PROPOSED TECHNIQUE FOR IDENTIFICATION OF MARKET POTENTIAL FOR LOW-COST AIR TRAVEL

A mail-back survey conducted by the Maryland State Aviation Administration to assess the interest of Maryland residents in a low-fare, no-frills air service from the Baltimore-Washington region to the West Coast is described. The questionnaire used was designed to determine whether or not respondents had traveled by air from the Baltimore-Washington area to California during the past 24 months and whether they would have traveled more often to California (or for the first time) if a $99 one-way fare had been in effect between the Baltimore-Washington region and the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. Results were tabulated and analyzed on a computer by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. In addition to analysis based on statewide population data, tabulations were developed at the zip code, county, and regional levels for more detailed analysis of potential markets. The proposed technique shows how the use of existing computerized data on area population can be conveniently converted to a representative sample for public policy purposes. (Author)