Passengers ‘slow to adopt’ airport mobile services

A report by SITA has noted that passengers have been slow to adopt airport mobile services. 

This is despite the fact that 97% if airline passengers carry at least one electronic device while travelling.

The Future is Personal, the latest industry report from SITA based on in-depth research directly with more than 6,000 passengers found that while airlines have made significant investments in mobile services over the past four years “global rollout and adoption is proving to be slower and more complex than was anticipated”.

Nigel Pickford, director market insight, SITA, said that at a glance, “airlines and airports might be discouraged” by the slower than expected global usage rates.

“But this hides the huge success that some airlines and airports are experiencing,” he continued.

“Our analysis has shown that the successful ’outliers’, be they airports or airlines, are focusing on providing excellent customer service experiences that their passengers want.

“They are harnessing new technologies to give personalised services at the right moment of the journey.”

The report found that half of passengers are keen to use their mobiles to find their way around the airport, access lounges or the aircraft, provide identification at checkpoints, or make payments.

“The reality is though, that despite these and other services, including mobile check-in and boarding passes provided by airlines, 24% of passengers have not yet used travel apps at all on their journey,” the report concluded.

SITA’s report also details the desire for passengers to experience personalised services throughout their journey and explains how personalisation is now expected both on the ground and in-flight.

This era of continuous engagement means that passengers also expect to be kept informed during periods of disruption and given the ability to manage the changing circumstances of their journey.