Travelers want convenience and tech

IATA has released the results of its 2024 Global Passenger Survey, showing that travelers continue to value convenience and speed

Nov 6, 2024

« Passengers value flexibility and transparency when planning and booking travel, as well as speed and convenience at the airport. They are increasingly turning to biometrics, digital wallets and off-airport processes to achieve these goals, » said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president of operations, safety and security.

Key takeaways

• Airport proximity & travel time: 68% of passengers prioritize proximity to the airport when choosing a departure point, followed by minimizing total travel time (33%) and securing the best ticket price (25%);
• Booking preferences: 71% of travelers prefer to book online or through a mobile app, with 53% preferring the airline website/app and only 16% preferring human interaction;
• Consolidated travel information: 32% expressed a desire for a single platform to consolidate all travel information during the pre-travel phase;
• Preferred payment methods: 79% of passengers prefer credit or debit cards (up 8 points from 2023), followed by digital wallets at 20% (+2 points) and instant payment solutions such as IATA Pay at 7% (+3 points);
• Reasons for payment choice: Convenience drives payment method selection (70%), followed by value-added benefits (39%) and security (33%).

Get the full report at IATA