaction. In contrast, 7 a.m. departures were the most favored, with 84.5% of passengers expressing positive feedback about flights during that time.
Specific departure times were also a focus of the survey, revealing that 11 p.m. and 10 p.m. were the next worst times to depart according to 79.1% and 79.3% of respondents, respectively. On the other hand, 8 a.m. was identified as the second most desired time to fly, with 84.4% of passengers expressing satisfaction, followed by 4 p.m., which received positive feedback from 84.2% of respondents.
HappyOrNot CEO, Miika Mäkitalo, highlighted the consistency in feedback over the years, with late-night flights consistently being the least happy times to fly. Mäkitalo also noted the correlation between early morning flights and passenger satisfaction, linking the ideal flying times to airport facilities being pristine and staff being energized at the beginning of their shifts. In previous years, 8 a.m. and 4 a.m. were identified as the most preferred times to fly, with the fluctuation possibly influenced by the chaotic travel conditions in 2023.
The survey results also shed light on the aspects of an airport experience that are most and least favored by passengers. Baggage claim was identified as the most hated area of an airport, while security was considered to be the most liked. Overall, travelers’ three biggest concerns were friendliness, cleanliness, and lines within the airport environment. The findings provide valuable insights for airlines and airports to enhance the travel experience and meet the expectations of passengers.
