IATA conducts an annual Global Passenger Study to determine what passengers want from all aspects of air travel. The results of their 2024 study show that they (well, our) wants are simple but important – and also vary, depending on where we are.
Here are the highlights:
Overall wants
Overall, 82% of passengers are satisfied with flying today. They prioritize convenience and speed. Most look forward to using electronics (biometrics, digital wallets, etc.) and completing some of the travel processes before reaching the airport to help speed up the process.
“Passengers want flexibility and transparency when planning and booking travel, plus speed and convenience at the airport. More are embracing biometrics, digital wallets, and off-airport processes to make it happen,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president of operations, safety and security.
Before travel: planning, booking & payment
- 68% of those surveyed said proximity to the airport was their top priority when selecting their departure airport. Second biggest priority was minimizing their total travel time (33%) and getting the best ticket price (25%).
- 71% of respondents said they book travel either online or via a mobile app. 53% prefer to use the airline’s website or app, while only 16% prefer human interaction to book their travel.
- 32% said they most liked to have all travel information consolidated in one place during the pre-travel process.
- 79% of those surveyed said they prefer to pay for travel with a credit or debit card. The second most popular form of payment was digital wallets at 20% and 7% preferred instant payment solutions, such as IATA Pay.
- Passengers chose a particular payment method due to convenience (70%), benefits (39%) and security (33%).
At the airport
- 70% of those surveyed said they expect to reach their boarding gate in 30 minutes or less if they only have a carry-on bag. 74% think it should take no more than 45 minutes if they’re checking a bag.
- 85% of respondents said they’re comfortable sharing immigration data (i.e., passport and visa info) with authorities before departure, if it will help make the airport process faster. 89% are interested in a trusted traveler program to expedite the security screening process.
- 45% said that immigration procedures should be completed before reaching the airport. 36% said the check-in process should also be completed before arriving at the airport. And 70% of passengers said they’d be more likely to check a bag if they could do it before they got to the airport.
- 46% of travelers surveyed said they’ve experienced biometric identification as part of the identification process. 43% said they used it at entry and exit immigration checkpoints. 84% of users were satisfied with the process. And 75% said they preferred using biometrics instead of traditional passports and boarding passes.
- 50% of respondents expressed concern about data protection. However, 39% would be more open to biometric solutions if they could be assured of their data’s security.
- 37% say queuing is the area that needs the most improvement in security, and 52% would prefer a more efficient queuing process at the gates.
Regional differences
- Passengers from Africa prioritize convenience when choosing an airport. However they often face limited options. More passengers in African countries book their tickets through travel agents than in any other region. They also show a stronger interest in adopting digital solutions and technology to streamline travel processes.
- Passengers from Asia-Pacific are the most likely to consider price when choosing their departure airport. They lead in using mobile apps and digital wallets to book and pay for travel, more than any other region. They’re also more likely to use biometrics at airports (yet their satisfaction with the technology is the lowest among all regions).
- Passengers from Europe are more likely to make a reservation through an airline’s website and pay for the flight with a credit or debit card. Compared to other regions, they tend to be slightly more cautious about using digital solutions and sharing personal information to enhance their travel experiences.
- Passengers from the Middle East are the most likely to choose an airport for its facilities and services. A higher percentage book their flights through a channel where human interaction is involved than in most other regions. More than half have used biometrics instead of a passport for airport processes in the past 12 months, and nearly all report satisfaction with the experience.
- Passengers from Latin America and the Caribbean tend to book travel with a credit or debit card. They place the highest value on payment flexibility; they prefer to pay in installments more than any other region. They’re also more inclined than any other region to obtain visas from a consulate or embassy.
- Passengers from North America prefer to pay for their flights with debit or credit cards more than any other region. They’re also the most frequent users of loyalty points for payment. They actively use biometric identification for airport processes and report high satisfaction with it. Nearly all are interested in providing data in advance for more “lighter” security checks at the airport.
IATA’s highlights of the survey can be found here.
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