The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its latest Global Passenger Survey (GPS), showing that flyers “continue to prioritize speed and convenience and are increasingly embracing biometrics and off-airport processes to deliver it.”
“Passengers have made it clear: they want to spend less time booking and move through the airport faster. And they are increasingly willing to use biometric data to complete more pre departure tasks off airport to achieve this,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety and Security.
Online booking needs to be “retail quality”
IATA represents some 300 airlines comprising 83% of global air traffic. Their survey this year compiled data based on over 8,000 responses from more than 200 countries. It found that passengers are seeking to have all booking options and services available in one single place.
Over 50% of passengers now prefer to book online directly with airlines and demand complete transparency regarding the fare, with the same quality of online shopping experience “as they get from online retailers”, according to Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Financial Settlement and Distribution Services, who points out that IATA has released a Modern Airline Retailing protocol and set of standards to help airlines achieve this offer.
Ease of payments
When it comes to payments, 62% of passengers choose their method for convenience, rather than for example, security. Credit and debit cards remain the most popular by some margin (73%), followed by digital wallets and bank transfer (both 18%).
There are regional differences at play though, with credit and debit cards more likely to be used in Latin America (85%), Europe (81%) and North America (74%). Digital wallets have been adopted more in the Asia Pacific region (41%), while Africa is more likely to use direct bank transfer (36%).
With customers citing difficulties in using their preferred method and a high proportion (25%) of sales falling through due to transaction failure, Albakri warns: “If a preferred payment method is not available or too complicated, the potential sale may be lost. Ensuring the customer can use their preferred payment method more often is a key part of the Modern Airline Retailing program.”
Biometrics on the rise
Just 8% of flyers were likely to abandon a potential trip if visa requirements triggered privacy concerns, indicating high levels of acceptance of biometrics. Indeed, 75% of passengers now prefer using biometric data over traditional passports and boarding passes.
A massive 87% of travelers (up 4% on 2022) indicated they would share advance immigration information to speed up the airport arrival process and 66% want to obtain a visa online prior to travel. Only 20% still prefer to go to the consulate or embassy and 14% are willing to leave it until the airport.
Immigration bureaucracy damages revenues
Despite this general willingness to use biometrics, of those who’ve used biometric identification during their travels, less than half (46%) report a high satisfaction rate. This will raise concerns because any type of immigration bureaucracy is a strong deterrent to travel, with “process complexity” cited as an obstacle by 49% of potential voyagers.
“Time-consuming and complex visa requirements deter travelers and deprive destination economies of valuable tourist revenues. Time and again, we have seen that when countries remove visa requirements, economies prosper from rising visitor numbers,” said Careen.
On this topic, IATA says its One ID initiative is revolutionizing airport processes using biometrics so passengers don’t need to stand in queues on departure or on arrival. According to IATA, with their ‘OK to Fly’ status shared with the airline, travelers can bypass all on-airport bureaucracy and enjoy the speedy travel process they expect, with 74% saying that if they only have a carry-on bag they “anticipate going from the curb to the boarding gate in 30 minutes or less, an increase from 54% in 2022.”
Proximity more important than price
Among other findings, the survey reports that passengers want to fly from an airport close to home, and that proximity is more important than ticket price.
