If I was to pose a sub question here being for the everyday passenger with little knowledge of safety records, maintenance, company culture etc what would make them feel safe on a commercial airliner. There is also something to be said for the feeling you get when you switch from a 350 seater wide body across the pacific to a 50 seater fokker 50 flying out to a remote location. In the litteral sense of things the average pilot could careless about what actually makes an aircraft safe but the cosmetically appealing sides of things that present a level of safety. (I understand others have different opinions and I'm merely posing the question playing devils advocate)
Cheers