Airline Seat Discomfort Top Gripe Amongst Southeast Asian Travellers

TripAdvisor has unveiled the results of its inaugural air travel survey of more than 1,200 respondents from Southeast Asia.

"Interest in international flights continues to rise despite some persistent air travel frustrations, such as uncomfortable seats, limited leg room and unpredictable flight changes but we are also seeing some positive signs as flyers report easier booking and more flight routes that help improve the traveller experience," said Andrew Wong, regional director of TripAdvisor Flights, APAC.

The top five flyer complaints about air travel are as follows, with uncomfortable seats or limited legroom topping the list:

1. Uncomfortable seats / limited legroom – 61%
2. Unpredictable flight delays / cancellations – 50%
3. Costly airline fees and ticket prices – 50%
4. Long security lines – 43%
5. Loud / crying children – 42%

When travellers were asked which amenities would most improve their inflight experience, their answers reflected these frustrations: "more legroom" (28%) and "more comfortable seats" (24%) were their top answers. For long-haul flights of over four hours, 80% of travellers are willing to pay an additional fee for extra legroom. As for those frustrated by loud and crying children, 48% of respondents would pay to sit in a child-free section.

Travellers were also asked about air travel improvements over the past five years. The top five biggest improvements in air travel:

1. Easier booking – 63%
2. More affordable flights – 49%
3. More flight routes / options – 45%
4. More streamlined check-in process – 38%
5. Better in-flight entertainment options – 25%

Mobile and Inflight WiFi

The top three uses of mobile devices by travellers include “research flight prices” (57%), “check-in to flights” (56%) and “check flight status” (54%).

Once in the air, travellers are less eager to go online with 95% saying they rarely or never purchase their carrier’s inflight Wi-Fi service.

Favourites

It will come as little surprise to frequent travellers in the region that amongst the many airlines available , travellers in Southeast Asia have named AirAsia and Singapore Airlines as their favourite low-cost and full service carrier respectively.

Singapore Changi Airport was also recognised as the region’s favourite airport with 64% of respondents naming it their preferred airport. Flyers cite “easy navigation” (45%), “wide variety of shopping” (44%) and “wide variety of dining options” (41%) as the reasons that Changi has emerged tops.