Passengers are looking for maximum convenience when planning their travel. They prefer to fly from an airport that is close to home, have all booking options and services available in one place, pay with their preferred payment method and easily offset their carbon emissions.

Proximity to the airport was identified as one of the top priorities for international passengers (75%), higher than the price they pay for their ticket (39%). Paying with their preferred payment method (82%) or having access to planning and booking information in one place are also high on the list.

18% of passengers say they always offset their carbon emissions, the main reason given by those who did not was lack of awareness of the option (36%).

The IATA data also shows that the majority of travellers are willing to share their immigration information to improve their travel experience. Thirty-seven percent of travellers acknowledge that they have been discouraged from travelling to a destination due to immigration requirements. The complexity of the process was highlighted as the main deterrent by 65% of travellers, with 12% citing cost and 8% time.

When visas are required, 66% of travellers say they prefer to obtain a visa online before travelling, 20% prefer to go to the consulate or embassy and 14% choose to obtain it at the airport.

83% of travellers were willing to share their immigration information to speed up the airport arrival process, according to IATA.

Technology to improve travellers' experience

The transport association's survey shows how passengers are willing to take advantage of technology to improve the convenience of their airport experience and the management of their baggage.

44% of travellers prefer to check in online to improve their airport experience, as well as immigration procedures (32%), followed by baggage. 93% of passengers say they would be interested in special programmes that can perform background checks to speed up their passage through security.

For baggage, 67% would be interested in home pick-up and delivery and 73% would be interested in remote check-in options. 80% of passengers say they would be more likely to check a bag if they could check it throughout the journey, and 50% said they have used or would be interested in using an electronic baggage tag.

Passengers also see value in biometric identification. 75% of passengers would be willing to use biometrics instead of passports and boarding passes. More than a third have already experienced the use of biometric identification in their travels, with a satisfaction rate of 88%. However, data protection remains a concern for about half of travellers.

The air transport organisation says the industry is ready to create a seamless travel experience thanks to IATA's One ID initiative.

"The coronavirus pandemic has helped governments understand the potential for passengers to share their passenger information in advance and the power of biometric processes to enhance security and make more efficient use of scarce resources," concludes IATA.