Singapore Changi top “self-connecting” Asian airport
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Singapore’s Changi Airport is the most popular in Asia Pacific for passengers choosing to “self-connect”, a new study has revealed.
According to data from Skyscanner, 17% of air seats booked to depart from Changi last year were part of a self-connecting trip. This means that passenger is building his or her own itinerary, often with different airlines.
Skyscanner said that the main reasons for this were to save money or to stop-over in the destination for tourism purposes.
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Hong Kong, Bangkok Don Mueang and Kuala Lumpur airports completed the Asian top five.
Los Angeles International Airport was the top self-connecting airport in the world, with 33% of its tickets booked in this manner, while Dublin Airport (28%) was Europe’s main self-connecting hub.
“In the age of the savvy traveller, and with the growth of low-cost carriers, an increasing number of passengers are more aware of their options, choosing to self-connect their travel as a result,” said Hugh Aitken, commercial director at Skyscanner. “For both airports and airlines, having a full picture of the searches and bookings passengers are making, including their preferences for connections, routes and pricing, is essential if they are to capitalise on the market.”
Skyscanner pointed out that the rise of budget airlines in Asia is driving the development of Singapore as a self-connecting hub. AirAsia for example, does not have a base at Changi Airport, but operates 16 routes to and from the Singapore hub, meaning that passengers have to facilitate their own connections.
And it appears that globally, self-connections are on the rise. The average percentage of users choosing to self-connect rather than take a route with a single carrier increased to 12.6% last year, from 11.6% in 2014.
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