1. Getting to and from the airport. Is coach an option?
IARO conference - 12 June 2019

2. What I’ll talk about Transport Focus – who we are and what we do
Coaches – perception, experience and potential
Getting to an airport…is coach an option?

3. The independent consumer watchdog
Transport Focus promotes the interests of:
Rail passengers in Great Britain
Bus, coach and tram users across England outside London
All users of England’s motorways and major ‘A’ roads (the Strategic Road Network)
We present users’ priorities and experiences … we are pro consumer
We carry out robust research and publish all our work
We aim to be useful and to make a difference through our policy recommendations and influencing

4. Getting to and from the airport. Is coach an option?

5. Background – Who and why?
Around coach use:
Where does coach fit into decisions about longer journeys and what are experiences and perceptions of coach travel?
On airports:
What drives choice of airport and how decisions about surface access to airports (include use of coach) are made?
Joint project, in conjunction with :

6. How? Understanding access to airports… Core
5,000 online interviews (included 200 coach passengers)
16 Focus groups
Depth interviews with vulnerable passengers
Intercepts at airports
Ethnographic diary exercise
Understanding coach travel more generally…
Boost
250 additional online interviews with coach passengers
6 Focus groups
Depth interviews with vulnerable passengers
Intercepts at coach stations
Ethnographic diary exercise – non users

7. About Coaches

8. Perceptions and expectations
62% of main sample never use scheduled coaches within the UK. Use declines as income and age increase

9. What non-users think about coaches?
…are too infrequent
…for people with limited mobility
…easy to use with children
…more relaxing than car
38% Neither / nor
50% Neither / nor
49% Neither / nor
28% Neither / nor
52%
25%
Disagree
10%
Disagree
34%
16%
Disagree
26%
35%
37%
Disagree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
45% Neither / nor
51% Neither / nor
38% Neither / nor
46% Neither / nor
These just as important for non-bus users
48%
38%
40%
49%
11%
Disagree
23%
Disagree
Agree
Agree
Agree
26%
Agree
21%
Paper timetables 7% 5%
Departure boards
Easy to make a booking
Can always get a seat
Gets exactly where need
Can get WiFi on board

10. What non-users think about coaches?
…hard to get to
…often delayed by traffic
…can change mind if booked
…are too infrequent
24% Neither / nor
35% Neither / nor
44% Neither / nor
38% Neither / nor
65%
59%
50%
52%
11% 7% 7%
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
10%
Disagree
31% Neither / nor
37% Neither / nor
38% Neither / nor
31% Neither / nor
49%
19%
Disagree
49%
43%
20%
Disagree
33%
29%
Disagree
28%
41%
Disagree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
26%
21%
Paper timetables
Departure boards
Prefer to be on my own
Driving cheaper than coach
Coaches old/ dirty/ uncomfortable
Don’t know how to find out

11. Coach travel is often stigmatised
Non-users tend to see the coach as for…
Students
‘Young people’
‘Old people’
The coach is often seen as a mode of transport for the less affluent
Coaches are assumed to be an antisocial environment
Ultimately, many non-users’ start point about coach travel is that it is ‘not for me’
Some understanding - but typically very vague - that a coach network exists. But few have any clarity on how it works
Often assume only to/ from major cities
Almost no idea on times, frequencies, costs etc.
Do not know where/ how to access information, purchase tickets
Even those who live very close to coach stations are often unaware of their existence
Potential passengers are more likely to consider coach when they realise closeness to the network
I think it's just got a stigma on it for me. I don't know why. Maybe because they've plastered it pound sign, £1 to London, just seems too good to be true.
Newcastle, Coach User

12. And the coach user view He
38% of main sample ever use scheduled coaches to travel within the UK. Declines as income and age increase

13. Coach users much more positive
…are too infrequent (disagree)
…for people with limited mobility
…easy to use with children
…more relaxing than car
26% Neither / nor
26% Neither / nor
26% Neither / nor
25%
50%
48%
60%
10%
34%
26%
35%
Used coach
NOT Used coach
26% Neither / nor
26% Neither / nor
26% Neither / nor
26% Neither / nor
81%
73%
68%
68%
48%
38%
40%
49%
Easy to make a booking
Can always get a seat
Gets exactly where need
Can get WiFi on board

14. Coach users much more positive
…hard to get to
Quicker by other mode
26% Neither / nor
26% Neither / nor
65%
77%
52%
68%
Used coach
NOT Used coach
26% Neither / nor
45%
13%
59%
29% 7%
50%
Coaches old/ dirty/ uncomfortable (disagree)
26% Neither / nor
…often delayed by traffic (disagree)
…can’t easily change booking
26% Neither / nor
26% Neither / nor

