Faster or Cheaper? Survey Finds Japanese Travelers Would Prefer to Save Money

Checking Priorities

The Japanese travel app Ekispert conducted a survey of 3,685 of its users between February 4 and 9, and found that 80% considered efficient use of both time and money in their daily lives.

The individuals surveyed were asked whether they would choose to take a travel route that is ¥100 cheaper if it meant arriving 10 minutes later. The results show that 21.4% said they would prioritize saving money in such a situation, while 10.6% were more interested in saving time instead. In addition, nearly 70% said they would choose the cheaper option as long as they were not in a hurry, showing that saving money is by far a higher priority than saving time.

As for services that allow passengers to avoid congestion or upgrade their seats by paying a supplemental fee, more than 90% were willing to consider spending more in return for greater travel comfort, including 18.0% who would actively use such services.

When choosing a travel route, another factor considered besides time or cost is the number of transfers necessary. When multiple routes to a destination are possible, the top priority for women was “fewer transfers,” mentioned by 42.2%, whereas men prioritized “early arrival time,” as mentioned by 33.7%.

Data Sources

• Survey on train travel preferences (Japanese) from Val Laboratory Corporation.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)