Expert: Pan Am demise doomed luxurious airline experience
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 1991 demise of Pan Am began the true slide into less satisfactory air travel, according to the aviation expert who co-publishes the highly cited annual Airline Quality Report.
Purdue aviation technology professor Brent Bowen surveys thousands of air travelers and mines federal data to measure the quality of the flying experience.
"Traveler satisfaction has been consistently down the last two decades," Bowen said. "The new show 'Pan Am' is re-reminding the public that we traded in free martinis, white linen, leg room and tea service for $7 beer, $5 nuts and $30 checked bags. Today's kids have no knowledge of souvenir wings or a cockpit tour."
Bowen can detail the economics, policy and sociology behind how today's travelers perceive the flight experience.
He also points to the new Boeing Dreamliner as a symbol of hope of some renewed civility in air travel.
"Passengers will appreciate that the 787 will be quieter, smoother, filled with cleaner, more comfortable air, and be more spacious for luggage and legs," Bowen said. "Of course there is little guarantee of freshly prepared beef bourguignon or that you will arrive on time."
The Airline Quality Report has been featured on several major news network reports as well as in publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, USA Today, Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times.
The most recent AQR can be seen at https://www.airlineinfo.com/public/2011aqr.pdf
Writer: Jim Schenke, 765-237-7296, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: Brent Bowen, 765-494-5782, bdbowen@purdue.edu