A survey into the patterns and levels of anxiety that travellers experience prior to flying has identified that one (1) in four (4) Australian travellers suffer from varying degrees of stress – bringing to light a new term coined to describe their experience as ‘pre-flight tension’, or ‘PFT’.
The research was conducted by Sydney Airport to obtain an insight into the mindset, concerns and behaviors of travellers.
In some surprise findings from the survey, it was revealed that the most common sufferers of PFT were those who travel more frequently, three to four (3-4) times a year, as opposed to occasional travellers. One in four people experienced anxiety on the day of their flight, one in five of those begin to feel anxious up to an entire week before flying. Both men and women suffer from PFT, the majority of which (36%) are 25 to 29 years old.
The survey revealed several quirky and humorous “symptoms” of PFT, including the newly coined “Obsessive Passport Disorder” (OPD) which is characterised by constantly checking for passports and other important travel documents. Others believed PFT contributed to lapses in concentration with some amusing outcomes.
Prior to leaving for the airport PFT causes around 38% of travellers to repack their bags up to three times prior to leaving for the airport. One woman reportedly ended up paying a $90 excess luggage charge yet admitted to not even wearing 90% of the clothing she had packed; while another couple who were travelling to attend a formal occasion forgot their formal clothing altogether.
However, wardrobe malfunctions were not restricted to packing with several respondents reporting more severe cases of PFT arriving at the airport in their pyjamas, slippers and even wearing no shoes at all.
On the day of the flight OPD (‘Obsessive Passport Disorder’) is one of the most common symptoms with 41% admitting to checking for their passport at least 2 or 3 times prior to flying.
Even more travellers, around 55%, begin checking and re-checking flight times constantly before departure. Ironically, however, many admitted to being so obsessed with the flight time, they actually turned up to the airport on the wrong day. In one of the more extreme cases, a woman who inadvertently arrived at the airport a day early, decided to sleep there overnight rather than risk being late the following day.
Sixty-one percent (61%) agreed that one of their greatest concerns was getting to the airport on time with many respondents reporting stressful experiences with taxis and other transport including being late, getting lost, having accidents, breaking down and even going to the wrong terminal.
For many the journey to the airport is a challenge with 48% thinking that they had forgotten to pack something and 26% worrying that they had forgotten something like leaving a window open, leaving on an iron or locking the family pet inside.
Several actually claimed they had become so stressed that they had actually forgotten to take their luggage and in more extreme cases, left family members and other travelling companions behind! One man confessed that it wasn’t until he was almost at the airport that he realised he had forgotten his wife.
Sydney Airport have recently completed a $500 million upgrade at the International Terminal which was officially launched last week, and is hoping that its new Departures precinct will provide a haven for travellers to de-stress ahead of their flight.
For those that have not had time to do all the travel essentials, offerings such as multi-currency cash machines will allow them to quickly organise cash for their journey, while those that have not had time to eat will be able to dine in style at one of the dozens of new cafés, bars and restaurants.
For those that find relaxation in retail therapy, Sydney Airport has also recently opened the doors of the biggest Tax and Duty Free store in the Southern Hemisphere as well as an array of other retail outlets ranging from high end fashion to the world’s first dedicated Wiggles and Lonely Planet stores and Australia’s first Victoria’s Secret store.
For more information on PFT, and some advice on how to ease it, visit easepft.com.au.
NB: The survey was conducted for Sydney Airport by OMD Insights with a sample of 300 men and women aged between 18 and 59 in NSW using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
