Report: Airline travelers will pay more for choice, convenience

If airlines in the US want to build customer loyalty they should consider giving travelers more - and not just in leg room or on-board snacks. According to new data out from FlightView American travelers would be willing to pay more to airlines if they were give more choice, more convenience and more convenience.

by Kristina Knight

Some interesting takeaways from the report include:

• 75% of travelers say they 'struggle to find' direct flights to their destination
• 66% of travelers say they 'would pay more' for premium services at the airport
• 90% of travelers that use wearable tech want travel date information

Researchers also found that the most in-demand premiums that travelers want are RFID tags so they can track their baggage (53%) as well as temporary gate-side baggage checks for carry-ons so the travelers can eat or shop (40%) and curbside rental car pickup (35%).

"Ultimately, it comes down to convenience, communication and choice," said Mike Benjamin, CEO of FlightView, the day-of-travel information company. "That's what today's travelers want and are willing to dig deeper in their pockets for - whether they're planning a trip, booking their ticket, waiting at the airport, boarding, flying or arriving at their destination. Our survey found that airport and airline executives may be overlooking a real opportunity to drive new revenues and improve the travel experience."

Also, the report indicates most travelers (85%) eat, shop or drink pre-flight. The report authors suggest airlines including apps or alerts through travelers wearable tech - as well as their mobile phones/tablets - would likely put these consumers at ease and likely increase their purchases in the airport.

Image via Shutterstock

Tags: Flightview, mobile marketing, mobile push notifications, online travel, travel, travel trends