Tapping preferences, personas to improve passenger experience

The International Air Transport Association ( IATA), the Trade Association has reported that air travel demand growth is expected to maintain a positive trend as indicated by ticket sales. The latest data it reported, suggest an increase of 7.4 percent year- on- year in ticket sales volumes for travel in October and November. IATA) is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 330 airlines over 80 percent of global air traffic. They support many areas of aviation activity and help formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues. 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently released the results of its 2024 Global Passenger Survey, revealing that travellers continue to prioritise convenience and speed. For a smoother travel experience, they are eager to use biometric identification and complete some travel processes before reaching the airport.

The report went further to  bring to the fore regional trends. Africa will need to not only position itself to benefit from the anticipated growth in traffic, but should take advantage of the knowledge of passenger behaviours and their personas across the regions of the world for planning and strategy.

African passengers put convenience as priority  when choosing an airport but frequently face limited options due to a lack of alternatives, says the report. It further reported that more passengers in the Africa region book their tickets through travel agents than in any other area. They also show a stronger interest in adopting digital solutions and technology to streamline travel processes. Additionally, complex visa requirements are a deterrent for African travellers compared to other regions. The boundaries created by colonialism have remained strong and have not helped to improve intra African trade and travel.

For Asia-Pacific travellers, the report says they are the most price-conscious 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 are also more likely to use biometric technology at airports, although their satisfaction with the experience is the lowest among all regions. Complex visa requirements deter more travellers from Asia-Pacific than most other regions, the report states.

European travellers, says the report, are more likely to book through an airline’s website and pay with a credit or debit card. They tend to be slightly more cautious about using digital solutions and sharing personal information to enhance their travel experience compared to other regions. Europeans are also the least likely to share biometric data to speed up processes, and when they do, their satisfaction is lower than that of travellers from other regions.

Middle East passengers, it reports, 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 most other regions. They are enthusiastic about using smartphones to store digital wallets, digital passports, and loyalty cards for booking, payment, and airport navigation. Over half have used biometrics instead of a passport for airport processes in the past 12 months, with nearly all reporting satisfaction with the experience. This is good news for airports that look forward to adopting biometrics to speed up passenger processing.

North America passengers overwhelmingly and more than any other region prefer to pay for their flights with debit or credit cards and are 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.

Latin America and Caribbean passengers prefer booking travel with a credit or debit card. They place the highest value on payment flexibility, preferring to pay in instalments more than any other region. They are more inclined than any other region to obtain visas from a consulate or embassy. They use biometrics less frequently than other regions; however, they show a strong willingness to adopt the technology and report high satisfaction when they do.

Passenger preferences and personas are very useful tools for understanding and improving the passenger experience. The IATA Global Passenger Survey, gives insights into passenger satisfaction, behaviours and expectations globally. Leveraging on personas, airports can improve the passenger experience and get the utmost from sales. Airlines can also work on their policies in the light of passenger preferences.

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