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Airline passengers are still happier with service standards now than before the coronavirus crisis, despite many carriers suffering a summer of delays and cancellations linked to staffing shortages.
Passenger contentedness has shown only a slight dip, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said, with 80% of people in a recent survey declaring themselves very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, compared with 82% in 2021, when travel curbs were still widespread.
The figure remains historically high, having been only around the 75% mark from 2017 through 2019, according to IATA, which represents 290 airlines.
Customers’ biggest travel irritants are delays surrounding border controls, airport security and baggage reclaim, areas all affected by the employee shortfall as airlines, airports and their suppliers struggle to rehire after offloading staff during the pandemic.
Other concerns include snags with transfers between flights and being forced to queue on so-called air bridges before entering the plane.
Customers are happiest with the pre-travel experience, with flight searches, the booking process, arrival at the airport and check-in all registering high levels of satisfaction.
—Bloomberg