1.) Cost (ticket & ancillary fees)
2.) Award availability
3.) Ticketing flexibility (changes and/or cancellations)
4.) Flight Times (early, late, afternoon, red-eye, etc.)
5.) Connections (number of, locations, and connection times)
6.) Quality of Hard Product (seat, onboard amenities, etc.)
a. To include less thought about ones like: overhead bin size, Wi-Fi, charging sockets, IFE, personal air nozzle, lined up window, number of and proximity to lavatories, tray table size, etc.
7.) Quality of Soft Product (service to include drinking and dining options)
8.) Elite status (now or future) / airline or alliance / partner, etc.
9.) Earning Potential (EQMs/RDMs)
10.) Niche benefits (Companion pass, $99 fare, etc.)
11.) Likelihood of upgrade
12.) Benefits from credit card/membership
13.) Lounge access opportunities
14.) Plane seating configuration (3-3 vs. 2-2 vs. 1-2, etc.)
15.) Available seats (number, location, and grouping and perceived load-factor)
16.) Boarding order (i.e., groups with small children first)
17.) Gamesmanship opportunities
18.) History of being on time or not
19.) Distance of airport to/from your departure/destination
20.) Carbon emissions
21.) Accessibility considerations
22.) AV geek considerations