In spite of the fact that more than two thirds (68%) of travelers have experienced inconvenienced travel after COVID travel restrictions were relaxed and that 66% anticipate more of the same during upcoming trips, the majority (83%) still intend to fly for a vacation within the next six months.
The study, which surveyed 2000 recent travellers in the UK and the US*, advises that vacation providers have one more chance to get it right; if travellers encounter delays once more on their prospective travels, more than half (55%) will refrain from making future reservations with the airline. When asked who they held responsible for their unpleasant experiences, 50% blamed the airlines when flights were delayed, while only 13% pointed the finger at the airport. But when it comes to misplaced luggage, the jury is still out: 40% blame the airline, while 42% blame the airport.
Over a third of all passengers (35%), were affected by delayed flights or missed connections, which were followed closely by delayed arrivals (31%) and cancelled flights (15%). According to the report, lost luggage, which dominated summer headlines, is a big inconvenience that has ruined roughly 1 in 7 travelers’ vacations over the past 18 months.
Although they clearly want to fly, passengers won’t put up with any more inconvenience without a fight. When passengers learn that their trip may be delayed, 53% of them will contact the airline and 38% will vent on social media. Additionally, 93% of travellers think that this is a crucial consideration when choosing which airline to book with, thus if an airline doesn’t have a reputation for punctuality, they are likely to lose out.
Airlines still have a chance to regain the patronage of their customers, though. Passengers can be calmed down in stressful situations at the terminal by receiving automatic reimbursements when they are appropriate, proactive customer care that offers suggestions for alternate routes, and automatic phone alerts when something goes wrong. Just truly organise yourselves properly, there’s no excuse for all the chaos, said one traveller who responded to the survey.
“The pent-up urge to fly was always going to put airlines and airports under great pressure – and so it proved, with widespread disruption affecting many long-anticipated flights,” says Philip Hinton, SVP, IBS Software. Because of the pervasive problems that have negatively impacted corporate performance, airlines are prioritising on-time performance and customer happiness.