Insight | Inmarsat APAC Passenger Experience Survey 2022
Aviation
Our deep dive into APAC flyers’ attitudes has revealed a number of interesting highlights when it comes to passenger experience – chief among them is the critical importance of inflight Wi-Fi.
The results of our latest Passenger Experience Survey has highlighted the fantastic strides commercial aviation has made in the last year and the subsequent growth of passenger confidence, with 83% of passengers now happy to fly again.
Our survey also gives us the opportunity to drill down to a regional level. And the news coming out of APAC is pleasingly similar to the wider global story. In fact, 75% of flyers across the region are happy about flying again – a giant leap from last year’s figure of just 6%.
Across the diverse territories that comprise APAC there are a number of significant takeaways airlines can glean as they continue to keep track of passenger expectations.
APAC passengers have long been forward-thinking, digitally-savvy flyers. It’s a trend that was in full swing before the pandemic and has only heightened since. Of the 4,000 APAC passengers surveyed for our latest tracker, 74% say that it’s important to stay connected while they are in the air. This figure has almost doubled (it stood at 39% this time last year) in 12 months.
There’s more: 78% of APAC flyers have accessed inflight Wi-Fi when it’s been available. An even starker trend highlighting the importance of staying connected is this: 83% of passengers say it enhances the experience to such a degree that they would rebook with the same airline in future.
Separating business flyers from leisure travellers isn’t as easy as it used to be – the distinctions have been blurred. Thanks to the availability of robust and consistent inflight Wi-Fi, we are all - to some degree – hybrid passengers now.
Across the region, 36% of flyers want to work while flying. Another interesting titbit: 96% of flyers prefer to use their own personal devices while in the sky. These findings – and more – all point to the viable and lucrative commercial opportunities that present themselves to airlines that can match or even exceed customer expectations.
Another thing to glean from the thoughts of APAC passengers – should the Wi-Fi be free at the point of access? Our survey makes for interesting reading when it comes to this hotly-debated topic.
If further proof were needed to demonstrate just how important staying connected is for APAC passengers consider this: 85% of flyers are willing to do more to ensure they receive a quality connection.
According to those surveyed ‘doing more’ ranges from trading in alcoholic drinks or watching adverts to paying more for a ticket or spending loyalty points and more besides.
Inmarsat Aviation’s Regional Vice President APAC, David Coiley, recognises the value our deep dive into passenger attitudes across APAC can give to airlines. He points out that almost three-quarters of APAC passengers say being connected during a flight is important to them and that more than four in five say they’d rebook with an airline that offered good Wi-Fi.
“I’m not surprised by this,” he says. “The APAC region has long been a digitally-advanced hotspot. All of this presents airlines with an opportunity, to use connectivity to enhance the passenger experience beyond the ordinary. Not only will this boost retention and loyalty among their passengers – but it can also unlock a whole host of commercial opportunities to support their ongoing recovery, and future-proof the business.”
Want to learn more about APAC passenger thoughts and the commercial opportunities that offering quality, consistent and robust inflight Wi-Fi presents? Download the results of our APAC Passenger Experience Survey now.
