Greener or Faster: Unraveling the Impact of Travel Time Presentation on Rail vs. Air Travel Decision-Making

Aviation accounts for approximately 2.5% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Moreover, the global number of air passengers has increased steadily in recent years, with business travel contributing to this trend. High-speed rail (HSR) could serve as an eco-friendly alternative to air travel for short-haul routes. Studies show that travel time influences business travelers’ choice of transport mode. However, research suggests that consumers underestimate the total travel time required for air travel due to cognitive biases related to airport access and egress times. Travel planning applications reinforce this bias as they fail to provide salient information on total travel times for air travel. Using an experimental design, we aim to investigate how the presentation of total travel time in travel apps affects the choice between rail and air travel and make suggestions for the design of apps that help consumers make informed decisions and ultimately help reduce CO2 transport-related emissions.