In its 12th annual Passenger IT Trends Survey, co-sponsored by Air Transport World, SITA asked passengers to rate their satisfaction at every step of the journey. The results paint a picture of “tech” users who are more satisfied with the experience than those using face-to-face services.
Easy to use tech services can remove complexity and simplify the journey for passengers, which increases satisfaction. This in turn leads to a greater level of willingness among air travelers to use new tech services to have a more enjoyable trip.
Tech boosts passenger satisfaction
For most of passengers it’s hard to imagine traveling without a smartphone, lap top, or perhaps, a smart watch.
Those who used self-service technology, either on their own devices or via airport facilities, to process any stage of their most recent trip reported higher levels of satisfaction at that journey stage than the non-tech users.
Automated ID control - the next self-service opportunity
A majority of passengers are open to the idea of using a single biometric token to expedite their way through the airport without having to show their passport or boarding pass.
Airlines and airports are already testing facial recognition at bag drop stations and at boarding.
APP appeal
In the not-so-distant future passengers may even be customizing their personal space in the cabin via an airline app as leading aircraft manufacturers and suppliers are exploring concepts to allow passengers to adjust their lighting, their seat set-up, check if the lavatory is vacant and control their inflight entertainment.
Connected passengers-getting extra
Plans to roll out onboard connectivity continue to escalate among both traditional and low-cost carriers, although it will take time for services to be installed across their fleets and become mainstream in most regions.
While these services are not widely adopted, this is an opportunity for airlines and their partners to expand these offers. However, uptake may also be dependent on convincing passengers that they are being offered a competitive price for these destination services.
Download The Passenger IT Trends Survey 2017
