IATA: Speed and convenience top priority for passengers 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the results of its 2023 Global Passenger Survey (GPS), showing that travelers 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.  

Passengers want convenience when they plan their travel and when choosing from where to depart. Their preference is to fly from an airport close to home, have all booking options and services available in one single place and pay with their preferred payment method. Proximity to the airport was passengers’ main priority when choosing their departure point (71%). This was more important than ticket price (31%).  A small majority of passengers prefer to book directly with the airline (52%). Regardless of booking channel used however, they would like to have complete visibility into the fare offer including easy access to optional products and services. 

“Today’s travelers expect the same online experience as they get from major online retailers. The Modern Airline Retailing program responds to these needs. Whichever shopping channel passengers choose, airlines want to present them with all the options for even quicker and more convenient booking. When Modern Airline Retailing is fully realized, travelers will be able to track their air travel purchases with a single order number—simple and fast. It will also greatly simplify reaccommodating travelers in the event of a change or a disruption,” said Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Financial Settlement and Distribution Services.  

Convenience was the main reason passengers chose a particular payment method (62%). Among seven different payment methods, the most popular was credit / debit card (73%), followed by digital wallet (18%) and bank transfer (18%). At the same time, there are very wide regional variations in credit card usage. Payment issues cited by respondents included the inability to use their preferred option or to pay in instalments; others cited a tedious payment process and concerns over payment security. Furthermore, 25% of potential product/services sales during the customer journey could not be eventually completed because of payment issues. 

“Payment needs to be seen as part of the commercial offer and not just as a financial transaction at the end of the sale. Customers want to be able to use their preferred payment method with convenience and security. Each market is different and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. 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,” said Albakri.  

The survey also found that complex visa requirements deter travelers who want a convenient, digital online visa process. Moreover, many are willing to share their immigration information for faster airport immigration  procedures. Some 36% of travelers said they have been discouraged from traveling to a particular destination because of the immigration requirements. Process complexity was highlighted as the main deterrent by 49% of travelers, 19% cited costs and 8% privacy concerns. Where visas are required, 66% of travelers want to obtain a visa online prior to travel, 20% prefer to go to the consulate or embassy and 14% at the airport. Some 87% of travelers indicated they would share their immigration information to speed up the airport arrival process, representing an increase from the 83% reported in 2022. 

"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 1 . Beyond simplified visa procedures, travelers are prepared to share their immigration information if it results in faster and smoother airport processes. Taking advantage of traveler willingness to use online processes and share information in advance is always a win-win solution,” said Careen. 

At the airport, speed is of the essence, shows the survey. Passengers expect streamlined processes and minimal wait times. They're keen on using biometrics to expedite procedures, prefer to complete more processes off-site, and arrive at the airport ready to fly. Passengers expect to move through the airport faster than ever. 74% stated that when traveling with only 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. 

Passengers want to complete more processing elements off-airport. 45% of travelers identified immigration as their top pick for off-airport processing. This was up from 32% in 2022. Check-in was the second most popular pick at 33%, followed by baggage check-in (19%). And 91% of passengers are interested in a special program for trusted travelers (background checks) to expedite security screening.  

Passengers want more flexibility and more control in the baggage process. 67% would be interested in home pick-up and delivery, 77% said they would be likely to check in a bag if they could tag it and check it in before they get to the airport and 87% would be willing to check in a bag if they could track it.  Also, interest in self-tracking is growing: 57% of travelers have used or want to use electronic bag tags, up from 50% in 2022.  

Confidence in biometric identification is on the rise, says IATA. In the last 12 months, 46% of passengers used biometrics at the airport, up from 34% in 2022. Furthermore, 75% of passengers prefer using biometric data over traditional passports and boarding passes. Of those who've used biometric identification during their travels, 46% reported an 85% satisfaction rate. While data protection remains a concern for half of the travelers, 40% would be more open to biometric solutions if they were confident that their personal information is secure – an increase from 33% in 2022. 

“Passengers want technology to work harder, so they spend less time ‘being processed’, standing in queues. And they are willing to use biometric data if it delivers this result. But we need cooperation across the value chain and with governments to make it happen with secure technology that is available today,” said Careen.