Travel site, TripAdvisor, has announced the results of its annual air travel survey of more than 10,000 respondents in Australia. It appears that regional travel remains popular among Aussie travellers as 90 per cent of travellers intend to fly on a short haul flight at least once in 2015, up slightly from 88 per cent. More travellers are expecting to fly further afield this year, as 78 per cent intend to travel on a long-haul flight, compared to 75 per cent who did so in 2014.
When asked what they enjoyed most about the air travel experience, travellers listed the excitement and adventure of jet-setting at the top of the list.
Top 5 things travellers like most about air travel:
1. Thrill of getting to a new destination – 77%
2. Sense of adventure – 58%
3. In-flight amenities – 35%
4. Looking out of the plane’s window during take-off / landing – 32%
5. Chance to take a break from work (e.g.email) during the flight – 25%
When asked what they enjoyed least about the air travel experience, travellers identified discomfort aboard the flight, along with additional airline fees as the top frustrations.
Top 5 things travellers like least about flying:
1. Uncomfortable seats / limited legroom – 76%
2. Added fees (e.g., baggage fees, seat selection fees, etc.) – 57%
3. Unpredictable flight delays / cancellations – 56%
4. Loud / crying children – 55%
5. Long security lines / customs wait times – 40%
When asked about the top air travel improvements over the past five years, travellers gave ease of booking flights and the opening of new flight routes to new destinations as their top choices.
Top five biggest improvements in air travel:
1. Ease of booking online – 76%
2. Comparison shopping on flight search sites – 61%
3. Number of flight / itinerary options – 59%
4. In-flight entertainment options – 50%
5. Ability to find comprehensive fare, flight and price information on a single site – 48%
