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Air Travelers Would Like a Few More Amenities

U.S. carriers fare poorly in survey

By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.com

April 16, 2008

That's a question put to travelers in a new poll by SeatGuru.com, an air travel Web site. The results might provide some inspiration for U.S. air carriers, who fared poorly in the poll, and are struggling to stay in business in the face of sharply higher fuel costs.

In a survey of 1,600 travelers worldwide, 44 percent of respondents said television at their seat is the in-flight entertainment feature they value most. Twenty-six percent of those surveyed said a full meal is the comfort feature they value most on an airline. Thirty-six percent of travelers said the in-flight luxury they would most be willing to pay extra for is a bed.

The top five a Airlines for amenities, according to the survey:

1. Virgin Atlantic
2. Singapore Airlines
3. British Airways
4. Emirates
5. JetBlue

The top five for food:

1. Singapore Airlines
2. British Airways
3. Virgin Atlantic
4. Air France
5. Continental

RyanAir was selected as having the worst amenities, according to the survey, and American Airlines was chosen as having the worst food.

Food (and drink) for thought

If it meant a cheaper fare, the airline amenity the greatest amount of travelers – 36 percent - could do without is the complimentary snack. The snack that travelers favor most is cheese and crackers, followed by fruits and nuts. The most popular beverage for travelers is bottled water, followed by soda and wine.

Security

Authorities might want to think about tweaking their security and screening procedures. Ten percent of travelers surveyed said they have snuck liquids or other banned substances through security in the past year. Only 57 percent of worldwide travelers, and 69 percent of Americans, knew that three ounces is the maximum amount of liquid you can bring on to an airplane in the U.S.

A leg up

Thirty-seven percent of respondents are willing to pay up to a 10 percent premium for a more comfortable seat and better legroom, while 22 percent would pay up to 20 percent for that luxury. Thirty-two percent said they are not willing to pay any premium.

Nothing personal

Fifty-six percent of flyers prefer to check-in online from home, and 14 percent said they prefer checking in using the electronic kiosk. Only 24 percent would rather check-in with an airline representative.

Eighty percent of flyers have noticed that airlines have become more strict about enforcing the number, weight, or size of carry-on bags.

Other tidbits:

• 33% of travelers purchase from the in-flight shopping catalog
• Starbucks is the brand of coffee most travelers would prefer on a flight
• 13% of travelers did not know that some airlines are beginning to charge a fee for extra bags beyond one check-in bag
• 9% were unaware that many airlines only allow two carry-on bags

"At the end of the day, a TV dinner is all flyers are really asking for," said Matt Daimler, founder of SeatGuru. "In addition to the interesting survey findings about preferences, it is surprising to see how many travelers are still not completely up to speed on airline and security rules."

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