15. Coach can be comfortable and relaxing
Sense of greater privacy on coach (compared to other public transport) 
Having own seat and no direct eye contact with other passengers can aid privacy
Can foster an environment for relaxation and personal entertainment
Unlike train, passengers know they will always get a seat
Although can become frustrated by the lack of seat reservation service and separation from companions
Once on board, the passenger has no need to do anything 
Little need to get up and move around
Unlikely to be disturbed by other passengers, staff, announcements etc.
Some enjoy ambience of quiet coach journeys and can find them soothing.  Long    journeys especially
conducive for sleeping 

16. For disabled passengers coach can present fewer challenges than other transport
Travel by coach removes many stressful areas of travel by public transport and makes for a more relaxing travel experience
Local pick up points often convenient to get to
Tend to be less crowded and intimidating
Less meticulous planning at all journey stages
Frequently no need to change - A to B travel
Driver provides emotional reassurance, on many levels; standards of service praised
On correct coach?
Assistance in emergency
Information about timekeeping, issues on route
Direct to facilities
Advise about onward travel
May be known to passenger
Boarding and alighting often seen as pain points of worry; alleviated by the driver
Negotiating steps
Help with luggage (hold or to seat)
Less interaction with fellow travellers
For those with less visible disability, less potential for discrimination as have guaranteed seat and, frequently able to sit on own
“I need reassurance that I am on the right coach and although it might say on the front and on the departure stand I need to ASK and the drivers are always there and helpful” Disabled Passenger
“I go to see my mum once a month at Clacton and I just get on the coach and I know I am safe and comfortable, I have my seat and no one is going to be mean to me” Disabled Passenger

17. About getting to Airports

18. Travelling to the airport is an emotive experience - impacts choice
Passengers are often happy to be on holiday…as well as excited (particularly children)
Often need to manage their emotions when travelling to the airport, and have various strategies:
Planning
Socialising
Travelling with others
Drinking
Entertainment for the children
Concerns are what happens if I miss my flight? Worse yet what happens if I miss my flight cause the tube is stuck or the train delayed?
London, Ethnography
But these emotions are often conflicted with anxiety and difficult situations 
Can become cross if journeys do not go to plan
Delays can cause nasty surprises and shocks 
The pressure of sticking to a time can cause passengers to be irritable and stressed
With all this in mind, the atmosphere on public transport heading to the airport can be emotive  
A mixture of excitement, frustration, anxiety and stress can make these journeys different to others
The children were generally occupied on their phones for most of the journey while the adults all quietly panicked!
Kent, Ethnography
There can also be some conflict within a group travelling together as to
what the best mode is

19. Few thoroughly research all options when deciding how to get to airport
49% of car drivers, 44% of taxi users always use the same mode
“There isn't a coach stop to Heathrow near me, and I usually need to travel during the evening rush hour and think road traffic will take too long and arrival on time is unpredictable.”
“It never occurred to me as I always go by car”
“Too many real or imaginary chances of delay”

20. However, people almost certainly overstate what they know:
Despite few doing any research, people are confident they know transport options
However, people almost certainly overstate what they know:
59% of those who didn’t really look into it say they knew all the options.

21. Car and taxi dominate transport to the airport, although train is significant too
Coach is used by a small proportion of passengers
6% travelling to a London airport used coach compared to 1% at non-London airports
61% travelling to non-London airports used car compared to 50% travelling to London airports

22. People want a stress-free journey to the airport that is flexible and convenient
Convenience
Speed
Past experience
At the airport
Cost
Stress-free

23. For those using car, flexibility and convenience is more important
Less importance attached to price and VFM
Convenience
Speed
Past experience
At the airport
Cost
Stress-free

24. Coach users have different priorities, attaching more importance to low price
Convenience
Speed
Past experience
At the airport
Cost
Stress-free

25. Majority who’ve never used coach would not consider using it to get to the airport
Consider travelling to the airport by coach?
“Because I don’t like that you don’t have the freedom to stop if necessary. Not much room and not comfortable. Pick ups make the journey longer”
“Because I have travelled by coach for a day trip and hated it - it's not comfortable, it goes all around the houses, the journey time was nearly 3 times as long as it takes to drive myself”
“Because I don't know when or where they pick you up and it would be more inconvenient as the train station is at the end of main High street”
“As you have to get to the pick up point and then the coach generally takes longer as has lots of stops. Not good when traveling with children and at night time”

26. Priorities for encouraging more people to travel to the airport by coach
Work on and communicate progress in two key areas – punctuality and frequency / hours of operation
Continue to promote coach travel as a low cost option as this is the main driving factor for current use of coach
Look at and communicate (where possible) locality of pick up points to encourage people who are aware but not considering using coach to switch. Make it easy for people to get to the coach stops.
Awareness of coach needs to be raised outside of normal customer touchpoints, since many are not currently researching different modes.
Online is heavily used for researching and booking, can booking a coach be part of the flight booking process?