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

"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