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WHAT PASSENGERS REALLY THINK OF AIR TRAVEL

A MAJOR SURVEY to establish what passengers really think of air travel is currently being conducted by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with the results due in the New Year.

The opinion poll, being carried out at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports, was prompted by a request from former Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, who has since quit to spend more time with her family.

Kelly had sought "advice on improving the air passenger experience at major UK airports", and airlines and airports will be invited to make their own views known.

Richard Jackson, the CAA's group director of consumer protection, said: "We are keen to ensure that all key stages of the air passenger experience are covered in the survey, including those that are the responsibility of the airline, those where responsibility lies with the airport operator, and other stages where service delivery is dependent on airlines and airports working closely together.

"The results will help ensure that the CAA can identify those stages of the journey that are working well and those where passengers stand to benefit most from improvement."