Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Fear of illness, economic damage, and stigma have had a devastating impact on the travel industry and have caused a significant reduction in both business and leisure travel. This study examines passengers' social and emotional perspectives during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, building on a prior quantitative study that identified factors that predict a person's willingness to fly during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods
This study used a qualitative method with a phenomenological perspective and hermeneutic design. Fifteen adults from the United States participated in a personal interview designed to capture demographics, individual safety measures, feelings, and concerns involving air travel during the pandemic. Personal interview transcripts were then inspected by the researchers using a constant comparison method.Results
The personal experiences of participants were dominated by projections of trust issues and emotional heuristics, protective behaviors, and fear of confrontations with others, and a fear of the unknown. These themes emerged even in participants who continued to fly during the pandemic.Conclusion
Insights into travelers' emotions, trust, and fears may help airlines and other segments of the travel industry to develop targeted messaging that supports the trust and safety issues confronted by frequent travelers.
SUBMITTER: Lamb TL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9759295 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Lamb Tracy L TL Ruskin Keith J KJ Rice Stephen S Khorassani Leili L Winter Scott R SR Truong Dothang D
Journal of air transport management 20210504
<h4>Background</h4>Fear of illness, economic damage, and stigma have had a devastating impact on the travel industry and have caused a significant reduction in both business and leisure travel. This study examines passengers' social and emotional perspectives during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, building on a prior quantitative study that identified factors that predict a person's willingness to fly during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>This study used a qualitative method with a pheno ...[more]