New Survey Reveals Brand Preferences of Affluent Travelers

Affluent travelers, those who enjoy an annual household income in excess of $150,000 (an estimated seven per cent of all U.S. households), represent a highly desirable target for many travel service marketers. Not surprisingly, their brand preferences vary significantly from those of their less-affluent counterparts as revealed in the soon-to-be-released 2006 Portrait of Affluent Travelers(TM).

Well-to-do travelers display a clear preference for certain lodging brands depending on the primary purpose of their trip: business versus leisure. The preferred brand for business travel is Hyatt, whereas Ritz-Carlton reigns as the preferred lodging brand for leisure travel.

The top five rankings (based on unaided mentions) for both business and leisure travel are summarized below:

               Preferred Lodging Brands for Business Travel

                                 (Unaided)



Brand                                % of Affluent Business Travelers

Hyatt Regency/Park Hyatt                         50%

Ritz Carlton                                     45%

Four Seasons                                     36%

Starwood                                         24%

Marriott                                         19%







                Preferred Lodging Brands for Leisure Travel

                                  (Unaided)



Brand                                 % of Affluent Leisure Travelers

Ritz Carlton                                      46%

Hyatt Regency/Park Hyatt                          43%

Four Seasons                                      38%

Starwood                                          17%

Marriott                                          14%

Topping the list of Individual and/or independently-owned resorts preferred by affluent travelers for leisure travel is The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona, mentioned on an unaided basis by one out of every eight affluent travelers as noted below:

       Preferred Independent Hotels or Resorts for Leisure Travel

                                (Unaided)



Brand                                 % of Affluent Leisure Travelers

The Phoenician                                    12%

The Broadmoor                                     11%

The Grand Hotel                                    9%

The Greenbrier                                     8%

The Breakers                                       7%

Affluent business travelers also display a clear preference for certain airlines, with American Airlines mentioned by the slight majority as reflected below. And perhaps contrary to expectation, the concept of 'value' isn't lost on well-heeled business travelers either, as evidenced by the fact that fully one out of five affluent business travelers prefers a low-fare carrier: Southwest.

                      Preferred Airline for Business Travel

                                      (Unaided)





Airline                              % of Affluent Business Travelers

American Airlines                                 55%

United Airlines                                   37%

Delta Airlines                                    36%

Southwest Airlines                                23%

Continental Airlines                              22%

Affluent leisure travelers also display specific preferences when it comes to their interest in luxury cruise lines, with Holland America line topping the list of luxury cruise lines affluent leisure travelers are interested in patronizing during the next two years:

                              Preferred Cruise Line

                                      (Unaided)





Cruise Line                % of Affluent Leisure Travelers Interested

                             In cruising during the next two years

Holland America Line                            15%

Cunard Line                                      9%

Windstar                                         8%

Radisson Seven Seas (a)                          8%

Crystal Cruises                                  8%



(a) now Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The 2006 Portrait of Affluent Travelers is a nationally projectable survey of the travel habits, preferences and intentions of the top 7% of U.S. households defined by annual income. Conducted during the 2nd quarter of 2006, the sample consisted of 600 respondents who took at least one overnight business or leisure trip during the previous year and stayed in 'luxury' accommodations. Two-thirds of respondents had an annual household income between $150,000 and $250,000, and the remaining third had an annual household income in excess of $250,000. Further information of the survey results may be obtained by visiting the Publications section of www.ypbr.com.



Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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