Flight Psychology: Breaking Down the 3 C’s

Planning travels is not a cookie-cutter exercise. Everyone has unique priorities, preferences, and styles. TravelWealth’s Travel Designers are always weighing the pros and cons of flights, trying to find the perfect fit for our members’ needs. There is quite a bit of psychology when it comes to flight selection, and this is a gauntlet that our Travel Designers navigate daily.

When considering flights, there are three primary factors that we consider, which we refer to as the 3 Cs:
- Cost
- Comfort
- Convenience

Before sending flight options, our Travel Designers perform a balancing act to align these factors with the member’s preferences and priorities. Sometimes, all three factors line up into the perfect flight option. But more often than not, flight options require flexibility and sacrifice with some (or even all) of these factors. Everyone is willing to sacrifice in different ways, so here is a bit of insight into the thought process that our Travel Designers go through:

COST
- Should we book with cash or points?
- How many points does the flight cost?
- How many points does the member have?
- How quickly does the member earn/replenish points?
- Are we saving points for a bigger trip in the near future?
- How much cash out of pocket is required?
- How much are positioning flights?
- How much are incidentals (e.g., bag fees, seat selection)?
- Would the passengers prefer to pay more (in cash or points) for more Comfort and/or Convenience?

COMFORT
- Which airline(s) have the best Business/First Class seats on the route?
- What airline/seat product is on a particular aircraft?
- Are there better aircraft/airlines flying out of nearby airports?
- Which airports will have the best lounges?
- Are you more likely to stay awake or sleep on this route?
- Would the passengers fly a lower cabin and/or a worse airline if it had a better routing and/or had a lower cost?

CONVENIENCE
- What are the fastest routes between the departure and arrival cities?
- How many stops and how long are the layovers?
- What is the weather likely to be? Risk of delays?
- Are there backup flight options in case of major delays or cancelation?
- Checked bags or carry-on? Can checked bags be checked all the way through via an interline agreement between carriers?
- Would the passengers make extra stops/overnights in exchange for a better price and/or a nicer flying experience?

Our Travel Designers are constantly analyzing these factors behind the scenes, but we always appreciate your feedback and thoughts to help us understand your personal priorities and preferences when it comes to the 3 C’s for your future trips.